Thursday, December 21, 2017

Bathroom Behavior Observation #15

Well, it's not so much an observation on behavior.  But this post is about a bathroom.  Specifically the women's restroom in the lobby at work.  The general layout is like this:  Door.  Small "entry room" with a low bench in case you need to take a small rest.  Sink area.  One toilet stall that is good sized because it's handicap accessible.

The bathroom stall looks like this.  Because it's comforting to feel like you're outdoors when using the toilet.  And people who have physical disabilities enjoy having obstacles in the bathroom stall to deal with.


Probably there's a good explanation on why it's in there, but at the same time it's amusing.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 50

Below is the thankfulness from the past week.  Overall it was kind of a rough week, but it had some really good highlights too.

We got a fair amount of white stuff this week.
Sunday

  • Hugs
  • Sunday afternoon naps
  • A clear message from gospel meeting

Monday

  • Psalm 27:14
  • Grocery stores
  • Some work meetings getting moved

Tuesday

  • Friends I trust
  • An evening without conference calls with China
  • Poems

Wednesday

  • Keeping my calorie consumption under the RDA target
  • No mishaps during winter driving
  • Being in a better mood

Thursday

  • Eating my favorite pizza
  • A free meal
  • Taking time out of a busy day for me

Friday

  • Doing something to bring a smile to someone's face and brighten their day
  • The power of music
  • Some introvert recovery time

Saturday

  • An evening of board games
  • Brunch with a friend
  • Bright sunshine after a week of clouds

This might give more clarity to the items on Friday.

Monday, December 18, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 49

The thankfulness log from a couple weeks ago is below.  I got a bit behind because I had used all my fast internet data too early in the billing cycle.

A good reminder I saw at work.
Sunday

  • Hymns
  • Prayer
  • Reading inspiring books

Monday

  • Reminder to be a lifelong learner
  • Chiropractor appointment
  • Balmy weather in December

Tuesday

  • Seeing the beauty of a large moon in a clear sky
  • Song lyrics exactly matching my thoughts and feelings
  • A friend bringing me lunch

Wednesday

  • Finding edible leftovers I had forgotten I had in the fridge
  • A hug from my mentor
  • A pause from work to go to Bible study

Thursday

  • Beautiful sunset
  • E-mail from a friend
  • Canned chicken

Friday

  • Lunch outside of work
  • Getting almost 8 hours of sleep
  • Arriving at my destination before I fell asleep

Saturday

  • A day spent with good friends
  • A listening ear for an in depth conversation
  • Delicious corned beef hash for breakfast

The aforementioned friends.  Me with Bex and KarmX.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 48

Thankfulness from the week after Thanksgiving.

A beautiful sunset with the flag as I left work one evening.
Sunday

  • Beautiful sunset
  • Fellowship during and after meeting
  • Leftovers

Monday

  • Interesting reading material
  • Loud snoring on a conference call that made everybody laugh
  • Taking time to notice people as they are

Tuesday

  • A weight-in number moving in the right direction
  • Recipe learned from Mom
  • Making progress on projects

Wednesday

  • Slightly less chaos at work
  • Meat in the freezer
  • A good Bible study

Thursday

  • Inspiration and encouragement
  • The power of freedom of choice
  • Playing a tuned piano

Friday

  • Eating supper with a friend
  • It's finally Friday!
  • Making documentation progress

Saturday

  • Volunteering with gracious professionals
  • Enjoying the excitement and idiosyncrasies of middle school kids
  • Chilling out to some Willie Nelson

Part of the robotics competition that I helped judge.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Literature Lesson

A poem has been going through my mind the last couple days, so I thought I'd share it for your encouragement as well.  The internet mostly attributes this poem to Edgar A. Guest from 1921 under the title "Keep Going".  Edgar Guest was an American poet (originally from England) writing poetry in the first half of the 1900's.  However, it seems there is some debate on this poem particular poem as some attribute it to John Greenleaf Whittier.


"Keep Going"

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
Whe he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Monday, November 27, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 47

Hey, this week was made for this activity since it includes Thanksgiving day!


Thanksgiving week thankfulness:

Sunday

  • Seeing the sunset after a mostly rainy weekend
  • Purchasing capability of the internet
  • Feeling like making conversation after meeting

Monday

  • A short work week
  • Warmer afternoon temperatures
  • Clear sky

Tuesday

  • Getting the end of year review done
  • Mental break while exercising on the stair stepper
  • Caring friends

Wednesday

  • A visit from my parents
  • A short work week
  • Planning to get some home projects done

Thursday

  • Help with reaking leaves
  • Delicious food on the Thanksgiving table
  • Parents who are good examples

Friday

  • Mom's cooking
  • Another productive project day
  • A dad who helps with projects

Saturday

  • New bath doors installed
  • Having people over for supper
  • Mom helping with the cooking


I think my Thanksgiving post covers the pictures for the week.

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Thanksgiving Weekend 2017

The Thanksgiving weekend was somewhat low key with a good level of productivity.  Mom and Dad came for the weekend.  Mostly I put them to work on projects, and we had a couple meals with company.  I went all weekend and didn't take any people pictures.  Whoops.  But if you need a picture of a page from a dishwasher installation manual, I have that.


Thursday
  • Thanksgiving lunch with Mom, Dad, Meeting Man, and his son.  We were partially non-traditional, but at least we had mashed potatoes.
  • After a relaxation break, then we went outside and raked leaves until sundown.  We finished in 2 hours and 20 minutes what normally takes me 7 or 8 hours by myself.
  • Hung the kayaks up for the season.
  • Put the table top on the new table frame
Filet mignon, squash, mashed potatoes, salad, cranberry sauce, and home-squeezed apple cider.
 
We cleaned it up better than this, but I took the picture a couple days later after more leaves fell.

Kayaking season completed for 2017.
 
Nearly completed!
Friday
  • The piano tuner came to tune the piano - first time in about 15 years, so it took him a while.
  • Went to the warehouse to pick up the new dishwasher.  It fit in Herman no problem!  No special hauling vehicle needed.
  • Uninstalled old dishwasher
  • Made list of parts needed at Lowe's
  • Installed new dishwasher
  • Checked for leaks and ran the first load of dishes!
  • Finished installing shelf on new table and fastened it to wall (it is a bit top-heavy)
  • Dad tore out the old bath shower doors

Table completed with stereo and knick-knacks upon it.

