Stories of customers who improved me: Story #1

 

From left to right

Tom & Sue Pryor, Margie & Andy Anderson

 

Can you name a customer who improved you more than you improved them?

 

I can. In fact there have been seven as I look back over my career.

The first story I want to share is about Andy Anderson. Andy hired me and my firm, ICMS, Inc., 23 years ago to help his employer, Rohm & Haas Chemical, implement Activity Based Cost Management.

 

I've stayed in contact with Andy over the years, mostly with Christmas cards, Facebook, and occasional phone calls. We renewed our friendship face-to-face on July 13, 2013, in Louisville during lunch with our wives. 

 

Andy improved my life during a business dinner in 1990 after a day of consulting. After dessert he took out a small strip of paper that had printing on both sides.

Andy said "Here's something simple that I believe will improve your relationship with God and the people you meet every day."

 

Intrigued, I replied "I taught you Activity Based Costing. Now it's your turn to teach me. How can this simple strip of paper help me accomplish what you say?"

 

Andy replied with his own question. "Are there people or things you pray for each day?"

I answered that I pray for my wife everyday. He wrote "My wife" in the Everyday box on the 6 X 3 inch paper prayer card (see example below).

He then asked "Do people ever ask you to pray for them?"

"Yes, occasionally. Last week a person asked me to pray for her need to find a job."

Andy replied, "When someone asks you to pray for a need give them a reason to feel confident you'll do it.  Take the card out of your pocket. Pick a day and write their name and need on a specific day. Tell the person which day you'll pray for that need."  

Andy wrote my friend's name and need in Friday on the prayer card.

 

 

Andy encouraged me to fold the strip of paper and keep it in my pocket with my cash. When I reach for money during the day, I feel and see the card. I unfold the card, read what I've got listed for the day and shoot up a quick prayer to God for the people and purposes I promised.

 

During the past 23 years I've replaced the prayer card Andy gave me many, many times. Why? Because I've filled many prayer cards and marked off hundreds of God's answered prayers over the years.

 

What's the impact of using this simple piece of paper? It has repeatedly showed people that I care enough to do something immediately regarding their need. It gives them confidence I will pray for their need. And it plants seeds that will be harvested later, either by God or by me.

 

Thank you Andy for improving my life 23 years ago.

 

 





Ten Things learned from my Mother-in-Law

"The only thing I leave behind worth anything is the impact of my life in other people". Tim Stevens

My mother-in-law Naomi Arlington passed away this week at age 89. Yesterday at her funeral I shared something I wrote to her ten years ago: The Ten Things I learned from Naomi.

1.     I’ve learned from Mema that it’s possible to make enchiladas and hot sauce much better than Pulido’s or Pace. I wondered for many years if there was a secret ingredient for her recipes. I finally figured it out. She does …. it’s called love.

 

2.     I’ve learned from watching Mema how to love my own grandchildren. She’s shown Sue and I that kids don’t care if you’re old as long as being with you is also fun.

3.     I’ve learned from Mema the importance of “doing the rehab”. Whether it was recovering from a surgery or other setbacks, instead of feeling sorry for herself Mema asks “What do I need to do to recover?” and then goes about the tasks of doing it.

4.     I’ve learned from Mema to be happy with whatever God gives me. I’ve never heard Mema say “I wish I had what she has.” Mema shows me that the most important things in life are not things.

5.     I’ve learned from Mema that good fortune is having good friends. Ones that stay by your side because they just plain like you. Mema is easy to like!   

6.     I’ve learned from Mema that a piece of ham, sauerkraut, green peas, applesauce and a pear on cottage cheese can make a meal … albeit an unusual meal … but a great meal nonetheless.

7.     I’ve learned from watching Mema the meaning of Apostle Paul’s thorn in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Despite a loss of hearing capacity, God’s grace has always been sufficient for Mema.

8.     I’ve learned from Mema the importance of choosing to have a positive outlook on life each and every day. Watching Mema taught me that attitude is a choice. And Mema always chooses to be happy.

