Giving More Than Expected

Happy New Year & Happy Thursday,

Did you or your child ever have a teacher that gave more than expected?  You know, the one that took personal interest in the success of the students, stayed late or came in early to help tutor, showed up at all the extra curricular activities, or made that personal call to home when something was wrong.  You might be able to recall that teacher that did the opposite, just getting by as easily as possible.  Which would you prefer to be associated with?  Which teacher do you want your kids to have?

My question for you is, do you give more than expected?  This is a question that can apply to any area of your life.  Some might ask, "why would I give more than expected?"  Would you like it if your spouse did more than expected to build a strong relationship with you?  Would you like it if your kids did more than expected, either at school or at home?  How about your team at work?  What if everyone you worked with at PAi gave more than expected? 

Knowing that you have given 110% can be extremely satisfying.  Doing what is un-required, going the extra mile, or going above and beyond brings great value to everyone you associate with. 

You should think about this as you make your New Year's resolutions.  Creating daily habits such as, giving more than is expected, will move you closer to your's and your team's goals.  Join me and walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

Have a Happy New Year,

Chris

Leaders Have Vision

Happy Thursday,

As a leader, do you have a vision?  Is your vision crystal clear to you?  

As a follower, does your leader have a vision?  Is his/her vision crystal clear to you?  Would you rather follow a leader with a vision or a leader without a vision?

A vision is something we see in front of us. You have to have a vision of where you are walking or you will probably trip, run into something, or possibly even go the wrong direction.  If you are leading your team, whether it's 1,000 people or 2 people the same is true.  

Think about some of the great leaders and their visions...Henry Ford and mass production of the automobile or George Washington and the destiny of the United States.  These two leaders had vision that carried on long after they were gone.  I bet there teams (followers) knew exactly what their vision was.

Think about your vision.  Make it so clear in your mind it feels real.  Write it down, talk about it with others, and share that vision with your team so everyone is on the same page. 

Thanks for reading my Thursday Think Tanks and please share with anyone you care to share with.  I would like to add more to the e-mail list, just let me know who.  My vision for this weekly e-mail is to get everyone it touches to think a little differently and help move our teams forward.  

Enjoy your Thursday,

Chris

Lean - What Does It Mean To You?

Happy Thursday,

What does lean mean to you?  As a "lean" thinker, you are thinking about what you are doing and making it more lean, cutting the fat, eliminating the waste.  It's not something you put on your calendar to do at a certain time, it's a thought process, it's a life style, it's everywhere.

An e-mail can be lean.  You know the un-lean e-mail writer.  Some people can say what they need to in two sentences and others seem to make it a couple paragraphs to say the same thing.

A diet can be lean.  Cutting out the fat and empty calories in your diet such as soda, cookies, bacon, etc. helps.  Not that you can cut out all the fat, but you can always improve.

A process can be lean.  How do you improve a process that causes you waste.  What waste can you eliminate...DOWNTIME (Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-utilized talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Excess Processing)  For example, using a shared document as opposed to sending a spreadsheet back a forth.  It speeds the process up by eliminating excess processing, less e-mails back and forth to share spreadsheet.  It eliminates inventory of spreadsheets and e-mails.  It eliminates waiting, as you can see the updates immediately.

Don't be afraid, frustrated, or confused by the term "Lean".  It is really all about helping you do things more efficiently so you can get your job done easier.  We can all point out the waste in each other but what if everyone would concentrate on the lean principles on things they have control of......wow, think of the waste we could cut out as a company.

I challenge you all to have a conversation daily about lean.  Make it part of your life, both at work and in our personal lives. 

Think lean and enjoy your Thursday,

Chris

Leading by Example

Happy Thursday All,

It's that time again....your weekly reminder to think a little differently.  Have you ever told anyone?, "do as I say, not as I do."  Have you told your 16 year old kid to drive the speed limit, to only have her point out that you are driving 72 in a 55?  How about telling the players not to argue with the umpire, only to get kicked out of the game arguing a bad call (I've never done that). 

