The Perfect Employee

As management personnel, I have had a lot of recent conversation about employees and finding and retaining employees.   It’s hard to explain to hires what they are getting into.  Being part of a precast plant and small business is a different entity.  You aren't putting part A into part B, you aren't on an assembly line, your job is different everyday and the work is tough.  I push my employees hard and I expect perfection.  But my definition of perfection is different than most.  I don’t expect everything to go flawless, every product to come out perfect.  How do you define “perfect”?  Perfect is about your relationship with your family, your God and your co-workers.  Being able to be true to your family, true to your religion, and true to your co-workers is perfect.  I always tell my guys family comes first, than Dalmaray.  But when you come to work I expect them to leave nothing unturned to end the day saying there was not one more thing I could have done to be better.  Now it’s easy to relate this motivational speech to sports, but how does it apply to business.  To me business is about succeeding not only for me, for my company, but for my employees as well. It’s about being the best and employing the best. When I wake up every morning, it’s a new game, a new Championship, a new Super Bowl and I’m going to win.  Why do I feel this way?  Simple I have a legacy to carry on, this is my company.  I have more on my shoulders than employees, but I wish everyone would see what I see and feel how I feel.  It’s hard to change mindset, but I wish every day would start with this speech, start with this motivation.  I want people to stay motivated; I want everyone to know that I do everything I do, not for me, not for the company, but for everyone at Dalmaray, for the guy next to you and I want employees to feel that way to.  That’s what the perfect employee is.  I realize it is hard for the guy making the low wage to feel that way, but I think that if everyone looked at a job with honesty in their eyes and say I will do the best job possible and make this happen then we as a company would be perfect.  Eventually good things will happen and times will be better, but for now if we do everything we can to make the day easier on each other with truth and love we will move forward in unison and be perfect. 

-- I will not stop fighting and turning over the stones

Change 2013

It’s 2013!  Time to change!  If you didn’t see the video check out my YouTube page, it is time to change.  For the past three years I think we as an economy have felt the better part of pure stagnancy.  We have seen ups and downs.  I for one am tired of it.  This is the year business controls the economy.  I am so sick of listening to excuse after excuse about how we can’t be better than we are.  The economy sucks, the drought killed sales, the competition cut prices.  Done! I’m done with it!  Time to change.  No one controls your fate except you.  But how do you get ahead, how do you get on top.  I got a few ideas…

1.       Take chances….You can’t get anywhere playing it safe.  This is the time, this is the year.  Take the risk.  We have been saving up this energy for years now, let’s release it.  Take the risk.  Make products you haven’t made before, try new processes that may make you more efficient, invest in the new technologies…TRY!  You don’t know what is out there unless you try.  Plain and simple try, try, try.

2.       Believe in your people….Your people have either stood by you through the mud of the bad economy or you have hired new people who believe in a new vision, one of hope.  Most of you have a combination of both.  Now is the time to unite those folks under one common vision.  I believe in you, believe in me.  Make them understand your vision, make them understand your dream!

3.       Support your local economy….Do you know what your neighbor does?  Chances are you don’t.  Ask them.  Challenge your local manufactures to make things that will help you.  This will do three things.  It will inspire them to take chances, keep your costs low, and plug money in your locale.  Support your local economy; chances are they are as passionate about their business as you are in yours.  Help them help you.

4.       Support your organizations…Your organizations are the ones that have been behind you this whole time.  They are the associates who help you build that item, they are the members who gave you that advice, they are the professionals went to bat for you when you wanted change.  Support them.  Without your support they don’t exist, and sadly neither will you. 

5.       Be humble…Things will happen this year.  Good and bad.  I don’t care what you do, where you come from, where you work.  Things will be good and bad this year.  This is the year, though, that we as a nation are on the edge waiting to be pulled back down the sunset trail or pushed off the edge.  Don’t be pushed off the edge.  Stand tall, believe in your path.  Stick to you what you believe and you will succeed. 

6.       Learn…I can’t say this enough.  Learn! Learn! Learn! You have never ever learned enough.  Learn from your mistakes, learn from your organizations, learn from your elders, and learn from your experiences.  Be smart this year.  That is what it’s about.  Learn and react.

The construction season is about to start.  Let’s be smart this year and let’s succeed.  We have the power, we have the knowledge, and most important we have the people.  Everyone from top to bottom is hungry.  Let‘s do this thing!