Road Warrior

My Birthday Wish

2011-09-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

Today I turned 61, and am so blessed to have friends and family that care about me and are there when I need them most. My life is abundant, and I feel a peace and balance that comes with being 61.

9/11 brings a lot of memories for me, of being a small mischievous boy in Hazelwood MO in the 50's, of our move to Union Missouri, and the friends I made, and of my family and friends now departed.

9/11 also brings sadness, about the loss of lives in America and the ongoing fight to keep America Free. In many ways, we can now look back and see victories against terrorism. But I also am fearful about the turn America has taken. Right after 9/11, flags where everywhere, on bridges, in front of houses, on buildings. We were united as Americans. It didn't matter if you were Republican or Democrat, whether you were a Union worker or banker, we were one as Americans, proud to be Americans.

Now, in congress, on the net, and in public forums, we have become a nation of galvanized angry people. We demonize anyone that doesn't prescribe to our world view, and refuse to have healthy dialog. Instead, we shake our fingers, call names and spew hate. We seem to have forgotten that we are Americans and that discourse can be free and passionate without being cruel and damaging. We used to realize that compromise was necessary to build a nation, and that being open means really listening to other opinions without becoming enemies, about realizing that discourse can change minds.

Today we need to tell congress, the president and each other that the approach we are taking will ultimately be our downfall. Let's remember that we are Americans first, and the cement that holds us together is our freedoms and our willingness to work as one. Let's not let 9/11 be the beginning of the end, but a reminder of all of the people throughout history that died for an idea-an idea about freedom, responsibility, citizenship and helping each other.

There is a song that says "let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me..." I also think about a Michael Jackson song "I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror. I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways" We are a nation of people-it must start with us.

This is my birthday wish.

Prologue

2011-07-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

My Dad died a number of years ago on April 1. He was always a jokester, so it didn't come as a surprise that he would pick that day to leave us. I kept hoping it was a cosmic joke and I would see him the next day smiling broadly knowing that he had fooled us all.

But it was permanent, at least in the flesh, and he was gone, forever. He who had laughed freely, and as a younger man was full of passion, fits of anger, and full of the holy spirit. He didn't care if you were Muslim, atheist, or Catholic, he was always telling you how to find salvation. He was a true salesman, friendly, outgoing, with a passion to sell you Jesus.

As an older man, he mellowed, was sweet, but didn't know I was his son, my mother was the love of his life, or, for that matter, who he was. He did remember his calling, and to the very end knew God on a very personal level. I can see him finally meeting God, and God looking at him with loving eyes and saying, "Welcome home my loving servant, in you I am well pleased."

I remember standing at his grave and hearing two hawks screeching and souring high above us. I am still not sure what that means...

The next Adventure, or the next Resting Place?

2010-05-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after" --Thoreau.

As life speeds around me, as I continue to fish for new accounts, I hear John Denver in the background, finding life in "the graceful way of flowers in the wind"

I will turn 60 this year, and I don't really know if I can slow down, or if I truly want to. But, there is always that soft breeze blowing, something whispering, something lightly beckoning me. I have heard these voices all my life, from Thoreau, to Whitman, to John Denver. I have seen the mountains, the oceans, and the beauty of a simple flower. And for that moment, I want to surrender.

Then I think of Ulysses. In the Odyssey, Ulysses forcibly takes his men back to the ship after they landed on the island of the lotus eaters, where his men, after eating lotus, wanted "long rest...or dreamful ease" (Tennyson). In the end, as an old man, in Tennyson's poem, Ulysses says, "I cannot rest from travel: I will drink life to the lees..."

I love the thought of rest, I love to listen to John Denver, but I am much more like Ulysses. I have too many adventures left to permanently rest, too many opportunities to learn, to grow, to run the race.

And so, in the end, my thoughts echo Tennyson when Ulysses muses about "how dull it is to pause, to make an end, to rust unburnish'd not shine with use" And while I, like the character in Frost's poem, can take a little time to watch the woods fill up with snow, I too have "promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep"

Christmas is Over

2010-01-04T17:40:00.000-08:00

The other day I took down our Christmas Tree. There is something bittersweet about this activity for me every year. The season is so short, the tree that I so painstakingly decorated is now weathered, with branches drooping, falling needles, and decorations that don't look as bright. Taking down the tree is almost as much of a ritual as putting it up. I play old music, (I tease my wife about playing Christmas music backwards when taking down the tree), have the fireplace blazing, and have a hot cup of coffee.

