From the desk of Tiffany Shaw.....

A couple of weeks ago while I was reading a Thursday Think Tank email about "total ownership" I was thinking, "I really need to send this to my whole team", and so I did. I then decided I really need to be sharing all of the Thursday Think Tank emails with those in my team, because I realized that these do not just apply to our work environments but at home as well. I truly felt that each person in my department could benefit from these in some way or another. I also encourage them to share any thoughts or ideas that they might have with me, so I can share with all of you fine people :)

After sending my first couple of Thursday Think Tank emails I got an email back from Cari White, a Customer Service Representative in the Promotional Products Division. She had a situation in dealing with someone internally and was met with a bit of a "don't know, don't care" attitude. This got her thinking and she shared the following with me, that I would like to share with each of you.

Cari wrote the email below and included the images to me as well.

Do we realize how great an impact our attitudes have on those around us? 

Attitudes are contagious. It's hard to have a good attitude when you feel like everyone else you are dealing with is rude.

It's also hard to be in a bad mood when everyone else around you is happy.

If we treated our customers with a reply of "don't care" or an attitude of "just tell me what to do" How many customer's would we have left?

Something as simple as asking someone's advise on their area of expertise should be a compliment, not an inconvenience.

We should treat each other with the same respect we treat customers.

Peoples attitude can definitely be misconstrued in an e-mail.

We need to be mindful of what we type and how we type it.

Is this going to come across as short, snippy, or inconsiderate?

We can make or break each other's days with our attitudes, that's a big responsibility, not one that should be taken lightly.

Enjoy your Thursday!!

Backwards Brain Bicycle

Happy Thursday Everyone,

Can you get your mind to think differently?  I'm not saying changing your opinion, just seeing the other side of things.  Look at it from a different perspective. 

Have you ever tried to throw a ball with your non-dominant hand?  How about tried to write your name with your non-dominant hand?  The thought process you go through trying to do this is tough.

Knowledge of how to do something is important but knowledge is not understanding.  Do you seek to truly understand?

Here is a link to an 8 minute video my daughter shared with me talking about making your brain think differently....the Backwards Brain Bicycle.  Could you make your brain work differently and be able to ride this bike?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0

Don't forget to exercise your brain and think differently today.

Chris

** to see all Thursday Think Tank articles in one place, go to paithursdaythinktank.blogspot.com  **

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Preview YouTube video The Backwards Brain Bicycle - Smarter Every Day 133

The Backwards Brain Bicycle - Smarter Every Day 133

Henry Ford and a Faster Horse

Henry Ford once said..."If I had asked people what they wanted, they'd have said faster horses."  It's a good thing Henry Ford thought a little crazy and used his mind to think of something different.

Are you giving people what they ask for?  Or are you going that extra step and really understanding what they want and then giving them what they really want?  Many times we ask for something, it is given to us, and only then we realize we didn't really want what we were asking for, we wanted something else.  

For example, packing is a little bit behind (if that is not obvious you haven't walked through production lately).  I have been asking them to hire more people thinking that would automatically give us more production.  Well, because Kim is naive, and thinks I know what I am asking for, she hired more people and thinks I should be happy.  The problem is, I don't really care if they hire more people, what I want is more product packed, even if they do it with less people.  They are getting more packed, this is just avoid example of somebody asking for something and meaning something else.

This can relate to all areas of our business, from sales to production, and our personal lives, from friends to family.  First, what are you asking for that someone is not delivering on?  Are you asking for the right thing?  Second, what are you giving to someone that is not what they want?  Are you understanding what they really want?

I hope this makes you think a little differently when both answering a question or asking a question.

Have a great Thursday,

Chris

Taking Ownership

Good Day All,

I realize everyone will find this hard to believe, but there was a time, many years ago that Todd was a little, OK, probably a lot, frustrated with me about a project I didn't see all the way to the end.  After telling me multiple times..."I'm really not mad at you" he told me a story to help me understand something.

We had gotten a hot rush that needed to be embroidered and shipped the next day from Winona.  The order was turned into production.  The production manager said, "I've got this, no problem."  He made sure the order was faxed to Winona.  He made sure the tapes were sent to Winona.  He also personally saw the caps get put on the van that was to carry the caps to Winona, in fact he shut the doors on the van.  The next day, when the caps were unable to be produced, the production manager said, "I made sure all the stuff was sent to Winona for this order, it's not my fault."  The problem was that the caps were still sitting in the van outside the dock door without a driver, the production manager didn't take total ownership because he didn't see that a van driver was set up to transport the caps to Winona. To take total ownership, you have to see the project through to the end, no excuses, no blaming others.  I still have the hot wheel van I bought after that story to help me remember, "If I am going to take total ownership, I need a van driver."

What is it that you are not taking total ownership in?  Do you find yourself making excuses or blaming others?  

Do you take total ownership in projects given to you by your boss?  Don't you want people that report to you to take total ownership in the projects you delegate to them?

Do you take total ownership in your attitude?  Do you have the attitude you expect from others?

Does the buck stop with you?  Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk showing he was taking total ownership.

Do you take ownership in being a Paramount team player? Can you imagine how much easier our jobs would be if all others would take on ownership and responsibility as well as you do it?

If you think circumstances were just not in your favor this time...take ownership in making the circumstances you want.

Taking ownership, showing complete responsibility, making sure the buck stops with you is not easy. In fact, it is much easier to blame others or let someone else deal with the challenges. Nobody says this will be easy. What I can tell you about taking ownership is that all truly successful leaders do a great job at owning, not blaming.

No different than all the other "Thursday Think Tank" articles, it is designed to make you think.  If this stuff doesn't apply to you, feel free to pass it along to the people you think need to hear it.

Have a great Thursday,

Chris

** to see all Thursday Think Tank articles in one place, go to paithursdaythinktank.blogspot.com  **