This weeks real question...do you lead by example? Are you setting the example for your team?  Does your team see you as the model?  If you are trying to grow leaders, are you leading correctly?  If you are expecting your team to be open minded to your ideas, are you open minded to their ideas?  If you want your team to keep their work place neat and organized....well?

Think about it from your teams perspective.  They are looking for a model leader to follow.  They want advice from you.  They want you to lead them.  Shouldn't you be doing the right things?  You don't look for weight loss advice from a fat doctor.  You don't ask Alex for the latest fashion trends....or hair stylist. 

What can you set an example in....not everyone can have a mind for figuring numbers as well as TJ does, but everyone can be an approachable leader.  Not everyone can schmooze as great as Kelly Long, but everyone can be polite and treat others as they want to be treated.  We can all have the dedication, the desire to learn, and whether or not you want it, the influence on others.

Go set a great example!!!

Chris

Goal Setting for the New Year

Happy Thursday All,

We have either started a new year (PAi fiscal year) or we are getting ready to start a new year (2016 calendar year).  Either way you look at it, I'm sure you have some idea of what you want to accomplish this upcoming year. You have some goals in mind.  You have great intentions...but are you good at accomplishing them each year?  Do you write them down? Have you even set your goals yet?   

Here's some questions about your goals, whether they are sales goals, cost goals, relationship goals, fitness goals,  or personal growth goals.

First, where are you right now?  This should be an easy one.  If your goal is to lose weight or become more fit, get on the scale, look at your belly, or try to run a certain distance. If you have a sales goal...fiscal year just started, you are at $0.  Make this simple.

Second, where do you want to be?  You might have a yearly goal or 2-5 year goal but a 90 day goal is extremely important.  It's far enough out that you have time to make progress, yet close enough that you can't procrastinate much.

Third, why do you want to accomplish this goal?  This might be the most important part.  Sometimes it can be out of fear...If I don't accomplish this goal, TJ is going to fire me..(don't get to excited on that one Alex).  Better, would be the positive side....I see the good of accomplishing this goal because of the increased business it will bring us helping us add secure and higher paying jobs to our team.

Fourth, how are you going to accomplish it?  Just as in the July TTT message asking why five times....ask how at least three times to get clarity.  For example, if the problem is we need more clarity...how #1 communicate more. How #2 hold each other accountable. How #3 have weekly staff meetings. How #4 show everyone how to put reminders on their calendar so everyone remembers.

How clear can you make your goals?  Do you have clear priority goals?  If you have 20 priorities, do you have a priority?

Let's all work together to make 2016 our greatest year ever.  Know where you want to be and let's move us all to the next level.

Have a great Thursday!!!

Chris

Giving Thanks for Things In Your Life

Happy Thanksgiving All,

On this wonderful day, I want you to take some time to stop and think about what you are thankful for.  I want you to think about how you would crave for these things if they weren't yours currently.  

Let me tell you one thing I am extremely thankful for in my personal life.  My wonderful wife Deanne, daughter Kori, and son Blake.  What really puts things in perspective is to think what it would be like if they were not in my life....wow, now that makes me feel even more thankful for them being in my life.

How about being thankful for things at PAi such as the fact that we are busy and growing, as opposed to slow and on a decline...layoffs, cutbacks, etc.

How about being thankful for things at PAi such as knowing we work in a culture that allows us all to voice our ideas, make changes, and help implement improvement projects.

How about being thankful for things at PAi such as feeling you work with some absolutely wonderful people.  Think about your favorite 5 people you work with....what would it be like if they all left?    

Many times people are thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  They don't give near enough thought about the positive things in their lives currently such as family, friends, job, country, company, mentors, leaders, and health.

Take a little extra time and think differently about being thankful for the wonderful things in your lives.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving,

Chris

If You Know Your WHY, You Can Do Any How!

Happy Thursday All,

"If you know your WHY, you can do any how."  What would it be like to come to work every day and every person you come in contact with is energetic and inspired about their job?  If everyone had a mission they were on?  If everyone was working towards a common WHY?

Do you know your why?  Can you define your why?  People lose their way when they lose their why.  People are less inspired when they don't understand their why.  Knowing your purpose, knowing what you are committed to, what your vision is, these are things that get crystal clear when you know your why.