9.     I’ve learned from Mema the importance of living a life of faith in Jesus Christ. Without her foundation of faith, the loss of Frank, Morris and other family and friends would have been unbearable.

10.  I’ve learned from Mema that God acts through you, not for you. Instead of asking and waiting for God to give her what she wants, Mema consistently performs acts of kindness for others.

 

WWJD for the Fiscal Cliff?

WWJD?

If America's President, Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader asked and answered "What would Jesus do?", I would have reason for hope in resolving the Fiscal Cliff.

The politicians in Washington have been talking amongst themselves too long. They're stuck in a rut of doing the same thing over and over yet expecting better results. They don't believe anyone but themselves have good ideas, much less Jesus.

I believe adding new voices and views to the knowledgeable people we've elected can be a catalyst. Inviting new people will revitalize the discussion. A discussion that defines solutions and outcomes for our nation's financial malaise.

I nominate Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Stephen M. R. Covey, Dave Ramsey, and Rick Warren.

·        Rabbi Lapin wrote Thou Shalt Prosper, a very practical source of financial wisdom based on Jewish principles of the Old Testament. President Obama wants the middle class to prosper. So does the Rabbi.

·        Surveys show Americans no longer trust Congress. In The Speed of Trust author Stephen M. R. Covey explains how to restore trust. Without trust, it takes much more time and money to reach an agreement. Stephen can also coach Washington's elite on his father's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People so the Fiscal Cliff does not reoccur.

·        Dave Ramsey is espouser of "Debt is dumb, cash is king". Dave can inform and inspire our leaders to create a budget that pays down the debt. Dave's mantra of "spend less than you make" is simple wisdom that solves complex problems.

·        I'd like Rick Warren to read and explain to our politicians the first sentence of The Purpose Driven Life: "It's not about you". While some of our elected are humble, apparently most are not. Otherwise, they would have asked for and accepted fiscal advice months ago. Servant leadership is easy to say but difficult to do, especially in Washington D.C.  

What would Jesus do regarding the Fiscal Cliff?

I could take an educated guess, but God told me in Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways".

I believe Jesus invites the President, Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader and the men I listed to get down on their knees, humble themselves and ask for divine guidance to avert the Fiscal Cliff.

I'd be willing to pay more taxes to hear what they had to say after that prayer meeting!

Advice from Ten Books of 2012

I averaged reading one book per week in 2012. Listed below are my Top Ten Book recommendations and one piece of advice I took away from each that you may find helpful. I've provided a picture of each book and a link to my full Amazon.com book reviews in case you want to learn more about my choices.

1. There is no market for a speaker who tells an audience the obvious. A speaker should begin speech preparation by asking "What insights can I provide the audience they don't already have and how do I want them to act on that insight?" I use Swindoll's advice everytime I begin to write a speech or workshop.

http://www.amazon.com/Saying-Well-Touching-Others-Words/dp/0892968311/icminc

2. "The person or organization who has a clear, compelling, and white-hot burning WHY will always defeat the best of the best at doing the how." For this reason, I have made WHY the starting point of strategic planning sessions I lead, not a vision or mission statement. A great WHY causes people to lean in, have an AHA! moment that appeals to both their heart and head.

http://www.amazon.com/Compound-Effect-Darren-Hardy/dp/159315724X/icminc

3. "Any organization that really wants to maximize its success must come to embody two basic qualities: it must be smart, and it must be healthy." Smart organizations are good a basic business fundamentals like strategy, marketing, fianance and technology. Healthy organizations have minimal politics and confusion, high degrees of morale and productivity, and very low turnover among the good employees. I found very few organizations in 2012 that were both smart and healthy. Smart seems to be easier to achieve than healthy.

http://www.amazon.com/Advantage-Organizational-Health-Everything-Business/dp/0470941529/icminc

4. "This may sound counterintuitive, but I deeply believe that the path to happiness in a relationship is not just about finding someone who you think is going to make you happy. Rather, the reverse is equally true: the path to happiness is about finding someone who you want to make happy, someone whose happiness is worth devoting yourself to." I will celebrate my 44th anniversary with Sue in January 2013. We both found someone in 1969 we wanted to make happy. Divorce often happens when the husband or wife frames the marriage only in terms of whether she/he is giving me what I want. If he/she isn't, then I dispense with him/her, and find someone who will. You reap what you sow. If you want to reap happiness, you first must give it.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Will-Measure-Your-Life/dp/0062102419/icminc

