Who you gonna call?

Hi , I have never liked surprises and believe it or not I also dislike being the centre of attention! Bit strange for someone who has always loved the sound of his own voice!!

I was however totally surprised on Saturday evening to receive unexpected recognition from the Central Park Toastmasters Club at their 20 year celebratory dinner. I joined in 1991 and am currently the longest serving member something I was vaguely aware of but never that fussed about.

I was reluctant but honoured and proud to be recognised by my peers for my contribution to the club over the years. When you love doing something,you do it with enthusiasm and passion so you never notice the time it takes or the years that roll by because you always receive more than you give.It has never been about me, my buzz, my return on my investment of time and energy is delivered via the development and growth of others. Mentoring and coaching people I have met in, or introduced to, this excellent organisation has been one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things I have ever done. Like anything we do I firmly believe the more you put in the more you get out x2.

Conversely a lack of commitment, enthusiasm or passion will invariably result in failure. Again like everything in life there is only one person that can make that call about anything we do…yes YOU !!!

We did a bit of our own ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ on the weekend catching up with Mum and Dad for brunch on Sunday, crikey we have to that more often. Unlike many others I know I am lucky to have two healthy happy parents living close by so need to make the most of that !!! hmmmmmmmm I hope you had a good one with family and friends, have an amazing week,…… Cheers Jonesey!

Harry the hound bet me I couldn’t write without using the r (rugby) word, hows that bro!

“It is never over until the fat lady sings” Dan Cook

Although Hayley Westernra would have something to say about this famous quote above it is invariably the larger singers in the Opera that signal the finale.

Just like a good special events rubbish man knows….”the event is never over till the last piece of rubbish is removed”

Crikey we had been doing a perfect job for 12 days from delivery on the 14^th right up to extra service and removal on the 26^th! Most events last a couple of days but the Taste of Auckland event ran over 2 weeks from set up to pack down. A real test for the budding Green Gorilla team but one we looked in the eye and fronted up for with our A game.

Instructions were clear Victoria Park was to be handed back to Auckland City in sparkling pristine condition by 2pm on the 26^th. Our bins were to be removed no later than 1pm, the team was briefed and we were sailing along smoothly until the unthinkable happened……..

A late influx of over sized rubbish that would not fit into the remaining bins, no trucks or larger bins in sight or likely to be, deadline approaching, organisers and Council sign off/hand over approaching.  After almost 2 weeks of perfection it all came down to this, 2 large rolls of soggy carpet and the 6mx3m Audi sign stood between the GG team and stardom only one thing for it….time to call GREEN GORILLA MAN!   As fast as a speeding Ford Mondeo and fresh from a recent spinal reconstruction he swung into action and with the amazing help of the tallest Hirequip Manager in the country impending doom and special event disaster was averted as the offending oversize matter was removed with 15 minutes to spare. The clean sheet perfect record was maintained on the surface and by all appearances but like a lot things behind the scenes she was a thin line of 15minutes between hero and zero !!,bit like ‘that game !!!Remember Hirequip corner of Daldy and Packenham streets Auckland City for all your hire requirements !! Its never over till its over, don’t count your chickens before they hatch and never underestimate a GREEN GORILLA haha… have fun and a big week.

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough” Og Mandino

'Top of the World'

                                                      

Edition 113 Tuesday 25th October 2011

Hi , as far back as I can remember I wanted to be an All Black. There was always a special aura, a magical mystique around the men in black for me. The local park became the famous stadiums around the world as my All Black team hand picked from neighbourhood kids took on the world.

Every spare daylight hour after school and weekends was spent kicking, passing and tackling our hearts out as we emulated our heroes. I remember I fancied myself as a bit of a cross between the power and speed of Bryan Williams with the elusive silky skills of Sid Going and the strength and toughness of Colin Meads !. Crikey those were heroic days as I fearlessly led my team to so many hard fought victories. That was of course until I got home caked in mud inches thick much to my mothers horror, there was only one winner in that encounter..love you Mum. Funny thing, those back yard test matches produced a string of future representatives in local and national age group teams!