I want to work with people who's why is bigger than their why not.  I would venture to guess you feel the same.  As with all other TTT messages,  turn this around and focus on yourself...do you know your why so well that you are the energetic and inspired person?  If not, figure it out.  Believe me, knowing your why makes your job (mission) a lot more enjoyable, along with making your co-workers job much more pleasant.

"If you know your WHY, you can do any how."

Chris

What You Practice Is Who You Are

Hello Team,

What you practice is who you are.  We have all heard the term, "Practice makes perfect."  Or, "Practice makes permanent."  I was researching being a success and found a book titled, "How To Be A Success At Anything."  It had only a single page inside and was just one word long, 'practice'.? 

What is practice?  If you are getting ready to play a round of golf, you practice.  If you are going hunting, hopefully you have practiced.  What you practice, you improve.  Practice is defined as performing regularly in order to improve or maintain one's efficiency.

What is it that you are practicing?  Are you practicing making good choices?  Are you practicing your communication skills?  Are you practicing being a leader?  Are you practicing caring for other people?  Are you practicing the right things, such as your values?  Or are you practicing the wrong things, such as being lazy?

Your challenge for this week...Go out and practice your strengths.  Don't practice until you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong.

Have a great Thursday,

Chris

Choices Shape Your Destiny

It's Thursday, time to stop a few minutes and think about choices.

It's just one little choice....but If that little choice becomes a pattern of choices; and that pattern of choices becomes a habit; and that habit becomes a lifestyle....well then, that becomes your destiny.

What kind of choices are you making?  

Are you choosing to spend your time wisely?  You have 168 hours per week...the same as every other person in this world...why are they more productive or why are you less productive?

Are you choosing to work on intellectual growth?  What are you choosing to read?  What are you choosing to listen to?  What are you choosing to watch?  Who are you choosing to hang out with?

Are you making healthy choices?  Do you have enough energy?  Are you choosing to sleep enough?  Are you choosing to eat correctly?  Are you choosing to exercise?

This is just some things you are making choices about.  Keep in mind, we are our choices.  You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the consequences of the choice.  Everything in your life is a reflection of a choice you have made.  If you want a different result, make a different choice.

Remember, you choices shape your destiny, choose wisely.

Enjoy your Thursday,

Chris

To see past Thursday Think Tank thoughts, and this one... go to paithursdaythinktank.blogspot.com

Lean Thinking - DOWNTIME

Are you thinking lean?  You do realize thinking lean just means thinking about eliminating waste, don't you?  Can you recite the DOWNTIME acronym?  Because that will help.

Lean is about removing things that bug you.  Do Defects bug you?  How do we remove defects from our lives?

Lean is about producing only what you need, not too much.  Do you see Overproduction that we can eliminate?  Making too much food for dinner and having leftovers that won't be eaten, that is Overproduction waste.

Lean is about being efficient.  When the operation is Waiting on you to complete your job before they can do their job, that is Waiting waste.

Lean is about using our people correctly.  Do you have Non-utilized talent on your team?

Lean is about limiting Transportation.  Can we transport information or product less? 

Lean is having small amounts of Inventory.  Do you see Inventory we could eliminate?  Could be Inventory of product, supplies, equipment.....

Lean is about not having Motion wasted in a process.  Using "Point of Use" tools can really help eliminate Motion waste.

Lean is about not having Excess processing.  Can you combine a process you are doing so you don't have Excess processing?

Lean is ELIMINATING WASTE.  DOWNTIME....Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-Utilized Talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Excess-Processing.

Have a great Thursday,

Chris

Work ON the System, Not IN the System

Sure Happy It's Thursday,

                                                                                             

Have you had someone tell you to work smarter, not harder.  I'm guessing many of us run around all day putting out fires, or as Toni told me....killing snakes.  I'm sure you also have had those days where you look up and realize it's 4 pm and you can't figure out what you did all day....but holy crap you were busy all day.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a well thought out plan that you are operating from?  This is what working ON the system instead of IN the system is all about.  Think about it....while at work, you are working IN the business by doing things to run the business (daily tasks such as scheduling, entering orders, quality checks, sales calls etc.), fire fighting (running around solving every problem popping up including frequent e-mails), or working ON the business by making things better (strategic planning, reviewing and improving a process, or observing or training).  