New dishwasher fully installed!
Saturday
  • Bathtub shower doors installed
  • Ran to the grocery store for the upcoming supper company
  • Cleaned up the house from dishwasher and shower door installation projects
  • Ate supper with guests
  • Chilled out / learned how to use Dropbox to trade some files

New shower doors ready to use.
Sunday
  • Went to morning meeting
  • Made a brief stop at a local state park to see the dunes
  • Ate leftovers for lunch
  • Bid Mom and Dad adieu
  • Chilled out and took a nap
  • Took a brief sunset walk
  • Various and sundry cooking, computer work, eating supper, etc.



A good weekend.  Thanks for visiting Mom and Dad!

Monday, November 20, 2017

Book Review: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Normally it takes me forever to write a review of a book I've read, but tonight I'm feeling inspired to write.  I just finished "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John C. Maxwell.  He's a relatively well-known leadership author and trainer who's probably more well known in church leadership circles.  One of my mentors gave me a different book by John C. Maxwell a couple years ago, so I read that one.  When I was at Goodwill with Uncle Bex a couple weeks ago this one caught my eye for a several reasons:

  • It's about leadership and personal development
  • The author's name was familiar
  • One of the irrefutable laws in the table of contents was the Law of Intuition.  Uncle Bex and I often have discussions and debates about intuition, so this particular subject caught my eye.
I've been reading a chapter or two a day for the last several weeks and enjoyed the book.  Some days when my attitude was tending to sink a bit, I'd read a chapter while eating supper and it helped give a better focus.  Like most leadership books, there is that main thread that runs through it related to creating trust, establishing relationships with people, being consistent, and working on improving every day.



This book reminded me again why I think Abraham Lincoln was a great leader, and it gave me a fresh appreciation for Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.  In the introduction of the book, I also found this passage to be encouraging:  "The laws can be learned.  Some are easier to understand and apply than others, but every one of them can be acquired."

I'll try to keep the review short.  As you might guess, the book has a chapter for each leadership law.  I think I'll give a super brief summary of the table of contents and one (or two) of my favorite quotes from each chapter.
  1. The Law of the Lid - Leadership ability determines a person's level of effectiveness.  "Wherever you look, you can find smart, talented, successful people who are able to go only so far because of the limitations of their leadership."
  2. The Law of Influence - The true measure of leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less.  "If you are a businessperson and you really want to find out whether your people are capable of leading, send them out to volunteer their time in the community.  If they can get people to follow them while they're serving at the Red Cross, a United Way shelter, or their local church, then you know that they really do have influence - and leadership ability."  "He who thinks he leads but has no followers, is only taking a walk."
  3. The Law of Process - Leadership develops daily, not in a day.  "The secret of our success is found in our daily agenda. -Tag Short"
  4. The Law of Navigation - Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.  "Leaders who navigate do even more than control the direction in which they and their people travel.  They see the whole trip in their minds before they leave the dock."  "Sometimes it's difficult balancing optimism and realism, intuition and planning, faith and fact.  But that's what it takes to be effective as a navigating leader."
  5. The Law of E.F. Hutton - When the real leader speaks, people listen.  "Being in power is like being a lady.  If you have to tell people you are, you aren't. -Margaret Thatcher"  "Don't listen to the claims of the person professing to be the leader.  Instead, watch the reactions of the people around him.  The proof of leadership is found in the followers."
  6. The Law of Solid Ground - Trust is the foundation of leadership.  "Trust is the foundation of leadership.  People will forgive occasional mistakes based on ability, especially if they can see that you're still growing as a leader.  But they won't trust someone who has slips in character.  In that area, even occasional lapses are lethal.  All effective leaders know this truth."
  7. The Law of Respect - People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves.  "When people respect someone as a person, they admire her.  When they respect her as a friend, they love her.  When they respect her as a leader, they follow her."
  8. The Law of Intuition - Leaders evaluate everything with a leadership bias.  "Leadership is really more art than science.  The principles of leadership are constant, but the application changes with every leader and every situation.  That's why it requires intuition."
  9. The Law of Magnetism - Who you are is who you attract.  "If you think your people are negative, then you better check your attitude."
  10. The Law of Connection - Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.  "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."  "To lead yourself, use your head; to lead others, use your heart."
  11. The Law of the Inner Circle - A leader's potential is determined by those closest to him.  "People who are able to lift up others and boost the morale in an organization are invaluable, and they are always a tremendous asset to a leader's inner circle."
  12. The Law of Empowerment - Only secure leaders give power to others.  "If you are able to continually empower others and help them develop so that they become capable of taking over your job, you will become so valuable to the organization that you become indispensable."  "A key to empowering others is high belief in people."
  13. The Law of Reproduction - It takes a leader to raise up a leader.  "People cannot give to others what they themselves do not possess.  But just because a person is a leader, it does not necessarily mean that he will raise up other leaders."
  14. The Law of Buy-In - People buy into the leader, then the vision.  "People don't at first follow worthy causes.  They follow worthy leaders who promote worthwhile causes."
  15. The Law of Victory - Leaders find a way for the team to win.  "When the pressure is on, great leaders are at their best.  Whatever is inside them comes to the surface and works for or against them."  "You can't win without good athletes, but you can lose with them.  This is where coaching makes a difference. -Lou Holtz"
  16. The Law of the Big Mo - Momentum is a leader's best friend.  "It takes a leader to create momentum.  Followers catch it.  And managers are able to continue it once it has begun."
  17. The Law of Priorities - Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment.  "The things that bring the greatest personal reward are the fire lighters in a leader's life.  Nothing energizes a person the way passion does."
  18. The Law of Sacrifice - A leader must give up to go up.  "When you become a leader, you lose the right to think about yourself. -Gerald Brooks"
  19. The Law of Timing - When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go.  "Reading a situation and knowing what to do are not enough to make you succeed in leadership.  Only the right action at the right time will bring success.  Anything else exacts a high price.  That's the Law of Timing."
  20. The Law of Explosive Growth - To add growth, lead followers - to multiply, lead leaders.  "Leaders who develop followers grow their organization only one person at a time.  But leaders who develop leaders multiply their growth, because for every leader they develop, they also receive all of that leader's followers."
  21. The Law of Legacy - A leader's lasting value is measured by succession.  "Achievement comes to someone when he is able to do great things for himself.  Success comes when he empowers followers to do great thing with him.  Significance comes when he develops leaders to do great things for him.  But a legacy is created only when a person puts his organization into the position to do great things without him."
This book review reminds me of two other book reviews that have been lingering in "draft" state for a year or two now.  Maybe I'll get to them sometime soon.