5. "We start getting old instead of growing old. There is a big difference." I turned 65 in 2012. Author Ken Davis clarified my future plans. I'm going to retread and keep right on going. I feel like my age is an advantage. This book gave me sound, practical advice to improve me physically, mentally and spiritually.

http://www.amazon.com/Fully-Alive-Lighten-Journey-Change/dp/0849948428/icminc

6. Some problems in our personal and professional lives cannot be fixed. If something is not working or a product is not selling, there comes a time to end it. " Make the endings a normal occurence and a normal part of business and life, instead of seeing it as a problem." There is a time, a moment, when it is truly over, and if that is not in your view of life, you can miss the right time to get out and to turn your attention to something different or new.

http://www.amazon.com/Necessary-Endings-Employees-Businesses-Relationships/dp/0061777129/icminc

7. When I ask people "Do you have a plan for next year?", they commonly answer "Yes". But when I ask "Where is the plan?" they point to their head. No one can help if your plan is not written down. This book contains lots of great advice, but one thing that stuck out was: The 7 characteristics of a good strategic planning process are (1) Use pencil & paper, not technology; (2) Use a facilitator; (3) Offsite; (4) Great food & drink; (5) Don't sit; (6) Makes data gathering easy; and, (7) Gives every strategic planning participant a deck of blank cards labeled Objectives, Goals, The Pivot Point, Results, Constraints, Strategies & Tactics.

http://www.amazon.com/Commitment-Engine-Making-Work-Worth/dp/1591844878/icminc

8. I enjoy books that challenge conventional thinking and promote change. This author offers three clears steps to effective change. "Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, once said that three requirements must be present for an individual to change: 1. The individual must be dissatisfied with the current state of affairs; 2. The individual must see a better state; and, 3. The individual must believe that he or she can reach that better state." Step 3 may be the most overlooked step of change processes.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Practices-Are-Stupid-Out-Innovate/dp/1591843855/icminc

9. Almost every organization is seeking a way to increase demand for their products or services. This book offers a way to increase sales ... solve people's hassles. "Great demand creators eliminate or reduce the hassles that make most products and services inconvenient, costly, unpleasant, and frustrating." If you opened this blog with a touch to your iPad, iPhone or similar device, your experience resulted from a creative team solving your hassle of opening a document by simply touching your finger to a screen.

http://www.amazon.com/Demand-Creating-What-People-Before/dp/0307887324/icminc

10. I don't just underline books. I also write at the front of the book the page numbers and short summaries of important things I want to be able to find quickly at a later date. I wrote page after page of page number summaries in this book by Andy Standley. While the intended audience for the book is ministry leaders, the principles and innovative practices Andy shares in this book apply to for-profit and governmental organizations as well. Andy emphasizes that change takes place in circles, not rows. That applies to all of us. So does this advice "People are far more interested in what works than what's true. As long as you are dishing out truth with no here's the difference it will make tacked on the end, you will be perceived as irrelevant by most of the people in your church, student ministry, or home Bible study." I have found that principle true for Lean trainers, Activity Based Cost consultants and Learn@Lunch speakers.

http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Wide-Creating-Churches-Unchurched/dp/0310494842/icminc

What book did you find most useful in 2012? I'd like to add it to my 2013 reading list. Send your recommendations to TPryor@uta.edu or TomTex@aol.com .

Doctrines & Personal Preferences

Christians have major doctrines, minor doctrines and personal preferences. So do successful entrepreneurs and business owners.

More often than they should, both groups dwell on personal preferences more than major and minor doctrines. 

A growing number of 21st century Christians have made personal preferences more important in their life style than major doctrines. As a result, this backwards approach to priorities has made the church weaker in its impact and influence on society.