We all need to work ON the business more.  Get past the excuses and work on ways to improve, not only what you are doing, but what your entire team is doing.  Don't be like the guys in the picture below.

Have a great Thursday,

Chris

Stolen Ideas About Continuous Improvement

Happy Thursday All,

Continuous improvement is what Thursday Think Tank e-mail is all about.  I want you to keep thinking new, innovative, crazy, outside the box ideas.  That is what is going to keep PAi fresh, young, and growing.

As many of you know, we had our bi-annual operations meeting last Thursday.  One of the great things about getting together and talking about our challenges, successes, and best practices, is that we can steal each others ideas and best practices.  (stole that thought from TJ)

Here is some other thoughts and ideas I stole from last week that should get you thinking.  I spun what I heard from each of these people into a question for you.

 

From: Mr. Todd Johnson

• Are you stealing best practices from your colleagues?
• Are you creating better processes?
• Do you believe in lean?  If not, you are gonna get left in the dust.

From: Mr. David Proctor

• "Selves, why are we doing the things we are doing?"  (Can you picture David sitting in his office saying this out loud?)
• Do you have a continuous improvement team?
• Do you have a communication team?

From: Mrs. Kim Alvey

• Are you making sure your employees know what lean is?
• Is standard work getting developed for your area?
• Are you combining processes to speed up throughput?

From: Mr. Bruce Head

• Retail customer said."..if our hooks are empty, you aren't doing a good job."  Are we making sure our customers hooks aren't empty?
• Did you realize we have 10,500 active customers?  Holy cow!!!!

From: Mr. Stuart Miller

• "With failure we can succeed."  Are you allowing your team to fail so they can succeed?
• Is your culture changing in your area?  It is in screening.
• Are you keeping your energy level up?

From: Mrs. Vicky Halmick

• Are you watching your retention rate?  Is it important to you to retain employees?
• Can you rearrange your work area to become more efficient?
• How much paper do you use when you wipe? (Had to be there to get this one)

From: Mr Trenton Price

• Are you doing 5S to help become more efficient?
• All employees have been there over 90 days.  Are you doing what it takes to limit your turnover?

From: Mr. Mark Rubenstein

• "We will all be better people with these new initiatives."  What new initiatives are you doing to be a better person?

What an awesome meeting.  If I misquoted anyone, sorry.  I must have made it up and thought you said it.

Keep thinking PAi!!!

Chris

Culture Is The Buzzword!!

Happy Thursday All,

Culture is the buzzword today.  What is culture?  Culture is a way of thinking, behaving, and working that exists in a place or organization.

What is the culture at Paramount?  Is it good?  Can it change?  Are you a positive influence on our culture?  Can it be taught to your team?

What makes a great culture?  Here is a list of some things that would be noticeable in a great culture.

• Respect for each and every employee.
• Every PAi employee feels that they matter and can make a difference.
• A "Can Do" attitude is visible.
• Everyone has total clarity of expectations.
• Communication is abundant.
• Everyone happy and friendly with each other.
• No gossip.
• No in-fighting.
• Company loyalty.

Go out and make a difference.  Help to make our culture better than ever.

Don't forget, our culture is a direct reflection of you as a PAi leader.

Chris

Five Questions for Growth in Leadership

Get your thinking cap on.  We have five questions to ponder. These are questions that are on the growth side of your leadership.  What's keeping you back.  What is isolating you?  Read and think about them.

1. How do you see yourself compared to how you see others?  Do you think you are the only one that doesn't have it all together?  A common myth among leaders....all other leaders have it all together and I don't.  Are you willing to find out what it takes to make yourself better? 
2. Do you have a network of challenging minds?  People that want to challenge you.  People that want to help move you along.  Not people that will bash you or put you down.  They challenge your thinking and your mind.
3. Do you have a mind set of growth?  If you aren't growing you are dying.  It is so easy to get stuck doing the same things and not growing.  Are you doing the most important things as a leader?
4. Do you have proper accountability?  People that will hold you to your own expectations.  Not people calling you out on stuff that fulfills their needs.
5. What is holding you back from reaching your goals?  The goals are the steps you are taking to reach your vision.  Are you being effective?  Are you overburdened and task oriented?  Do you have a vision?

