The RAOK Challenge

         

 

 

Edition 208 Monday October 21st 2013

 

 Hi,wow what a week it has been on the Jones roller coaster ride this week! A ghastly gastric bug stopped Christine in her tracks on Tuesday so I dutifully assumed the role of activities director with Fletcher for the day. Christine was appreciative of the rest and I returned to work Wednesday for a rest after an unbelievably fun but very exhausting day in the zoo!!

Speaking of Wednesday I ran through a bunch of blue bottle jelly fish in the early darkness on the beach. I didn’t realise I had done this until I felt a stinging sensation on my lower leg later in the shower. The affected area then swelled and broke into an angry rash which degenerated into an open broken skin wound…..as if that wasn’t bad enough I then experienced  fever and nausea from the evil jelly fish poison that had obviously entered my system….crikey !!! Then after battling the Blue fever and to top off  the week I contracted the ghastly gastric bug from Christine on Friday for a weekend spent in close proximity to one very important little room of the houseL.Harden up Jonesey!

Staying close to home proved to be a blessing in disguise as we explored a couple of local spots with Fletcher which were cool fun. He is fixated with birds at the moment so the local Gannet Colony was a special treat combined with a visit to the local park rides and the wild west coast black sand of the beach and he was made up ! Often the simple things closest to home are the most enjoyable or rewarding…….love where we live Daddy !!!! J

I competed in a Toastmasters competition on Saturday and was lucky enough to win the right to represent Auckland at the upcoming National final in November,fiercely competitive and proud of it!

In my fragile state I was in bed before the All Blacks played on Saturday night !!! so we managed to hang out till 10.30am Sunday to watch the boys maintain their unbeaten run for the season….legend.

Yay , Labour Weekend approaches and we have leave booked Friday to make it a four day bonanza.

I hope you had a great weekend with family and friends and that you also have a relaxing long weekend planned to spend with those closest and most important to you……Cheers Jonesey.

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they, like our shoes, are comfortable. They might be a bit out of shape and a little worn around the edges, but they fit well. Scooby Doo !!!

 

“Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.” Bob Kerrey

I was parking in town last week and a guy came up to me and gave me his parking ticket that still had almost an hour left to park on it…..it was a small gesture that helped and meant a lot to me!It was a “Random Act Of Kindness” (RAOK) that served as a timely reminder how powerful these simple inexpensive gestures can be. The thing I like is how they benefit both the giver and the receiver equally and the diffreence they can make to both.

RAOKs are spontaneous acts of generosity that don’t have to be done and generally are not noticed if they don’t happen but have a huge effect when they are performed. They can be as simple as opening a door for somebody or even saying please and thankyou where most people let it slip past these days…..simple little disciplines in our daily lives, again sadly missing from most.

Last week inspired by this RAOK I was moved to provide my services as a mentor and volunteer to present at two industry forums on behalf of customers. None of this I was contracted or expected to do but all that I was happy and motivated to do and as a result of doing !! Unselfish and unsolicited yet unbelievably satisfying !!!

Your challenge this week is to become a RAOK performer,your chance to shine……”Just do it” Cheers.

 

“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?”Jean Jacques Rousseau

Thumb and dumber

         

 

 

Edition 207 Monday October 14th 2013

 

 Hi, I accidentally cut myself with our large carving knife recently. It started to fall off the bench so I instinctively tried to catch it( that was bright). I am still trying to figure out why I did that, maybe with my form, it would have carried on to stab me in the foot or something!! Anyway I managed to cut my thumb slightly right on the end . I doubt there would have been more blood had I cut the thing off altogether. Anyway the point is that during the healing process my thumb was painful and I couldn’t believe how many day to day things I do that involve the use of my thumb (eg;try doing the buttons of a shirt up with a sore thumb …..agony!!)…..dont we take so much for granted regarding our health, we need to be more careful and aware,in my humble and painful view!

Continuing on the health theme I bent over to pick up something last week and the seams of my work trouser bottoms decided enough was enough and gave up the ghost. It is a little unfair to blame the seams when it would be fairer to point the blame at the extra strain they may have been under lately!. I would love to tell you it is because of the further development of muscle thanks to the gym however,sadly that is not the case. Yes the battle continues and no matter how much one may exercise one  still has to watch what one eats so why doesn’t one??,hmmm diet starts tomorrow!

Fletcher file; one of our fears was realised last week when Fletcher,who spends a lot of time with Harry and the Hendersons, was discovered eating some dog biscuits !! Now not only does he think he is a canine he has also taken a liking to their food. Whilst the opportunity to save some money on the food budget was tempting we had to draw the line and instruct him eating dog biscuits was a no no J

Dad is recovering slowly at home under the watchful eye of the best nurse in the business @ #21. We are a thoughtful lot though as the sign on the back of Dads boat trailer many years ago lays testimony to, it read “ 13.5 metres to pass, do not worry if you cant pass……at least you are keeping up with the Joneses.”J and on that note, have a great week!……Cheers Jonesey.