Sunday, November 19, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 46

Thankfulness from this past week is as follows:

Sunday

  • A weekend spent with friends
  • Two nights in a row of good sleep
  • Spiritual conversations

Monday

  • Getting eating habits back on track
  • Eating lunch with other people
  • 24 hour Walgreens

Tuesday

  • Books
  • Spending almost two hours exercising
  • Checking things off the to-do list

Wednesday

  • Going to bed before midnight
  • Having a good attitude today
  • Snapchats from family

Thursday

  • Reflecting on the year's accomplishments
  • A low key evening
  • Feeling motivated at work

Friday

  • Bible verses that jump off the page at me
  • A tasty, low calorie supper
  • Supper with a friend

Saturday

  • Time to cook lots of food
  • Getting things done on the to-do list
  • Getting out of my comfort zone


One of my more healthy lunches from this week.  Thankful for the nice salad bar at the work cafeteria.

Saturday, November 18, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 45

Thankfulness from last week:

The cute pictures I got in the mail.
Sunday

  • Getting more than 8 hours of sleep
  • Talking to my sister on the phone
  • Clear messages to my heart

Monday

  • Not having a 6:30 AM meeting on a Monday morning
  • Cute pictures arriving in the mail
  • Exercise

Tuesday

  • Not eating lunch at my desk
  • Making time to stretch
  • Able to reschedule an appointment easily

Wednesday

  • Being inspired to search the scriptures
  • Thanksgiving gathering at work
  • Clear sky

Thursday

  • Work week almost done
  • Looking forward to a weekend hanging out with friends
  • An hour and a half of relaxation

Friday

  • Fleeting golden morning sunshine on the fall leaf colors.
  • Interesting lunch conversation with my mentor.
  • Snack of fruit before bed

Saturday

  • A walk with a friend
  • Those who have served our country
  • Sleeping in


Friday, November 17, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 44

I guess I fell a little bit behind in posting my thankfulness.  Don't worry, I've been faithfully keeping my log, but mostly it's been on paper until I transcribed it into the digital world.

Sunday

  • Some brief rays of sunshine
  • The spark of energy from starting to read a new leadership book
  • Playing a board game with competitive people

Monday

  • A cool breeze on my face
  • The joy of learning
  • Exercising strenuously

Tuesday

  • A caring e-mail from a friend
  • Strenuous, challenging yoga
  • Going to bed by 11:30 PM

Wednesday

  • Spiritual lunch conversation
  • Small compliments
  • Better work-life balance today

Thursday

  • Qdoba for lunch
  • Thinking about opportunities
  • Talking to Mom on the phone

Friday

  • Noticing the beauty of the maple leaves turning
  • Awesome full moon rise
  • Eating supper with a friend

Saturday

  • Eternal perspective reminders
  • Time to do little things around home
  • Having a hymn in my mind

I must be approaching middle age because now I feel like I have experienced part of what that verse means when it says "have borne the burden and heat of the day".

The small compliments on Wednesday were all related to this sweater.  Three compliments in one day!  I've had it more than two years and worn it several times.  This was the first time I had worn it in several months because it's more of a fall/winter article of clothing.  Oh, and this sweater is also one of the purchases from the shopping spree two years ago.

Sunday, November 05, 2017

Climate Control Results For 2017

I don't think I posted when I turned on my AC this summer, and last week I turned on my furnace.  I thought I held out pretty long for turning on the furnace this year, but it turns out it wasn't any kind of record or all that much out of the ordinary.  Another "average" year.  Possibly slightly warmer than normal.



Saturday, November 04, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 43

Thankfulness from the week before last is below.

This mushroom by itself wasn't so amusing, but it was the word that came to mind to describe it that provoked good memories with a smile.  I thought it looked.....one might say.....bulbous.

Sunday

  • Morning sun shining on beautiful fall colors
  • Taking a nap
  • The care among the people I go to meeting with

Monday

  • Finding an amusing sight on the way back from the cafeteria
  • Being able to read all my new e-mail in my work inbox today
  • Leftovers

Tuesday

  • Carpooling with some coworkers that reminded me how work can be fun
  • Finding an easy solution to a problem
  • Doing stair stepper and yoga

Wednesday

  • God can change our attitude
  • An afternoon without meetings that enables focused work
  • Pre-packaged grapefruit

Thursday

  • Sunny, crisp fall morning
  • Looking forward to the weekend
  • Chips and salsa

Friday

  • National Public Radio (NPR)
  • The end of the work week
  • Safely completing a 4.5 hour drive

Saturday

  • Ibuprofin
  • A friend volunteering to be my personal shopper
  • Making good progress on picture labeling and sorting


Monday, October 23, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 42

Thankfulness from last week.  For the rest of the weeks this year, I'm also going to try to include a picture from the week to highlight one of the good things from the week.

Sunday

  • Unplanned lunch invitation
  • Exercising hard
  • Sleeping in (relative to the work week).  Don't worry, I didn't sleep in so much that I missed meeting.

Monday

  • Releasing files for a prototype build
  • A few minutes walking in sunshine
  • An e-mail from a friend

Tuesday

  • Bright green grass on a sunny fall day
  • Challenging yoga class
  • Mixing up my order from "the usual" at lunch time

Wednesday

  • Clear evening sky full of stars
  • Leaving work before 10:30 PM
  • Gospel meeting

Thursday

  • Time for a long bike ride AND a leisurely supper in the evening
  • A friend to help diagnose a water leak problem
  • New pavement on the road by my house

Friday

  • Spending a minute breathing in the fall air
  • Tickling the ivories for a few minutes
  • Feeling like I accomplished something this week

Saturday

  • A day dedicated to fun
  • Doing something with my brother and niece
  • Warm temperatures in late fall


Sunday, October 22, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 41

Here's the thankfulness log from two weeks ago.  That week at work was really rough.  I got yelled at for "communicating in the wrong way" and was working to get an under-performing engineer to deliver some things to me for my project so we could release software on schedule.  I was at work a couple different nights until 11:00 PM or midnight.