The ornaments are the hardest to take down. They are like memories--the church ornament that reminded me of my dad who was a preacher at a little country church, the dated ornaments that we bought every year for the kids, and the shiny ornaments that adorned the tree every year. In ways, the tree is a metaphor for life, and the ornaments the memories that make life so full. Some are fragile, some whimsical, and some heartfelt.

As our lives wind to an end, what are our ornaments? Will the lights that make up our life shine on these ornaments to create a beautiful collage, or will our tree be barren? Will our ornaments adorn someones Christmas tree when we are gone, or will they be so paltry that they will be trashed?

So, as I take down the tree every year, I hope that in the years to come there will be new brightly colored ornaments to complement those precious ornaments of years gone by.

The Use of Procurement

2009-10-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

To cut cost, more companies are having procurement get involved in more and more areas, and areas procurement doesn't understand. Procurement may be purchasing raw materials one day, and then doing an RFP for attorneys, insurance brokers and accountants the next. Their goal is not to find value but to lower price.

How do you, as a salesperson, overcome having your products or services become a commodity?

· Find out from your contacts what procurement's responsibility will be and understand the rules of engagement.
· How will services and pricing be evaluated?
· What will be the main criteria for the ultimate decision?
· What role will procurement have? Will it be procedural only, or will procurement have some decision input?

Way before an RFP or procurement gets involved, make sure you have a strong relationship with people above the purchasing agent--the CFO, CEO as well as the user buyers. Make sure they know your value proposition, and know the ROI of your services/products. Once the purchasing agent becomes involved, make sure you ask these contacts for help, advise and support. Try to make them your coaches and advocates. One word of caution, you will need to show the utmost panache so as not to alienate procurement.

If you don't have a relationship with the user buyers and c-suite prior to the RFP, your chances are very slim that you will get the account. Procurement wants as many players as possible, and you are just one more participant. You will expend a lot of work and get nothing in return.

If you are defending a current account, do a stewardship report annually, recapping the services you have provided, and any analysis (ROI, etc) showing how your products and services have helped. Do this report orally, preferably to the user buyers and to someone in the c-suite. If you can't get the c-suite to attend, at least make sure a copy of the report goes to them. The c-suite likes recaps and charts/graphs so make this report succinct, and focus on value and overall cost savings rather than your fee.

When procurement works well it is a great asset to the buyers and the participants. It provides uniformity and continuity. It can be a terrific tool if used correctly

When do I walk away?

When it becomes clear that procurement is going to have a large role in the decision making process

If procurement is doing an on line reverse auction, where everyone is allowed to bid their fee on line and each participant sees the other participants fees.

If I can't get any direction from the user-buyers or the c-suite

If it becomes clear that the entire organization is commodity driven

I can't help companies if they have no appreciation of the ultimate ROI and just look at price. There are competitors that are simply low price. They know their niche, and I know mine. Make sure you know yours as well.

Why I Work

2009-10-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

I am in sales and as such am part of the engine that keeps our company vibrant. Recently, because of the stress on our numbers, our CEO exclaimed that we, as salespeople, are in a elite group chosen by our company and we owe it to the company to make sure we meet our goals.

For some reason, this did not resonate with me. In reality sales people are in a symbiotic relationship with our employer. Our employer needs us to generate sales, and we need them because of their great resources. Because I am in a consulting business, our company makes no products. So the real strength of our company is our people, the tools available to us and our culture. I don’t work harder because I feel "lucky" to work for the company I am with. Actually it is a mutual relationship where I am lucky to work for a great company with great resources, and the company is lucky to have me because of my ability to grow revenues.

This led me to truly think about the reasons I work.

First there are the obvious reasons:

I love what I do. I work because it is exciting, fun and challenging

I work for my family. To provide the things that will make their lives better

I work for my extended family. I want to always be in a position to help when they have problems, illnesses etc

I work for the charities that I support. There are people and causes that only exist because of charitable giving. By giving, I am helping mankind

I work to keep our country and economy strong. When I am fiscally strong, I can then hire contractors to do repairs, hire people to provide other services, and purchase goods from retailers

When I am really tired and want to slow down, one area that keeps me pushing forward is the realization that our staff depends on me to grow my book of business. I have an obligation to the young mother in the mail room, the newly married young man in desktop publishing, the single mother at the switchboard, the account executive recently divorced. I have a strong obligation to help them grow in their jobs, help them get increases each year and have the opportunity for advancement. I also have an obligation to those future associates that want a chance in the marketplace.

Even though I love my clients and will do anything for them to retain their trust, those employees are first. The obligation I have to them is deep and important. If we have to eliminate positions because of poor growth, it is my fault. Not an easy thought, not a light obligation.