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really!!!

 

“Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and it annoys the pig.”

 George Bernard Shaw

 

Some sizzling snippets from the week that was;

 

• I always carry business cards and hand them out whenever I meet anybody business or personal.They are a great way of getting your message out and providing all your information. Imagine my embarrassment when one of the recipients actually read the card I gave him and noted it didn’t have my name on it ! Seems I had been inadvertently handing out one of my colleagues cards for most of the week !
• Due to a recent acquisition I have some new staff in my team. This presents me with a great opportunity to review my performance to ensure any habits, familiarity or laziness are eliminated from my daily efforts to manage and motivate my team. It is a reality check on the level of professionalism I bring to my role and a reminder to set an example at all times.
• Further to my note last week about accepting opportunities to present to industry groups or associations I did exactly that this weekend. A colleague and I presented to the Association of Wall and Ceiling Installers (AWCI) about our recent plasterboard recycling initiatives. This was as a big thank you to several customers who are members who are supporting our initiative.
• How about that Green Gorilla exposure on “The Block NZ” We were not just pretty faces and bins we actually recycled 40% of the waste off the program!!  Legends !! Go the extra mile!!

“I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig, you get dirty; and besides, the pig likes it.” George Bernard Shaw

Valet to the Stars!

         

 

 

Edition 206 Monday October 7th 2013

 

 Hi,our very own blackbirds are nesting in our letter box, daylight saving jet lag is over and the bbq has had its first serious work out…..ahhhh there is warmth in the air and a spring in the step with another iconic kiwi summer in prospect. Also time to tackle the lawns and outdoor chores that have been on hold during the winter months. After a huge day outdoors on Saturday we treated ourselves to a hot bath, mainly because Auckland were getting kicked by Wellington in the footy ! Crikey that was amazing, our poor bath, ignored for so long in favour of the quicker less soothing shower, our aching bodies promise to savour you on a more regular basis!

 Thanks for all your messages re Dad, I am pleased to report that his surgery went well and he is recovering well. A reconditioned heart, a lot to be grateful for and even more to look forward to.

Fletcher update; our little man is so funny, if he is up before I go to work and when I get home he will either select a pair of shoes for me to wear or put them away for me after use!!(see attached photos). He is growing like a weed and developing personality and character features that Christine and I either claim or deny is linked to us depending on how cute or obnoxious the trait might be!! J

One of our older boys,Mark is home currently from the UK and it has been cool to catch up with him before he heads off to experience and write a new chapter in his seamingly never ending OE adventure. “May the sun always be on your back and the wind always be on your face” ,go well son.

Wow, how about that All Black game against South Africa, the stuff All Black legends and folklore are made of. I can remember watching as a wide eyed kid years ago with Dad when legends of the past like Colin Meads (playing with a broken arm) and Bryan Williams (who mesmorised the Springboks with his magical side step as a 19 year old) etched themselves into the history books forever.

I hope you had a relaxing spring/summer weekend with family and friends and that you have an awesome week ahead, not long now till Labour weekend J……Cheers Jonesey.

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon some days you're the dog; some days you're the hydrant.

 

“Customer service is not a department, it’s everyone’s job.” Sam Walton

 

We have recently secured a recycling service supply deal with a large chain store. We will be supplying 30 stores in the Auckland area which is very cool and a great coup for our company.

As part of the roll out I had to call each store to make sure they knew what they were getting, when and what they had to do and what to expect from us in return!

The thing that amazed me was the difference in phone answering, service and attitude from one store to the next. They ranged from super receptive and enthusiastic to mildly interested to couldn’t care less. It proved to be an interesting independent customer service observation exercise which while unintentional did provide a useful insight into how the stores were tracking in these areas.

I was faced with an equally interesting decision to make…..did I ignore what I had observed? or did I mention it to my contact and pass on the information/assessment for their future benefit?

I chose to share the info and observations I had made as I believed it would enhance our relationship with our new customer as well as benefitting them with targetting training and development needs. In other words or ‘sales speak’ a win/win outcome for all parties.

Luckily I was right, my customer was appreciative and asked me to present my findings to one of their Managemet team meetings for the benefit of all Managers…..amazing, I couldn’t believe it !

So an awesome outcome was achieved from taking the initiative derived from something initially unrelated but eventually super relevant and mutually beneficial.

I believe we are surrounded by opportunities like this every day, we need to ‘get better’ at recognising these and to then make the most of them!!!....Good luck, keep your eyes and ears open!

 

“We won’t complain. We just won’t come back” Mr & Mrs Customer!!!