These questions are from a podcast by Chris LoCurto.  Visit chrislocurto.com/podcasts/  - Episode 149 for more insight into these 5 questions.

Happy Thursday,

Chris

Above and Beyond

Happy Thursday All,

What are you doing above and beyond that is not required?

Matt Carpenter shows up at the ball park 2 hours before required to take extra ground balls.  Larry Bird would shoot 200 free throws every morning before high school. How many swings of the golf club do you think Tiger Woods did when he was young?

Look at almost any successful person and you will find someone who has gone above and beyond to become successful.

Back to the question...What are you doing above and beyond that is not required?  Are you reading to educate yourself to help others?  Are you preparing, prior to the meeting, to help the meeting accomplish it's purpose?  Have you gone in to work at 1:30 in the morning to make sure the truck was loaded and headed for it's delivery spot? (Thanks Joe)  Did you answer that phone call at 4:50 and take care of the customer instead of ignoring the call?  Nobody would know the difference.  What about picking up that piece of trash laying on the parking lot?  So many other examples could be given.

These are things that, if not done, would almost go unnoticed.  The other side of this though, if you are not doing things above and beyond, youmight be unnoticed.

My action challenge to you this week, find someone each day that is going above and beyond and thank them for their dedication at Paramount.

Thanks for reading and have a great Thursday,

Chris

Lean at PAi

Happy Thursday All,

This year, 2015, we have had a lot of buzz about this thing called lean going around PAi.  It's been going on long enough for everyone to start realizing, it's not the next fad that is going to eventually go away.  If you haven't started changing your thinking, don't you think it's about time you do?  What I am challenging you to think about this week is....what does lean mean and do for you?  

Would you define lean as....

1. A fixed state or goal (being lean)
2. Continuous change process (becoming lean)
3. Set of tools or methods (doing lean/toolbox lean)
4. As a philosophy (lean thinking)
5. All of the above

Is lean only a manufacturing thing?  How would Cory explain lean to you? Hint: Eliminating waste (D.O.W.N.T.I.M.E.)  These occur in all parts of our company and our lives, not just in manufacturing.

Is lean a positive term in your mind?  Is lean a positive in your team's eyes?  Have you discussed lean with your team?  Is your boss on board and becoming educated about lean?  Are you the boss and wondering what your team is answering to the previous question?

Does your team feel empowered to suggest and help implement ideas that make Paramount a "More Lean" company?

My final question....and I am looking for feed back from all of you on this one....What do you see at Paramount that shows we are changing towards a more lean culture?  A quick one sentence response to all of us would be awesome.

Have a great Thursday!!!

Chris

Think About What You Think About

Hello Thinkers,

Think about what you think about.  Say what?  Have you ever thought about what you think about?  Napoleon Hill said in his book, Think and Grow Rich, "We become what we think about."

If you catch yourself thinking about being unhappy, about frustrations, or about negatives, CHANGE THE CHANNEL and think about what you want to happen.

Do you dwell on the past when you are thinking?  Do you think about how you have failed on your last goal so why set another one of those silly things? Or do you think about the future and how it's really in your control to make the best out of it?

Believe that good things will happen.  Expectations have a way of coming true.  You don't "catch" depression and you don't "catch" happiness...you "create" them by the thoughts you put into your mind.  Carefully choose what you read and listen to and choose carefully the people with whom you associate.

My challenge to you today is to stop and think....think about good things and about the future.  

Have a great Thursday,

Chris

Communication - Over & Over

Happy Thursday All,

How about thinking about communication today.  Communication is the purposeful activity of information exchange between two or more participants in order to convey or receive the intended meanings through a shared system of signs and semiotic rules.  Wow, let's simplify that....the exchange of information both giving and receiving. 

Research shows that employees in an organization must hear something 7 times before they believe it.  Leaders must say things again and again to enforce it.  It's only then that our people  will think, oh my gosh, I think they are serious.  Many people would say that is over-communicating.  So!!!!  Do we want our people to hear our message?  If they must hear our message 7 times to believe it, think the reverse, do we listen close enough to hear their message?