The Faster I run the Slower I go

2009-06-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

Recently one of my clients hired a consultant to help them in the lean manufacturing process. One of the first things the consultant recommended was to slow down the line. Interestingly enough, the client was able to produce more products by doing this because it reduced errors, repairs and quality rejects.

There are certain universal truths and perhaps this is one. We need to slow down,and when we do we see the world in a different way. We become open to the universe, become more creative and find unique ways to solve issues. We also learn that life is more than our career, and that we are part of this wonderful circle of life and beauty. Life is for living for the here and now. We need to stop, and listen to the secrets the universe will reveal.

Thank You for Being a Friend

2009-05-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Over the years many people have touched me who are now gone.
So, for those friends now gone, I tip my hat:

To Goldie Payne, who was burned badly as a child. Goldie, you taught me about beauty. Beyond the scars you were truly a beautiful person.
To my dad, who taught me that integrity and honesty are what defines a person. You also taught me that one should live a full life
To Scott Sanderson, who taught me that statistics can truly be fascinating, and that friends should reach out to each other. I just wish I would have reached out one more time before you took your life
To John Shockley who first taught me about the shortness of life. John died in a car accident his Junior year in high school.
To Chuck Koening, who taught me that laughing though life makes it fuller
To George Heideman. You taught me about selling, and about hanging in there when others give up.
To Bernie O'Conner. Bernie taught me that being nice and kind are truly attributes
To Mr Morgan, my 6th grade teacher and first male teacher. You taught me that learning is a life long endeavor and adventure
To Bob Harvey. You helped open up the beauty and mystery of great literature.
To Ester Klaeger, my wife's grandmother. You were truly an example of a pioneer women-- self sufficient and hard working. You lived life to the fullest. You were always there to lend a hand when we needed you the most

"And when we die and float away, I'll see you there and once again, thank you for being a friend" --Andrew Gold

Willy Lowman or Ulysses?

2009-05-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden, like an insidious disease, you realize you are the oldest person on your team. More and more of your clients and friends have either retired, or, worse yet, have died. You begin to realize that you are no longer invited to those "unofficial" company functions, and drinks after work. You begin to wonder if you lost your last account because of the age difference. You vaguely remember the play, "Death of a Salesman" and begin to wonder if you are Willy Lowman and you remember his fateful line "after all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.”

You can either be permanently stuck in this quagmire, or take control of your destiny. You can either become obsolete, or go on new journeys and face new challenges and continue to grow.

There are ways to escape this affliction and it starts from within. Here are some things you can do:

1. Look at successful people your age, and older. You will be surprised how many there are. Take their stories and lives to heart. What did they do that you can do?

2. Strip yourself of your inner voice that tells you that are too old, or that you can't compete, you can't learn new things. It is foolishness. You were built to succeed.

3. Re-examine your talents, interest and loves. They will help lead you out of the dark night of the soul. Go in the direction they lead

4. Find ways to connect with all ages. Open your mind to new ideas and new things.

5. Interact with people of all ages. Can you be a mentor and help a younger person achieve their goals? The more you give the more you will get in return

6. Become computer savvy and be willing to join social networks--twitter, facebook, linkedIn.

7. If you are in sales, Joint Venture some new business, and even existing business with a younger person. This works especially well when the buyer is also younger

8. Don't forget what it was like to be younger, but don't be saddened by your age. With age comes skill, wisdom, and relationships. Use the great tools that age gives you.

9. Stop being so serious--lighten up, have fun.

10. Listen to others with an open mind. Just because something didn't work 10 years ago, is no reason it may not work today. Rather than saying "that won't work" say, "that can work, especially if we consider the following… " This is where you can add wisdom without shooting down an idea.

If all this fails, consider strongly getting help from a counselor, reverend, spouse, or psychologist.

Life is short, live it to the fullest. In Tennyson's poem, Ulysses decides that he won't sit back and wait for death. We all have a Ulysses in us:

"and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,--
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

Moments in the Life of a Road Warrior

2009-04-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

New places, new experiences and funny incidents are the ingredients of the road warrior lifestyle. It teaches you not to take yourself too serious, not to be afraid to ask for help, and that getting out of your comfort zone keeps you crisp. It teaches you to handle any obstacle with grace

Being on the road magnifies life for me. While many of the things that have happened over the years blur together, there are some flashes of things that happened that define what life is like on the road.

