Sunday, May 31, 2015

Dreams are Inspiring - Work is Not

I was listening to a Google Talk the other day and the guest was Jon Taffer - the host of Bar Rescue.  It was actually very interesting.  The guy is somewhat full of himself but he is very successful by most measures and offered up some words of wisdom during the program.

One thing he said during his wrap up was…

Dreams are Inspiring…work is not.

He said...

Dreams are Inspiring…work is not.

He was emphasizing the need to follow your dreams - even through your workplace.  Do not give up on your dreams.

This fits right in with our Happiness and Imagination theme we have discussed in the past.

Dreams are a way for us to see our future positive reality - using our imagination

We gain joy as we pursue these dreams - the definition of happiness

Of course many of us are probably wondering - how can I pursue my dreams while working at Kroger.

This is the wrong question…

You guys all came to Kroger for a reason…oh so many reasons…and when you came to Kroger you imagined something in your future.

So…the question is - "How will I partner with Kroger to achieve my dreams?"

I used to give a talk to middle school students about Kroger.  One of the things I would do during the talk is to ask the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up and I would list them on the white board - no chalkboards in schools these days…

We would end up with a list of 15 - 20 things…some duplicates.  Many wanted to be professional athletes or singers….I would then tell the kids that they could do almost everyone of the jobs they listed within the Kroger Company.

They looked at me like I was CRAZY

But then I explained how and the looks turned from crazy to encouraging.

So I would like to ask you all, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Then I challenge you to find a way to do that within The Kroger Company.

You’ll be surprised…

Now what does this have to do with offering a Highly Satisfying Shopping Experience?

As you are pursuing your dreams you will create an environment in your stores that promotes

Action

Excitement

Accomplishment

Happiness

Which all go toward creating an environment for success to happen.

Also, your “work” becomes less work and more joy

“Dreams are Inspiring…work is not”

Follow your dreams

Pour into others...


Saturday, May 23, 2015

Inside the Box

You know we hear so much about "thinking outside the box" when we encounter challenges.  "Color outside the lines," "go outside the nine dots."

Sometimes...maybe even most times...the answers are inside the dots...inside the box...and it's perfect to color inside the lines.

When running a business you probably have associates working for you...with you.  They bring a lot of knowledge and experience to the table.  So do you.

And you are all inside the four walls of your business.  You are inside the box.

Tap into that knowledge and experience...the answers are there.  The only outside of the box thinking you may have to do is how to open the box to gain access to what's inside.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

The Un-Stuck Walk

Sometimes we get stuck

We are going along in our lives day in and day out…week in and week out…month in and month out…when we find ourselves in a rut…stuck.

Or it may be that we are tackling a issue at work and have thought about it and thought about it…looked at the issue from different angles…asked for advice but can’t seem to figure out a solution…stuck.

Being stuck causes us some stress…perhaps a good amount of stress…maybe even overwhelming stress.

What to do?

How can you get un-stuck?

Someone just said…”Step back and punt!”

Now that’s an option…not a very good one but still…it’s an option.

But let’s think about a different one…

Take a long walk…

A run if you prefer

But a long one…

By yourself.

Put your walking or running shoes on and just start moving.

As you are moving there is one rule…you cannot turn around…

Yup

You cannot turn around until…

You cannot turn around until…you get a legitimate new idea.

That’s it!

You walk - or run - going away from your starting point and cannot turn back around until you become un-stuck.  Until you get a new idea - a new approach to the issue you have.

Then on your way back you can work on the plan of action to help you achieve the new idea you just came up with.

I have used this so many times.  It is one of the reasons I love to run out on country roads by myself.  You can just “be” without the distractions of anything…

(running on a busy street doesn’t work as well for me because I keep looking at everything around me and wondering about those things instead of letting my mind clear)

I have used this so many times that my team at work often reply to my new ideas with

“Oh…you went for a run yesterday didn’t you?”

They say it with an attitude sometimes…(but in good fun)

I am amazed how this simple action - walking by yourself to let you mind clear - works.  It’s success rate must approach 90-100% - at least for me.

So when you are stuck

Take action

Move to get un-stuck

Because really…if you don’t move and stay in the place you are stuck in you will never get unstuck…I think that’s a law of physics or a quote from Einstein…or something…

An Unstuck Walk…just get moving…