These fond memories came flooding back to me as we celebrated the success of the 2011 All Black team winning the Rugby World Cup this weekend after what was an epic battle with a fired up and passionate French side. Here was a team of men who as kids always wanted to be All Blacks, who emulated their heroes in back yard test matches growing up, who pursued their vision and realised their dream of winning the ultimate prize. Captain Fantastic Richard McCaw and his team learned some tough lessons along the way but perservered to provide the country with the perfect finish to an outstanding tournament. What an awesome way for the team to thank New Zealanders for their unconditional support, passion and enthusiasm. It was hard not to get caught up in the fervour that swept the length and breadth of our beautiful country. It feels great to be a New Zealander right now as yet another generation of kids heads to the local park or back yard to emulate their heroes and so the legacy goes on……long may it continue!!!

Hope you had a great long weekend celebrating with friends and family……….Cheers Jonesey

Harry the hound had his paws over both our eyes in the last 20 minutes, crikey 8-7 !

“Don’t sell me clothes. Sell me a sharp appearance, style and attractiveness.

Don’t sell me insurance. Sell me peace of mind and a great future for my family and me.

Don’t sell me a house. Sell me comfort, contentment, a good investment, and pride of ownership…

Don’t sell me things. Sell me ideals, feelings, self respect, home life, and happiness.

Please don’t sell me things.”   Every Buyers Plea

We had another huge week for business as there was plenty happening in the build up to and over the long weekend.

The business we generated was from special events and one off requests for equipment and services. The main reason we were successful in winning this business was because our competitors couldn’t be bothered providing solutions to event organisers specific requirements.

The amazing thing we learned from our success in winning this business was that because our competitors were not prepared to go the extra mile we were able to secure this business on our terms. In gaining the customers respect, confidence and trust we were able to provide solutions that exceeded expectations that our customers were prepared to pay for the peace of mind of having.

What a pleasant change this was to the normal day to day battle with the same competitors who either get legally threatening or drop prices to prevent customers from joining the green gorillas!

We had fun replacing the No’s with Yes’s and making revenue with profit for a change !

Simple message here, there are no road blocks when you go the extra mile ….good luck.

“When we take care of our customers we take care of ourselves.”  Green Gorilla Bins

Green Gorilla Marketing !

                                                      

Edition 112 Monday 17th October 2011

Hi ,Ive always been an impatient driver, probably something to do with the fact I leave it till the last minute to go anywhere which means im habitually running late. I know there is an obvious cure (allow more time…right!)….however in the meantime the marketing gods have intervened and I now have a branded car ! Nothing transforms behaviour on the road quicker than company branding. In a win/win move the innovative Green Gorilla brand (complete with Gorilla….see attached photo!) have more brand awareness and a model driver courteous to all others like never before.Its taken a bit of getting used to but I admit I needed to settle down a bit!(spent a lot on therapy to be able to tell you that!)…….so look out for the Gorilla on the highway soon!

We had a fun weekend at one of bookabach’s finest remote retreats relaxing, can you believe there was no TV so we listened to the Wales v France ruggers semi-final on the am band radio, it was so cool, must have been amazing all those years ago listening to Winston McCarthy before TV coverage……bummer for the Welsh as they did everything but win. We were home in time to watch the mighty All Blacks overcome the Aussies, roll on the final, “Its Our Time”, Go The AB’s.

Thanks for all your kind  messages about Boris last week, he underwent reconstructive surgery on his smashed femur and is recovering well unlike his Father who had to re mortgage the housre to pay for the surgery !!

I hope you had a cool weekend with family and friends and that you are all looking forward to another busy and successful week leading to the long weekend and Cup Final !......Cheers Jonesey

Harry the sleek black hound had a cool weekend staying over with his bro Harry Goodwin

“Brand, Brand, Brand, Branding is everything” Richard Branson

I read an excellent article over the weekend about Richard Branson where he talked about the importance of branding. I thought it was quite relevant to me given the recent car branding exercise we have embarked on. The value of any business can be amplified by branding. Branson urges businesses to find what makes them different and better and to milk it for everything they can.In the beginning it was just about the business;now its about the brand” says Branson “Outstanding brands are  built around great people who deliver consistently great customer service every day”

Whether you have a product, service or a brand it is not easy to start a company and to survive and thrive in the modern world.In fact you have to do something radically different to make a mark today.

To this end at Green Gorilla recycling and refuse services we have deliberatly set out to challenge the industry status quo , to create a point of difference and to fill a gap left by the failings of other companies. We are striving to continually innovate and introduce new services that have previously been ignored or rejected by our competitors. The new branding on company vehicles is radically different and eye catching. To add to the branding I am going to also wear a Gorilla mask when in the traffic too and from work!!! If that doesn’t get noticed I am sure nothing will ! Certainly be a talking point for commuters on the North Western motorway !