When I read through my thankfulness log, it's interesting the different perspective that comes through.  I think sometimes keeping this log helps me sleep better.  I usually write the three things for the day right before I go to sleep, and I think it often keeps me from "nursing and rehearsing" the bad things of the day.

Sunday

  • State parks with hiking close to my house
  • Help from people in my meeting
  • A low key day

Monday

  • A verbal "thank you" for doing a small thing
  • Lunch outside on the patio
  • Clear blue sky

Tuesday

  • Someone who went the 2nd mile for me to fix a leak
  • Lunch with a mentor
  • Writing therapy

Wednesday

  • Extra Bible reading time
  • Feeling of working as a team
  • Early morning Bible verse reminder

Thursday

  • It's almost Friday
  • At least partially keeping my cool
  • People who challenge me to grow

Friday

  • Leaving work before 6:00 PM
  • Time at work without scheduled meetings
  • Having time to play the piano

Saturday

  • Lazy Saturday morning and afternoon
  • Guests who bring food
  • Playing board games with my cousins


Sunday, October 08, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 40

Thankfulness from this past week.  Overall it was a good week with lots of little things for which to be thankful.

Sunday

  • The luxury of a nap
  • Sleeping well during the night
  • The spunk and spirit of a dear sister worker

Monday

  • Holidays in China and India
  • A breathtaking sunset
  • Knowing the Lord

Tuesday

  • No evening conference calls
  • Feeling cheerful
  • Feeling stretched after yoga

Wednesday

  • Computer refresh forcing me to leave early from work
  • Lunch invitation
  • Massage at the chiropractor

Thursday

  • A long lunch
  • Extra long massage
  • An afternoon without meetings

Friday

  • Supper with a friend
  • A decent work week
  • Less mucus

Saturday

  • A day without any scheduled commitments
  • Organizing things around home
  • Weather nicer than forcasted and including sunshine


Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Kayaking at Sunrise and other Weekend Things



Last weekend one of the guys from my meets was interested in doing a sunrise paddle.  He said he had always wanted to be on the water at dawn, so that's what we aimed for.  We missed by 15 or 20 minutes.  Well, we were at the boat launch by sunrise but not quite on the water by then.

Fellow paddler on the Kzoo River.



It was more of a float than a paddle, but it was still good.  We saw lots of blue heron and several eagles.  We saw 3 or 4 immature bald eagles and at least 2 mature ones.  They gave us a little bit of a show when they flew over us together and were squabbling a little bit with each other.

Immature bald eagle.

Mature bald eagle - you probably recognize it.  :-)


After the paddling, we also did some gun shooting.  I'm not super into that, but it's fun to do every once in a while.  I got to shoot a 1911 pistol, a lever action rifle, and an AR15.  The lever action rifle had enough kick it made my shoulder sore after 15 or 20 rounds.  When I added it up, I shot about 114 rounds.

A few examples of my shot groupings.  The holes on the paper plates, not all those holes in other places.
On Sunday we had a potluck after union meets to say farewell to one of our older sista woikas before she heads down to Kentucky to labor there.  I'll miss her quick wit and down-to-earth approach.  It's always sad to see them go, but of course you love different ones that come too.

Monday, October 02, 2017

ND 'Vention Weekend

Life is kind of crazy busy most of this year, so I feel like I haven't been posting much about general life other than the thankfulness posts.  Now that most of my family shares at least one form of social media, I'm not sure I really need to maintain my updates.  But sometimes I still like to, just as a reference for later when things come up.

Rather than feel overwhelmed by all the unposted stuff, I'll just try to do some occasional recent stuff and get to the backlog if it ever seems possible.

Here's what I did a week or so ago.  I drove to the corny state where I met Uncle Bex along the interstate, and then we headed for ND for 'vention.  It had been quite a while since Uncle Bex and I took a road trip together, so that was enjoyable.

I also realized I don't have key chains from several states I travel through regularly, so this is my reminder to buy them.  IN, IL, IA, WI, MN.

There were some memorable moments:

  1. Due to miscommunication, we locked the keys in the car along with both our cell phones. Hence no pictures of that fiasco.
  2. Uncle Bex has now become Uncle Grandma Bex.  Because that's how the three year old brain works.
  3. Seeing some good friends like Weeds and Alley Cat and having some good in-depth discussions with them.  It's good to have some friends who share life stages with you.
  4. Seeing lots of extended family.  Uncle Bex asked how many people there I was related to.  I suppose it might be somewhere around 25%.  I didn't do any counting or math to confirm this number.
  5. I brought Bill a bicycle because my neighbor sells used ones for cheap and she didn't have one.  She was super excited about that.
  6. Seeing my parents and one of my sisters and her family
  7. Road trip in-depth spiritual conversations
  8. The beauty of the prairie
  9. The beauty of prairie wetlands
  10. Seeing other people I'm not related to that I don't share a "life stage" with that somehow have a special place in my heart.  Sometimes the reason isn't big, which illustrates how small things can make a big impact.  For example:
  • Warren - He worked at the same company and building I worked at the summer after my college sophomore year.  We're both engineers and I went to college with two of his sons.  Every time I go back there we always manage to have at least one conversation.
  • Bill - He's just a funny, friendly guy who always tries to recruit me to move back to ND and work for his company.
  • Renee - When I was in high school, she was one of those adults who would say "Hi" to me and made me feel like she saw me as a person.
To finish it off, here are a few pictures:

Iowa prairie on the drive to ND.

My nephew "Pasta".  He's just learning to walk.

Bill with her new bike.  Because it was raining, she took it for a spin in Pops's garage Sunday morning in her pajamas with her meeting shoes.  One must dress appropriately for the occasion, you know?

The North Dakota prairie.  Looks totally different from the Iowa prairie.

A North Dakota version of cornhole.
I got this precious thank-you in the mail this week from Bill.

Sunday, October 01, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 39

I was home this weekend, so I can make a timely post on my thankfulness from the past week.  It's hard to believe we're already at the end of September!