Have you posted or said something one time and can't seem to understand why people don't pay attention to it?  Most leaders do not like to over communicate.  They say it's redundant and wasteful.  They think they might be insulting there audience.  Bull!  When it comes to communicating, over communication is the best thing.

If your people can't do a good impression of you when you are not around, you are probably not communicating enough.  I dare you to ask your people to do an impression of you....are they able to reiterate the message you keep giving?  Is that the message you hope they are getting?

Don't let your message sound like the parents on Charlie Brown...wha, wha, wha.  Repeat it enough that they hear it and believe it.

Have a great Thursday,

Chris

High Five for Kicking Butt at Your Job!!!

Happy Thursday All,

Do you really appreciate your team?  Do you realize how important they are in your success?  Do you understand the sacrifices they make to help you achieve your goals?  

Once again, I want you to put your ego away and give yourself an honest evaluation.  If you answered yes to the above questions....pick up your pencil, pen, or crayon (that is what Alex usually writes with).  Write down 5 things one of your team members sacrifices to help you move forward.  Don't read on until you list 5. 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Now, when have you thanked them for those sacrifices?  When have you made them feel great on the inside because they made that enormous sacrifice?  How about thanking them for just being here everyday doing their job?  What about giving Alan a high five next time you see him for keeping the trash picked up off the parking lot?  That sure seams crazy, but think how you would feel if someone gave you a sincere high five for kicking butt at your job today!

Challenge to you....go out and make someones day!  It will feel all warm and fuzzy too.

Have an awesome Thursday,

Chris

Blog:  paithursdaythinktank.blogspot.com

The Right People Are Our Biggest Asset

Happy Thursday All,

We've all heard the statement...."People are our biggest asset."  What I want you to think about today is...do you believe that?  Do you act that way? Do you treat others at Paramount as if they are our biggest asset?  What if we change that statement to..."The right people are our biggest asset." 

What is the right person?  As James Lovell the American astronaut said "There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what happened."  I think what we are looking for is more of the people who "make things happen" and equally well fewer of the people who "wonder what happened."  What other traits does the right person have?  Are they stagnant or are they growing?  Are they a leader or a follower?  Can they communicate?  Are they dedicated?  Are they honest?  How about their ability to think on their own?

What kind of person do we hire?  Southwest Airlines believes that the company's recipe for success lies in "hiring the right people, at the right time, with the right attitude."  They feel they should hire for attitude and train for skills.  Do we do that as a company?  Is that important to you?

If we all stop and think about it, if we want to be able to say that our people are our greatest asset, we need to have the "right" people with the "right" attitude and only then can we set about giving them the "right" skills they need to do the "right" job!

Enjoy your Thursday, and don't forget....THINK DIFFERENTLY!

Chris

Blog:  paithursdaythinktank.blogspot.com

Outside the Box Thinking

Happy Thursday All,

The goal of the "Thursday Think Tank" is to get each of us to use our noggin and think.  Whether it be outside the box, inside the box, or not around a box at all.  No matter what your job is, sometimes we put ourselves on auto-pilot and quit thinking....don't do that.

Here is some "out of the box" thoughts from Dennis.

All,

Chris asked me to come up with something to share with you for the Thursday Think Tank. Below you will find links to several innovative ideas where people created these products by thinking out of the box. After looking at the link or watching the video the link takes you to, close the linked window to return to this email. 