"Some of it's magic, some of it's tragic, but I had a good life anyway" Jimmy Buffett

Here are my random road warrior memories:

• Watching an American Sitcom dubbed in German
• Trying to use paper clips for collar stays, because I left the stays at home
• Having the GPS say "recalculating" numerous times
• Carrying a coat the first of the week in temperatures of 75 and 80 in Florida, so that I can use it the end of the week in Minneapolis.
• Navigating the mass transit systems in practically any city.
• Being picked up for a full day of meetings after flying for 13 hours and suffering from Jet Lag
• Falling asleep on the plane even before it takes off
• Being on mass transit in a foreign country where no one wears deodorant.
• Being in a hotel in New York that was so creepy we slept with the lights on and on top of the bedding while listening to people in an adjoining room have a fierce argument in a foreign language
• Listening to someone having loud sex in the next room
• Arriving without my luggage and trying to buy something fast to be presentable at a meeting the next morning
• Trying to understand what the cab driver is saying in practically any city
• Going down the Elevator in the world trade center, and not being sure if it is actually free falling
• Visiting a client where there are armed guards and fences around their buildings
• Listening to soft music and having coffee at Starbucks while waiting for my next appointment
• Reading my Kindle on the plane
• Paying bills online from a Hotel Room
• Dinner at a new, trendy restaurant
• Discovering local Coffee Houses
• Waking up and not knowing what city I am in
• Listening to a stringed quartet in a plaza in London
• Watching Children play in a schoolyard in Amsterdam
• Reading the Wall Street Journal over breakfast overlooking the Capital
• Getting my hair cut between meetings
• Randomly walking city streets in Paris
• Buying a tee shirt in Germany and not knowing what it says on the front, simply because I liked the picture of the cat on the back
• Having my client show me their city
• Having Cocktails at a clients house overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge
• Trying to calculate what time it is back home
• Not knowing for sure what day it is
• Guessing what type of rental car I will get, and then misplacing it in a parking garage
• Listening to Sirius Radio in my rental car.
• Interpreting foreign currency

This list is not complete, and is happening everyday on every trip. The adventure continues...

The Ghosts

2009-04-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

This year marks my 40th year class reunion. It is hard to believe that 40 years have gone by since graduation. I don't know exactly what to expect at our reunion, but I do know there will be ghosts in the room, standing behind and beside each of us.

Just who are these ghosts?

The first ghosts are those of our fallen classmates. Some fell while still in school, but the majority fell later, in accidents, diseases and by violence, some self inflicted. These ghosts will be there in the room. We will sense their presence, maybe hear their whispers. They will fill our memories, of times we laughed together, played together, talked and fought. They were our friends, our competitors, our first loves. We learned together, and learned from them. Some taught us through their deaths, about life well lived, in other cases, how life can be self destructive and wasted. They hover in the room, some hardly noticed, some intensely felt. They are part of us, and us of them. They are still 17 years old and will forever in our minds be youthful. They were our classmates and will never be truly gone

The next set of ghosts were our teachers and parents, all younger than we are now. They were our mentors, our guides, and our examples. Sometimes we hated, or thought we hated them. Sometimes we felt that they were too pushy, expected too much. Only now do we realize that our determination, our drive and our approach to life was guided by them. They loved us, perhaps it was tough love, but that is sometimes the best there is for headstrong teenagers. We look lovingly at these ghosts and raise a glass to them with admiration.

The third group of Ghost are all 16 and 17 years old, standing very close, touching us profoundly. These youthful spirits are full of hopeful optimism, full of intensity, enthusiasm, energy and love. They teach us the most, about going in the direction of our dreams, about not taking life too seriously, about spirit. They believe strongly about their future, see life as an adventure, and are full of trust and love. They have always been with us, but we seem to have forgotten them along the way. Some of them have become strangers. At our reunion, we need to heed and embrace these spirits, and relearn what they have to teach. Who are these spirits? They are us, or rather were us. We can make these spirits real if we reach out to them.

So at my reunion there will be a group of elderly 58 year old classmates in a room permeated with young spirits. Thomas Wolf in his book "Look Homeward Angel" talked about what we learn when we look back. In his following book "You Can't Go home again" he stressed that though you can look back, you must move forward. On my 40th class reunion, I can fondly look back at my friends, and the spirits that have been part of my life. I will listen again to what they have to say. At the end of the night, I will walk forward, refreshed, revitalized and looking to the road ahead...

Being Grateful

2009-03-28T13:14:00.001-07:00

I sent the following email last week:

To all my friends at Lockton

Today I celebrate my 11th anniversary with Lockton. It has been the most exciting, challenging, fun 11 yrs of my life. Lockton is a great place to work and a great place to grow.