Sunday

  • People who like in-depth conversations
  • Good final reminders
  • Seeing family

Monday

  • Honest talk with a friend
  • Long drive with thinking time
  • Reading my bible at supper time

Tuesday

  • Late September day that feels like August
  • After work kayak excursion
  • Going to bed

Wednesday

  • Going to bed early-ish
  • Nyquil
  • Kleenexes

Thursday

  • A friend to help me with a car drop-off
  • My project getting some priority
  • Only one day left in the work week

Friday

  • Bright, crisp fall days
  • Connecting with people from work
  • An evening walk with a beautiful sunset

Saturday

  • Seeing a clear sky of stars early in the morning
  • Sunrise kayaking excursion
  • Still feeling peace about a decision

Thursday, September 28, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 38

Last week included a trip home to ND, which you might be able to guess by reading some of the things at the end of the list.

Sunday

  • Fried chicken and homemade strawberry jam
  • An enjoyable bike ride
  • Fellowship meeting

Monday

  • Foam roller
  • Salad bar
  • Beautiful day of sunshine

Tuesday

  • Jet pack WiFi
  • Upcoming vacation
  • A work meeting containing less conflict than expected

Wednesday

  • A consistent message
  • Feedback from a friend
  • Going home to where I grew up

Thursday

  • Prairie beauty
  • Sleeping in
  • Messages for my soul

Friday

  • Spiritual conversations
  • Homemade breakfast
  • Between meeting walks

Saturday

  • Powerful messages
  • Convention stroganoff and sausage
  • My niece's excitement to have her own bicycle


Monday, September 18, 2017

Scuba Steve

Uncle Bex kindly shares her scuba diving magazine with me, and lately I've been reading several of them.  Below are some interesting tidbits I've gathered.

I found one interesting article on the history of scuba diving innovations.  Here were a couple of note:

  • Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan invented the modern demand regulator in 1942 in France during WW II.  This was not the first regulator as one was invented as far back as the 1860's, but this is the invention that most modern regulators are based on and the one that was more robust and allowed expansion of the sport.  In the U.S., it was called the "Aqua Lung".
  • Cressi produced the first diving mask in 1952 with a dedicated nose pocket, making it possible for divers to equalize.
  • Scubapro introduced the Stabilization Jacket in 1971, which is now standard equipment for all divers known as a BCD (Buoyancy Control Device).
  • The first electronic dive computer was introduced in 1983 by Orca Industries.


Here's the Wikipedia link to scuba diving, which has all kinds of interesting information.

Scuba diving involves breathing compressed air and taking the air in tanks with you when you go underwater.  Another interesting but different sport is Freediving where you only go down into the water with the air you can store in your lungs.  This results in a much shorter dive but not necessarily any shallower dive than if you went scuba diving.  At least for professional free divers.  And of course this sport is much more ancient than scuba diving with compressed air.

OceanOne robot from Stanford University has built an underwater robot that includes haptic feedback.  Check out the video link - it's pretty cool.

Also of note is the U.S. Navy's invention of the Divers Augmented Vision Display (DAVD).  Right now virtual reality and augmented reality are all the rage, and this is the scuba diving version of it.

Last but not least, check out this link for a list of the best islands to live on.  The ad I saw in the magazine said, "Quit your job.  Move to an island.  Be happy." OK then.  Just keep a watch on the hurricanes and typhoons.

On a totally unrelated note, this video clip from a movie always cracks me up and is related to the title of this post.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 37

Thankfulness log from the week that just ended:

Sunday

  • Seeing interesting birds while kayaking
  • Watching a beautiful sunset
  • Hearing echoes of convention from others in meeting

Monday

  • News of friends and family safe after Hurricane Irma
  • Chiropractor appointment
  • Accomplishing something at home even if nothing got accomplished at work today

Tuesday

  • Seeing a beautiful sunrise and sunset in the same day
  • A weekend at home to cook so I have leftovers in the fridge
  • An engineering drawing finally released by change notice

Wednesday

  • Good reminders at Bible study
  • Somebody making afternoon popcorn
  • Prospect of a second change notice getting released this week

Thursday

  • Help from God to have a right attitude
  • Inspiration to invite a friend over for supper
  • Eating lunch some place other than at my desk at work

Friday

  • Being in a good mood despite not enough sleep
  • Laughing at silly things
  • The verse "Be still and know that I am God"

Saturday

  • The innocence of a baby
  • Sleeping until 8:30 AM
  • A supper invitation from some friends


Saturday, September 16, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 36

Thankfulness log from last week:

Sunday

  • A friend who is a good sounding board
  • Difficult truths becoming more clear
  • A morning walk/run

Monday

  • Kayaking calm
  • A perceptive friend
  • Free homegrown veggies

Tuesday

  • Feeling at peace again
  • Lunch with one of my mentors
  • Exercising hard enough to sweat like crazy

Wednesday

  • Beautiful sunrise through the rain
  • Hymns coming to mind
  • Not getting sick (so far anyway)

Thursday

  • A massage
  • Sweet corn
  • Eating supper before 10:00 PM

Friday

  • A work day not spent at the computer
  • No evening conference calls
  • Having fun playing silly lawn games

Saturday

  • A weekend at home to catch up on things
  • Working uninterrupted
  • Peacefulness of doing yard work


Friday, September 08, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 35

Thankfulness log from last week:

Sunday

  • Conversations with friends I see infrequently
  • Jesus
  • Relationships formed from years of setting up and putting away together

Monday

  • Improved outlook on work
  • Another upcoming long weekend with convention
  • Continuing good health

Tuesday

  • Cute snapchats
  • Setting the alarm for 7:00 AM instead of 5:30 AM
  • Team at work feeling like it's starting to gel

Wednesday

  • An afternoon in the sunshine
  • Short work week
  • Beautiful sunrise and sunset

Thursday

  • A safe drive
  • A four day holiday weekend
  • Time to think in the car

Friday

  • Walks with edifying conversation
  • God speaking clearly
  • Hugs from people special to my heart

Saturday

  • Powerful messages
  • A nap
  • Cool evenings / nights


Monday, August 28, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 34

Thankfulness from this past week:

Sunday

  • A personal message to my heart
  • Hugs from my nieces
  • Good traffic through Chicago

Monday

  • The wonder of a solar eclipse
  • The end of summer sports
  • Looking forward to convention

Tuesday

  • First super intense workout in a long time
  • One more work day left in the week
  • Grocery store directly on my way home

Wednesday

  • Clear sky full of stars
  • Upcoming vacation days Thursday and Friday
  • My head lamp

Thursday

  • We can pray for our needs to be filled and can trust God for the solution
  • People making me feel welcome
  • Answered prayers