Link # 1 

Microsoft Office is a very popular software suite that many of us use. We have several different versions of Microsoft Office including Office 97, Office 2000, Office 2003, Office 2010, and Office 2013. Let's say you use Office 2003 and it does everything you want it to so you are happy to stay with that version. Then you start receiving files that were created in Office 2013 which you cannot open because Office 2003 will not open files created in Office 2013. So what do you do? You are required to upgrade to Office 2013 for $400 and you have to learn how to use the new version. Is there an alternative? Yes, I am in the process of testing Open Office which is a FREE Office substitute which you can download off of the Internet. It does read the newest file formats created by Microsoft Office. I will let you know the results of my tests and here is a link to information about this product.

  https://www.openoffice.org/product/

Link # 2

Microsoft Windows if the most popular computer operating system in the world with over 85% of all computers using some version of Windows. Windows XP and Window 7 are the most popular versions of the Window Operating System. Unfortunately for Microsoft they created Windows 8 which is a very unpopular operating system. The vast majority of their customers wanted a new operating system to replace Windows 8 that looks like Windows 7. Their were a few people that liked Windows 8 and wanted a new operating system created that maintains the "tiled windows" like Window 8. What was Microsoft to do? They created Windows 10 which has the features of Windows 7 and the "tiled windows" of Window 8 and is now offering it FREE to their Windows customers. I downloaded it yesterday and have started testing it. Below is a link to Windows 10 information. 

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeAmlDUnjrM

Link # 3

This link is a car that is slated to come out in 2016 and will get 84 mpg and will cost $6800

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vobEBqEISh8

Link # 4

Next we have  a flying machine that costs $14,995 and is available today. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAveOB_QoBE

Link # 5

My last link is the most fun. If I win the Lotto I am going to get one of these :-)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LejOps-gHRU

Dennis

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video Windows 10 Mini Review

Windows 10 Mini Review

Preview YouTube video Test Drive Elio the 84mpg, $6800 Car of the Future, Today!

Test Drive Elio the 84mpg, $6800 Car of the Future, Today!

Preview YouTube video Powered Skydiving Flying Car!! $14,995 In Stock Ready To Ship!! Call SUPERDELL: 1-800-707-2525

Powered Skydiving Flying Car!! $14,995 In Stock Ready To Ship!! Call SUPERDELL: 1-800-707-2525

Preview YouTube video New Look at the PAL-V Personal Flying Car

New Look at the PAL-V Personal Flying Car

Unity Through Diversity

Happy Thursday All,

Imagine a baseball team (St. Louis Cardinals) built out of all the same type of player.  Let's look at a couple examples....

• Adam Wainwright, a 6' 7" 235 lb pitcher.  Wow, would we have a hell of a pitching staff.  He might even make a pretty good catcher....but short stop?  How about a utility player?  Can you imagine if your team had a 2.98 era?  But what about the team striking out 1 out of every 3 at bats, or having a .198 batting average.  Not so good.
• How about a team of Matt Holidays?  Can you imagine the power in that lineup?  How about Matt Holiday playing short stop?  
• What about Matt Carpenter?  He can play most positions.  He can hit for average and for power.  He might be able to be an ok pitcher.  This player is getting closer.

For a baseball team, you need to have a team put together with players of different strengths....which also means they probably have different weaknesses.  You might be able to find a player that fits in a lot of positions, like Matt Carpenter but even a Matt Carpenter is not going to be a superstar at all positions...like pitching.

You are probably asking now, what does this have to do with PAi?  Why are you talking about the Cardinals?  I don't even like baseball.  This has a lot to do with Paramount.  Paramount, like the Cardinals, has built an awesome team.  We have players that are strong in certain areas and weak in other areas, and that is OK.

The "think different" part of this?  How about looking at the strengths of your team mates and helping them become stronger in that area.  Let's not concentrate on Adam Wainwright being a better hitter so much that he loses focus on pitching. We want Steve Wands to sell, not concentrate on how to get it all printed, even though my question to him lately is "How the hell do you think we can get all this done?"

Let's all become a stronger team by working on our own strengths and know when and how to ask for help on things that are not our strengths.  We need different personalities.  We need different players, and it is OK that everyone doesn't do just as you would do.  To quote TJ from earlier this week..."We should have unity through diversity."

Have a great Thursday,

Chris

Self Evaluation

Happy Thursday, 

It's time to hit below the belt again and make you really think.  How are you at self-evaluation?  If you are like me, you probably think everyone else should evaluate themselves.  I don't really have any deficiencies myself...it's just a long list of all the things I'm great at.  Does that sound familiar?

Take a moment and forget about everyone else.  Think about you and only you.  Can you be brutally honest with yourself?  Can you really see the areas you need to improve?  Can you really understand your strengths?  Do you even want to know your strengths and weaknesses?

