Something goes wrong where you work. A product part is ruined, or a customer’s bill is incorrect. You started work on one set of customer orders, and discover another set was supposed to start today. All of the set-up work is wasted. You have to start all over again. Sound familiar? These things happen.

What happens next is also a familiar pattern. You:
1. Find out what is wrong (delivery date, size, specifications, etc.)
2. Find out who was responsible for doing it wrong
3. Ask the person “Did you do this?” (translation: “I know you did this. You’re stupid. Get ready to be chewed out. My goal is to make you feel bad about this. You may be punished for this.”
4. The person:
A. Denies doing it
B. Protests that it wasn’t his fault
C. Explains that she was told to do it that way
D. Explains that there was a good reason to do it that way
5. You and the person argue about whether or not he or she was responsible, and whether or not B, C, or D is true.
6. Forty-five minutes to an hour later, you are exhausted and angry. The other person is exhausted and angry. Both of you have bad feelings about the other.
7. Now you must begin to solve the problem. You may or may not have the energy to find the root cause and make sure it doesn’t happen again. The other person certainly isn’t enthusiastic about helping you solve the problem.

Person #1: “You should wear your safety glasses.”

Person #2: “I’m wearing my safety glasses because it is the best way to protect my eyes. I want everyone who works here to wear safety glasses to protect their eyes.”

Which person is more convincing? We are more likely to be convinced by Person #2, because this person is convinced. Actions speak louder than words. Being told we should do something is not as effective as knowing that the person telling us is already doing it.

Whenever we discover problems or work to be done, we are seeing an ad that reads, “Wanted: Leadership.” It takes leadership (initiative) to solve problems and get things done. Every company needs problem-solving leadership from all employees.
 

What can fly through the air for a half-mile or more, smash its way through brick walls, yet release its power through an opening no bigger than the diameter of a pencil?
A compressed gas cylinder. Cylinders may look hardy, but they are pressurized to thousands of pounds per square inch, which makes them extremely hazardous when exposed to motion or vibration.
How’s this for sheer power? A carbon dioxide cylinder with a missing cap was carelessly pulled across an airplane hanger floor. When the cylinder fell, the valve broke off; the cylinder took off at high speed. It crashed through several aircraft wings, broke off sprinkler heads, which flooded the area, destroyed expensive equipment, and tore through a concrete wall before finally coming to rest outside the building. Fortunately no one was hurt, however the total damage exceeded a half million dollars.

Put it in Writing... When it comes to mastering your money, people who commit their financial goals to writing are more likely to be the most successful in achieving financial security.

Review... Major areas of your financial life which need to be reviewed on an annual basis include:

n   Insurance – Life, health and disability.
n Investments – Home, real estate, savings and retirement accounts.
n Tax Management –Shield income from the tax man
n Estate Planning – Wills and other wealth-preservation techniques