Major Christian Doctrines                            

1. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
2. The sinless life of Jesus Christ
3. Jesus Christ is the only way to God

Minor Christian Doctrines

1. How often to hold communion
2. Church leadership structure
3. Pre-trib or Post-trib belief

Personal Preferences

1. How to dress for church
2. Style of music
3. Church start-time

Serving as a director of a Small Business Development Center (SBDC), I have counseled hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business owners in the past five years. Similar to the previous Christian example, I see a growing number of people in the business community that make personal preferences more important than major and minor business doctrines.

Major Business Doctrines

1. Positive cash-flow, both planned and actual
2. Resilience powered by a meaningful Why (vision/mission)
3. Trust that employees, customers, suppliers, investors and lenders can believe 

Minor Business Doctrines

1. Have a niche, be unique not cheap
2. Have a written marketing plan
3. Have a board of advisors and/or mentor 

Personal Business Preferences

1. Name of the business
2. Tax-type of business, e.g., sole propritor, LLC, S-Corp, etc.
3. Home-based or brick & mortar

The success or failure of a new or existing business is not determined by it's name or tax-type. Instead, successful and sustainable businesses have leaders with resilience, cash-flow acumen and knowledge of the Speed of Trust.

Do you agree of disagree?

What would you add, edit or delete?

Do you have a different example of doctrines and personal prferences?

Give experiences, not gifts

"I don't remember."

That's what one of my grandsons said when I asked, "What did we give you for your birthday last year?"

I then asked "Where did Nena and I take you and your brothers last year?"

He immediately replied "We went to Jimmie and June's farm, rode the tractor and dug up some potatoes in the garden. Then we went to Canton, stayed in a cabin and drove a golf cart."

His answers to my two questions changed our gift-giving strategy as grandparents.

We now give experiences instead of gifts. We've been doing this for about two years with the following results:

1. We ALL enjoy the experiences, while only the kids enjoy a gift. Sue and I took our entire family to Washington DC for The 4th of July in 2011. Toured the White House, saw the fireworks and celebrated the twin's July 1st birthday at The Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Washington!
2. The pictures we take during an experience are a whole lot more interesting than a kid opening a wrapped gift. I will always value the picture of my son-in-law surrounded by his three sons on the steps of the Supreme Court. Especially after this past week's events (June 28, 2012 decision on ObamaCare).
3. It's much easier for Sue and I to pick the right experience than it is to pick the right gift at Toys R Us. 

We just returned from our twin grandson's 12th birthday experience, a weekend in Glen Rose. We toured Fossil Rim Wildlife Park, swam, and saw dino tracks. We also toured the Fast Back Rope factory in Granbury, a very kind gesture by their general manager Robin Postman.

Our big experience for Chrismas 2012 will be a week in December in New York City for the entire family. It's a gift that won't fit under our Christmas tree BUT it will certainly be something we all remember for years to come when we get our picture taken standing under the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree!

Please share your life lessons and experiences to make our life even better.
 

Jack Howe always ended by asking "How can I help you?"

The last time I talked with Jack Howe was May 23, 2012. I was sad to learn from a mutual friend, Lin O'Neill, Jack died in his sleep June 9th, found by his loving wife Betty.

How do I know the date of when I last talked with Jack? Because he was that important to me and the many other people blessed to have crossed paths, or walked paths, with Jack Howe.

As often was the case, Jack had an agenda when he called me in May. But more often than not, Jack's intent was to simply ask how I was doing, listen carefully to my response and ask if he could be of any help. He ALWAYS ended every discussion with "How else can I help you today?"

Jack did not simply teach and talk about servant leadership, of which he was a master at both. More importantly to me and the thousands of people Jack's life touched, Jack walked the talk.

Bob Goff says in his new book, Love Does, "You know what it is about someone that makes them a friend? A friend doesn't just say things; a friend does." Jack did servant leadership, daily.

Even though I've only known Jack for five years, he was such a good friend, I feel like it's been fifty. As a result, Jack's passing leaves a huge void in my life.

Jack's business acumen was boundless. His laugh contagious. And his love for Betty and their life together endless. Thank you Jack for making us all better than we were before we met you. God's speed.
tpryor@uta.edu