Now, how about going one step further.  How about approaching a colleague or close friend, or maybe your boss or someone that reports to you.  Can you ask them to give you a true evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses?  Would they come up with the same list as you came up with?  If the list is different, are you fooling yourself?  Are you really good at the things you think you are good at?  Do you really know and understand your weaknesses?

You could do like me and go to someone that will sugar coat it for you and ask their opinion....I'm going to Todd and Anna (I'm sure they will sugar coat telling me my weaknesses... ha ha)  What is important in this, if you do it, is that you don't argue or defend what they tell you.  You want someone to tell you the truth and not feel threatened by being honest.

Are you prepared to really understand the areas you need to work on?  Do you have the guts to ask someone, who will be direct and straightforward, for their evaluation of you?  

 

Have a great Thursday,

Chris

P.S.  Just because you know I'm going to Todd and Anna doesn't mean they want lists of all my weaknesses from you, I'm sure they can make big enough lists themselves.

Old School

Thursday Think Tank - Old School

by Anna Biggins

At my age, thinking differently does not come easy.  As I try to do this, I find myself recalling all my years at PAI, or Paramount Cap as it was called back when I started.  In those days we were only doing cut and sew caps and hats and we had to walk 9 miles in the snow to get to work.  It snowed every day back then, and we didn't have fancy Nike shoes to keep our feet warm, we wore hat boxes strapped to our feet and secured to our ankles with binder twine and horse hair. Back in those days Paramount enjoyed large volumes of work, just like we do now, and we employed processes that helped make us successful.

One of our recent Lean Success Stories involved Derick Curtis in raw materials.  He came up with an idea to change how to stage shirts for screening.  Derick's idea was a great one but also happened to be one of the successful processes we had used in Cut cap staging all those years ago before Derick was even a glimmer in his daddy's eye.  This made me consider some of the successful methods we've employed over the years and wonder about their applicability today.

So the theme of this Thursday Think Tank is to challenge some of us old people around here...

 

...to remember the processes we have successfully used in the past and see if they will work in today's model.

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” ― George Bernard Shaw

Submitted by Anna Biggins

Innovative Thinker?

Hi All,

Are you an innovative thinker?  Do you know what innovative thinking is?  Is it important to be able to be innovative?  

What are traits that innovative thinkers have?  Here is a list of traits innovative thinkers have, do you have these also?

1.  Innovators have their ego in check.  They are open to others ideas and don't think their own ideas are always the best ideas.  Because of their openness to others ideas, they have lots of ideas to choose from.

2.  Confident, not arrogant.  They believe in what they are doing. They are not afraid to fail.  Failing just means they have found another way that doesn't work.  They see failures as temporary and don't take them personally.

3.  They are continually curious.  Open to new information, on the lookout for new ideas, read a lot, ask lots of questions, and take every opportunity available to them to gain knowledge.

4.  They are good listeners.  They pay attention to others and then come up with a response, not like most who are busy thinking about their response while the other person is speaking.  Good listeners listen to not only the words spoken, but the emotion behind them, tone used with them, and body language expressed.  

5.  They don't let their emotions affect their innovation efforts.  They don't get too down with failure and don't get too high with success.  

6.  They can take direction, and you must be able to take direction to give direction.  They can be assertive without being aggressive.  They can express their emotions in a way that isn't confrontational.

7.  They empathize with co-workers and customers.  They allow others to be comfortable around them.  You may not remember what someone said to you, but you will remember how they made you feel.

Have a great Thursday.

Chris

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Happy Thursday Everyone,

Why?  Why?  Why?  Why?  Why?  Isn't that what a curious little kid asks?  If they keep asking why, they usually get to the real answer.  What happens when you ask why 5 times?  Will you get to the root cause of the problem relatively quickly?  When we go straight to the "How" without clarity about our "Why" we can make solving the problem much more complicated.

Here is my 5 why challenge from this morning......

Once we are clear about our "Why", the "How" will magically show up.  (I'm going to Wal-Mart tonight for a new alarm clock)

Keep thinking and asking questions,

Chris