Friday

  • Hearing the first bird sing just before dawn
  • Beauty of the haze of early morning ground fog
  • Taking a moment to appreciate the stars and moon

Saturday

  • More soul food
  • A warmer evening than the previous two nights
  • My tent

Sunday, August 27, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 33

The thankfulness log from two weeks ago:

Sunday

  • Owning a grill
  • Beautiful evening to kayak
  • Awesome night of sleep

Monday

  • Delicious leftovers
  • Sleep without interruption
  • Activities that get me outside

Tuesday

  • Eating lunch in the sunshine
  • Ending the softball season on a good note
  • A good career discussion with my boss

Wednesday

  • Spoken to at bible study
  • Fresh fruit snack
  • Making small progress

Thursday

  • People who care
  • Lunch with friends
  • Someone at work giving extra effort

Friday

  • A weekend with family
  • Accomplishing a couple tasks
  • A good talk with a co-worker

Saturday

  • Taking a risk - learning to do a back flip off the diving board
  • A summer night on the patio with a fire and family
  • Fun time playing with my nieces and nephew

Sunday, August 13, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 32

Thankfulness from the last week:

Sunday

  • Reminder to pray believing
  • Evening kayak excursion
  • Lunch on the bluff with a friend

Monday

  • Beauty of a full moon
  • Feeling desperate
  • A bike ride

Tuesday

  • An encouraging verse (Psalm 29:11)
  • Fresh peaches
  • Fun playing softball

Wednesday

  • More encouraging verses (Psalm 92 - the last 4 verses)
  • Edifying Bible study
  • No work after 7:00 PM

Thursday

  • Small victories
  • Eating lunch someplace other than the cafeteria or my desk
  • Making time to do yoga

Friday

  • A searching conversation with my mentor
  • Relaxing evening walk
  • Delicious licorice

Saturday

  • Friends who challenge me
  • Interesting conversation about European history
  • Going to bed early


Saturday, August 12, 2017

Total Eclipse of the Heart

OK, maybe not an eclipse of the heart.  Just an eclipse of the sun.  Coming Monday, August 21st!  I happened to actually read a couple news articles today, and I read something about a total solar eclipse, so I looked it up.  NASA has quite a nice informative video about it.  They make it sound quite interesting.  Maybe some of my readers will be in the path where they can see the total eclipse.  And many of you may be able to see a partial eclipse.  Check out the details in the NASA video or at this website.


Science is cool!

Friday, August 11, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 31

Thankfulness from last week:

Sunday

  • Going to my "normal" Sunday AM meeting
  • Good reminders
  • Relaxing at home

Monday

  • Hymn coming to mind that speaks to my heart
  • Relaxing yard work
  • Beautiful day of sunshine and temps in the 80's

Tuesday

  • A bike ride
  • Beautiful sunset
  • Mid-morning walk to another building

Wednesday

  • Brief evening walk
  • Salad
  • Microwave ovens

Thursday

  • Lunch with friends
  • Time to do real work instead of be in meetings
  • Massage appointment

Friday

  • The end of a long work week
  • A friend coming for a weekend visit
  • A weekend at home

Saturday

  • A peaceful, easy morning paddle
  • Fresh fruit readily available
  • Fresh homemade zucchini bread


Thursday, August 03, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 30

I'm finally catching up on publishing my thankfulness log.  Here's the one from last week.


Sunday
  • More convention
  • Sunshine on a boat deck
  • Crowded experiences that make you thankful for space at home
Monday
  • Seeing a place of my heritage
  • Delicious crepes
  • Free clean bathroom
Tuesday
  • A hot sauna
  • Time spent with Mom
  • Seeing a midevil city
Wednesday
  • Delicious biscuit cookies
  • Seeing swan lake ballet in Russia
  • Drinking from the tap in other countries
Thursday
  • Fruit vareniki
  • Making someone's day by giving a tip
  • Opportunity to learn about other cultures and countries
Friday
  • An enjoyable 2.5 weeks with enjoyable people
  • Brief time spent in nature
  • An evening learning about music and dance of another culture
Saturday
  • Home sweet home
  • Soft toilet paper
  • Delicious airport food

Wednesday, August 02, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 29

More delayed gratification - from the third week of July.


Sunday
  • Beauty of God's creation
  • Nice walk down the mountain
  • Partial sunshine for the most beautiful scenery parts of a day trip
Monday
  • Going to bed early
  • Good health
  • Seeing a new city
Tuesday
  • Reminder of our souls being eternal
  • Eating a Snickers bar in a foreign country
  • Delicious strawberries for breakfast
Wednesday
  • A wise tour director
  • Good talk with my cousin
  • Adventure on a church spire
Thursday
  • Delicious European pastries
  • A good walk
  • Discussing a good day with others
Friday
  • Sleeping in
  • Beautiful evening walk
  • Best black licorice I've ever eaten
Saturday
  • Hearing the gospel
  • Growing experience of going to convention in a different place
  • Delicious ethnic food (Swedish meatballs, lingonberries)

Tuesday, August 01, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 28

I have some catching up to do!  I wasn't near my computer for a couple weeks, so here is some thankfulness from mid-July:

Sunday

  • Not living in a concrete jungle
  • Eating at home
  • Tap water that is safe to drink

Monday

  • Fresh blueberries
  • Lunch break
  • Doing a normal routine

Tuesday

  • Enjoyable lunch interruption
  • Good examples
  • Time spent in the outdoors

Wednesday

  • Taking a Wednesday afternoon off from work
  • Bible study
  • Lunch at the best pizza place in town

Thursday

  • Foresight to bring delicious snacks
  • Start of a special vacation
  • Traveling companions

Friday

  • A nap
  • Beautiful Norwegian scenery
  • Flight itinerary re-routed

Saturday

  • Delicious fresh cooked salmon
  • Awesome breakfast buffet
  • Good night of sleep

Sunday, July 09, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 27

Thankfulness from the past week (which was spent in China):

Sunday

  • An unhurried day
  • Laundry service
  • Comfort foods

Monday

  • No evening conference calls
  • Exercise equipment and time to use it
  • Feeling of illness passing quickly

Tuesday

  • Interesting dinner conversation
  • Being born in the USA
  • Reminder to celebrate accomplishments