It has been a terrific ride and I plan to continue this ride as long as I am able.

Through wins and losses, it has been the associates at Lockton that have defined my success. You are there to talk to when an account is lost, you are there when we set strategy for a new account and are there to celebrate when we win. You talk to my clients more often than I, and show them great Lockton service every day, all the time.

I am blessed and grateful to work with the best people in the industry and with the best human beings on this earth!

Let’s have more fun in the years to come—the adventure is just beginning!

It is important that we show our appreciation to our clients, friends, loved ones and people who provide services to us. It is good to let people know how much they are appreciated. Here are a few "thank you ideas"

Hand written notes--I love sending notes. In this age of emails and quick communication, it shows that you care enough to spend the time to write a personal note

I sometimes give a small token of my appreciation--I recently gave a $100 gas card to an employee with a small note saying "thanks for going the extra mile."

I frequently take people to breakfast or lunch (my treat) to thank them.

Sometimes just a smile and thank you is a great way to show immediately how much you care

A quick email (with a c.c. to the person's supervisor if appropriate), a mention in face book, a tweet, or a voice mail are other ways to say thanks

There is no higher form of thanks than by recommending someone either through a social network site or face-to-face. Connecting people shows that you truly value them.

It is important that you show your appreciation all year long. There is nothing more disingenuous than treating someone poorly all year and then sending a thank you card. My dad used to say "actions speak louder than words". If you really appreciate someone show it consistently and in deeds as well as words.

God loves a cheerful giver and you will be blessed in uncommon ways and in uncommon times when you give thanks.

The Paths Ahead

2009-03-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

This week I will be in Palm Coast with my son, daughter in law, and grandsons. In addition to spending time with my family, this is also a good time to think about my life, my plans for the future and also spend time to reach out to people in my network.

In this fast paced world, we need to take time to see where we have been, where we are going, where we want to go, and who is important to us. Being raised in the Midwest, I have always been a workaholic. When I was younger I rarely reflected. Now I realize how important reflection is for my health, my outlook, my business and my life.

Here are some things I am evaluating. This is a continuous process so I come back to many of these things again and again:

As a young man starting out in the world:

1. What did I stand for?
2. What did I want to be?
3. What impact did I want to make?
4. What were my passions
5. What did I think I needed to improve then?
6. Who were my friends? my mentors?
7. What did I do right and wrong in my first jobs?
8. What were my hobbies, my avocations?
9. What was I reading then?
10 Was I balanced? If so, why? If not, why not?
11. What were my spiritual feelings?

As I progressed in my life:

1. What things did I discard? Why?
2. What new things did I embrace? Why?
3. What friends and mentors did I discard? Why?
4. What friends and mentors did I embrace? What new friends and mentors did I make?
5. What were my biggest accomplishments? What did I learn?
6. What were my biggest failures? What did I learn?
7. Was I balanced? If so, Why? If not, why not?
8. What were my spiritual feelings?

These are not one answer questions, but drill down questions-perhaps lifelong questions.

Why do this?

1. I want to make sure that I have not strayed away from my core values and moral compass
2. I want to revisit old passions, avocations, and goals, to see if I should "try them on" again
3. What actions and directions should I take on?
4. If I retire tomorrow, or if I only have 5 years to live, what things are important? And what things would I do.

I think of Frost Poem, The Road Not Traveled:

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference

We are faced daily with taking one of many roads. We discard some things, and embrace others. Those decisions change our lives. We can, however, look back and reflect and perhaps find new paths that take us to some of the roads we could have taken. In ways it is a second chance.

St Martin-The adventure begins

2009-03-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

I am in St. Martin today, and staying through Thursday. I have a meeting with a prospect from Holland on Tuesday. In the past I would have come in, had the meeting, and left. Through my career I have seen the board rooms in some of the most interesting cities in the U.S. and world without ever exploring the cities themselves.

It had taken me years but I now know that I need to have balance in my life. This makes for a richer life and helps me find meaning to my life. I am spending a few additional days to enjoy and explore the island.

Our kids are grown, so it is easy for Jan, my wife, to join me on these explorations. Many times she joins me for social events with clients and prospects. She does an excellent job of getting to know my clients and their spouses. That relationship can make a massive difference in getting and retaining clients. Jan's magic is simple--She cares deeply about people and wants to know about their lives, their families and their beliefs. Her caring nature, her desire to ask questions and listen intently, and her empathy makes clients into friends. She is a great partner!

The rest of the time, Jan and I will explore the area. We have a beautiful ocean view from our window and look forward to finding out more about St Martin. And so, the adventure begins.