Wednesday

  • Hamburger and fries
  • Room service
  • Cool mid-day rain

Thursday

  • Almost the end of a trip
  • Leisurely supper
  • Assistance of a stranger

Friday

  • Supper invitation
  • Face to face meetings
  • New food experiences

Saturday

  • Hot shower
  • Hotel to-go food
  • Back on USA soil

Sunday, July 02, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 26

Thankfulness from last week:

Sunday

  • Clear blue sky with birds singing
  • Raw fruits and vegetables
  • Salad
Monday
  • Having a driver instead of a taxi
  • The sacrifice of Jesus
  • A real bed
Tuesday
  • Hearty breakfast
  • Good night's rest
  • Air conditioning
Wednesday
  • Melatonin
  • Room service
  • Having a driver so I don't need to take a taxi
Thursday
  • Raw vegetables
  • Having patience
  • Messages from afar
Friday
  • Tasty meat
  • An evening meal eaten with others
  • Variety of fresh fruit choices
Saturday
  • Four bottles of water
  • Hospitality when in a foreign country
  • Exercise in the great outdoors

Friday, June 30, 2017

2017 Thankfulness: Week 25

Thankfulness log from the third week of June:

Sunday

  • A lunch invitation
  • Time to cook food for the week
  • A great father

Monday
  • Fresh air after a rain
  • Unexpected free time in the evening
  • Poison ivy rash oozing lessening
Tuesday
  • The skills experience brings
  • Sunshine coming out from behind the clouds
  • Time to do some writing
Wednesday
  • Smell of trees
  • Making progress at work
  • Fellowship at meeting
Thursday
  • Yoga time
  • Brief walk at sunset
  • Time to do catch-up things
Friday
  • The end of anticipation / dread
  • Sweet smell of summer blossoms
  • Poison ivy patches on the mend
Saturday
  • Time with good friends
  • Nontraditional breakfast
  • Thinking about other things besides work

Monday, June 26, 2017

Book Reviews: The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect



This is one of the few reviews I'll do on fictional books.  Both of these books are about a man who is somewhere on the high-functioning autism spectrum.  He's very regimented and takes things literally.  "The Rosie Project" is the first book in the series where the guy decides to start a scientific search for a girlfriend or wife (it was a while ago that I read this and I can't remember the details).  As you may imagine, things quickly diverge from his plans, and the girl he ends up loving is not even close to the "perfect profile" he created.  It's a highly entertaining with lots of good "literal" jokes.

The second book is "The Rosie Effect", which follows the same guy and his wife during their early marriage and his wife's pregnancy.  It includes him getting arrested by the police and the police not knowing what to do with him because he's so literal.  Again, I found it quite amusing.

If you're looking for a couple good, light-hearted reads, I would recommend these two books.

One of the quotes that I found most amusing because of its nerdiness:

"Unlike the stereotypical wedding dress, it was - to use a technical term - elegant, like a computer algorithm that achieved an impressive outcome with just a few lines of code.  The impression of simplicity was enhanced by the deletion of the veil that she had worn twelve months earlier."

Friday, June 23, 2017

Millenials Analysis

I saw this video on facebook on Wednesday and thought it was good.  Try to ignore the inflammatory border around the video and focus on the message.  Some of the stuff doesn't only apply to millennials, it applies to everybody when related to living a quality life.  It also reminded me of the "Good to Great" book that talked about finding your passion.


That's all for today.


Thursday, June 22, 2017

Book Review: Good to Great

The full title of the book is "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't" by Jim Collins.

The focus of this book is mostly about what makes a company great.  However, since companies are made up of people, there are some things related to people and leaders in this book as well.  This book is pleasing to a six sigma black belt like me.  They had lots of supporting data and references and gave details on how they reached their conclusions.  They started with an empirical study of companies that consistently out-performed their competition for more than 15 years and did interviews and researched newspaper and magazine articles to try to figure out what was the true essence of the success.  The book was a New York Times Bestseller, so they must have managed to still keep the book somewhat interesting even for people who aren't passionate about six sigma.

I read a couple of the criticisms of the book on Wikipedia.  One is that the ideas in the book are simple.  My thought is that some of the best ideas are simple.  And universal truths of how the world and human nature work don't really change often.  The other criticism is that some of the companies mentioned in the book as great have since then gotten into trouble.  Which is true - a couple of the companies were Circuit City and Fannie Mae.  But as the book mentions, just because you became great does not guarantee you will continue to be.

I feel like some of the lessons learned about great companies could have a corollary in people as well.  I think many of the lessons in this book have some echoes from "The Slight Edge" such as the power of choice and doing small things consistently.  A "few" favorite quotes from the book are below.

  • "The good-to-great companies did not focus principally on what to do to become great; they focused equally on what not to do and what to stop doing."
  • "The good-to-great companies paid scant attention to managing change, motivating people, or creating alignment.  Under the right conditions, the problems of commitment, alignment, motivation, and change largely melt away."
  • "Greatness is not a function of circumstance.  Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice."
  • Good-to-great organization avoid technology fads and bandwagons, yet they become pioneers in the application of carefully selected technologies."

  • " 'The best students are those who never quite believe their professors.'  True enough.  But he also said, 'One ought not to reject the data merely because one does not like what the data implies.' "
  • "You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit.  -Harry S. Truman"
  • "Level 5 leader - an individual who blends extreme personal humility with intense professional will.  Level 5 leaders are a study in duality:  modest and willful, humble and fearless."
  • "The problem is not, in my estimation, a dearth of potential Level 5 leaders.  They exist all around us, if we just know what to look for.  And what is that?  Look for situations where extraordinary results exist but where no individual steps forth to claim excess credit.  You will likely find a potential Level 5 leader at work."

  • Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets, or technology, or competition, or products.  It is one thing above all others:  the ability to get and keep enough of the right people."
  • "Letting the wrong people hang around is unfair to all the right people, as they inevitably find themselves compensating for the inadequacies of the wrong people.  Worse, it can drive away the best people.  Strong performers are intrinsically motivated by performance, and when they see their efforts impeded by carrying extra weight, they eventually become frustrated."
  • "The good-to-great companies made a habit of putting their best people on their best opportunities, not their biggest problems."
  • "The people we interviewed from the good-to-great companies clearly loved what they did, largely because they loved who they did it with."

  • "The moment a leader allows himself to become the primary reality people worry about, rather than reality being the primary reality, you have a recipe for mediocrity, or worse.  This is one of the key reasons why less charismatic leaders often produce better long-term results than their more charismatic counterparts."
  • "The real question then becomes: How do you manage in such a way as not to de-motivate people?  And one of the single most de-motivating actions you can take is to hold out false hopes, soon to be swept away by events."
  • "Yes, leadership is about vision.  But leadership is equally about creating a climate where the truth is heard and the brutal facts confronted.  There's a huge difference between the opportunity to 'have your say' and the opportunity to be heard."
  • "Leading from good to great does not mean coming up with the answers and then motivating everyone to follow your messianic vision.  It means having the humility to grasp the fact that you do not yet understand enough to have the answers and then to ask the questions that will lead to the best possible insights."
  • "The key, then, lies not in better information, but in turning information into information that cannot be ignored."
  • "You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end - which you can never afford to lose - with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."
  • "Charisma can be as much a liability as an asset, as the strength of your leadership personality can deter people from bringing you the brutal facts."
  • "Creating a climate where the truth is heard involves four basic practices:
1.  Lead with questions, not answers
2.  Engage in dialogue and debate, not coercion
3.  Conduct autopsies, without blame
4.  Build red flag mechanisms that turn information into information that cannot be ignored"

  • "A Hedgehog Concept is not a goal to be the best, a strategy to be the best, an intention to be the best, a plan to be the best.  It is an understanding of what you can be the best at.  The distinction is absolutely crucial."
  • "To go from good to great requires transcending the curse of competence.  It requires the discipline to say, 'Just because we are good at it - just because we're making money and generating growth - doesn't necessarily mean we can become the best at it.' "
  • "The only way to remain great is to keep applying the fundamental principles that made you great."

  • "Not one of the good-to-great companies focused obsessively on growth.  Yet they created sustained, profitable growth far greater than the comparison companies that made growth their mantra.
  • "It took about four years on average for the good-to-great companies to clarify their Hedgehog Concepts. Like scientific insight, a Hedgehog Concept simplifies a complex world and makes decisions much easier.  But while it has crystalline clarity and elegant simplicity once you have it, getting the concept can be devilishly difficult and takes time.  Recognize that getting a Hedgehog Concept is an inherently iterative process, not an event."
  • "The key is to understand what your organization can be the best in the world at, and equally important what it cannot be the best at - not what it 'wants' to be the best at.  The Hedgehog Concept is not a goal, strategy, or intention; it is an understanding."
  • "If you cannot be the best in the world at your core business, then your core business cannot form the basis of your Hedgehog Concept."
  • "Good-to-great companies set their goals and strategies based on understanding; comparison companies set their goals and strategies based on bravado."
  • "Strategy per se did not separate the good-to-great companies from the comparison companies.  Both sets had strategies, and there is no evidence that the good-to-great companies spent more time on strategic planning then the comparison companies.  You absolutely do not need to be in a great industry to produce sustained great results.  No matter how bad the industry, every good-to-great company figured out how to produce truly superior economic returns."

  • "Avoid bureaucracy and hierarchy and instead create a culture of discipline.  When you put these two complementary forces together - a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship - you get a magical alchemy of superior performance and sustained results."
  • "The comparison companies often tried to jump right to disciplined action.  But disciplined action without self-disciplined people is impossible to sustain, and disciplined action without disciplined thought is a recipe for disaster."
  • "Whereas the good-to-great companies had Level 5 leaders who built an enduring culture of discipline, the unsustained comparisons had Level 4 leaders who personally disciplined the organization through sheer force."
  • "In a good-to-great transformation, budgeting is a discipline to decide which arenas should be fully funded and which should not be funded at all.  In other words, the budget process is not about figuring out how much each activity gets, but about determining which activities best support the Hedgehog Concept and should be fully strengthened and which should be eliminated entirely."
  • "The real question is, once you know the right thing, do you have the discipline to do the right thing, and equally important, to stop doing the wrong things?"
  • "A culture of discipline involves a duality.  On the one hand, it requires people who adhere to a consistent, system; yet, on the other hand, it gives people freedom and responsibility within the framework of that system."
  • "The good-to-great companies appear boring and pedestrian looking in from the outside, but upon closer inspection, they're full of people who display extreme diligence and a stunning intensity."
  • "Do not confuse a culture of discipline with a tyrant who disciplines - they are very different concepts, one highly functional, the other highly dysfunctional."
  • "Those who turn good into great are motivated by a deep creative urge and an inner compulsion for sheer unadulterated excellence for its own sake.  Those who build and perpetuate mediocrity, in contrast, are motivated more by the fear of being left behind."

  • "Good-to-great transformations often look like dramatic, revolutionary events to those observing from the outside, but they feel like organic, cumulative processes to people on the inside.  The confusion of end outcomes (dramatic results) with proces (organic and cumulative) skews our perception of what really works over the long haul."
  • "Enduring great companies don't exist merely to deliver returns to shareholders.  Indeed, in a truly great company, profits and cash flow become like blood and water to a healthy body: They are absolutely essential for life, but they are not the very point of life."
  • "Core values are essential for enduring greatness, but it doesn't seem to matter what those core values. are.  The point is not what core values you have, but that you have core values at all, that you know what they are, that you build them explicitly into the organization, and that you preserve them over time."
  • "It is much easier to become great than to remain great."

  • "First, I believe that it is no harder to build something great than to build something good.  It might be statistically more rare to reach greatness, but it does not require more suffering than perpetuating mediocrity.  Indeed, if some of the comparison companies in our study are any indication, it involves less suffering, and perhaps even less work."
  • "Indeed, the real question is not, 'Why greatness?' but 'What work makes you feel compelled to try to create greatness?'  If you have to ask the question, 'Why should we try to make it great?  Isn't success enough?' then you're probably engaged in the wrong line of work."
  • "Get involved in something that you care so much about that you want to make it the greatest it can possibly be, not because of what you will get, but just because it can be done.  When you do this, you will start to grow, inevitably, toward becoming a Level 5 leader."
  • "The problem is not the statistical odds; the problem is that people are squandering their time and resources on the wrong things."
  • "Fair or not, people - especially in the United States - can forgive a lot of sins, but will never forget or forgive feeling lied to."
  • "Take advantage of difficult economic times to hire great people, even if you don't have a specific job in mind."


Whew!  I think that's quite enough, don't you?  Have a good day!