So whats this all about,its about being different, its about your brand, is it old and tired or are you always thinking of ways to refresh it or the range of products and services you provide. What are your competitors doing and how can you stay one step ahead of them? By infusing new ideas and energising your colleagues to always be thinking about doing things better or different, good luck.

“Diversify to thrive, enjoy it, remember its ok to fail on the road to success” Richard Branson

Funny things cats !

Edition 111 Monday 10th October 2011

Hi ,funny things cats, I never really notice or see Boris Jones unless it is meal time ! The rest of the time he is busy doing important feline stuff like sleeping and sleeping more! I have a resident mouse at home and Boris cant even get off his furry bottom and sort that out for me ! So when he went missing in action I didn’t really notice for the first few days. It was only after nearly a week I found myself getting concerned enough to mount a search party. Eventually after a full week he hobbled out of the bush with a dislocated hip(ouch) he tried to tell us Harrys mate Oscar was responsible. Poor old warrior, he was lucky to be alive,crazy thing but we burst into tears we were so relieved, didn’t realise how much he meant to us, funny things cats !

Its tough being a ‘Jones ‘ sometimes, ask any of the 6 players in the Welsh rugby team with the surname Jones….hard to keep up with that Jones mob ! Speaking of the ruggers, what a great weekend of quarterfinals !.....and then there were 4 with two amazing semi final match ups for next weekend……cant wait, GO THE MIGHTY ALL BLACKS !!!

Thanks for your feedback from last week re work/life balance, good to hear so many of you are making time for important stuff other than work………ME TOO!!!.

I hope you had a great weekend doing just that with family and friends, have a rewarding week.

Cheers Jonesey

Harry the ‘All Black’ hound is ready to rumble with his summer sleek skin fit adidas kit on (see  'before' and 'after'  photos below)

“First we will be best and  then we will be first.” Grant Tinker

I have a dream to one day be the World Champion of Public Speaking. I am under no illusion about the enormity of this dream and the challenge it represents.

I had lost focus on my dream until I was inspired recently after reading about Australian Jock Elliot who also had that dream and achieved his ultimate goal in August

Jock Elliott rose above 30,000 participants to win the world's largest speech contest

 In a speech underscoring the value of close connections with family and friends, Jock, a Toastmaster from Queensland won the final round of the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking. He, along with eight other final contestants, reached the championship round after several eliminating rounds that began six months ago with 30,000 participants from 116 countries.

"We often don't look after the people who really matter in our lives the way we need to," he said. His speech resonated with a capacity crowd of nearly 2,000 listeners from around the world who attended the contest held in Las Vegas.. The core message of his winning speech was about maintaining relationships with, "the friends of my blood which is about family, friends of my time which is about the people I've grown up with and shared experiences with, and friends of my heart, who have shared my life emotionally."

A veteran competitor, he joined Toastmasters 36 years ago and competed in nearly 380 Toastmasters speech contests before reaching his lifelong goal of earning the title of World Champion of Public Speaking. In his acceptance speech, he said, "Thank you for more than a lifetime of challenge, opportunity and friendship." A six-time World Champion finalist,he said if he had won this award five or 20 years ago, "I might have been a richer speaker but not a better speaker."

Wow, what an example of someone who never lost sight of his goal, a huge inspiration for any of us who aspire to be the best we can be. A good example also of Winston Churchills quote from last week about ‘Never giving in. So, dust off and update those goal lists, still time in 2011 to achieve them !!!

“Your goal should be just out of reach but never out of sight.” Dennis Waitley



Harry J before




Harry J after



The Living Daylights !

                                                      

Edition 110 Monday 3^rd October 2011

Hi,I love daylight saving, there is something special about arriving home in time to get something done around the house and to enjoy the amazing sunsets!  I plan to make the most of it for a change by completing some long overdue improvements to home and section. Spring/Summer is an exciting time for getting things done and planning for the longer summer days and festive/holiday period which will be here before we know it. In the past I have been guilty of letting the changing of the seasons come and go without making the most of it….not this time.  Yes work is important and working hard to succeed but so too is taking time out and having  work/life balance. The only way to do this is to make a conscious effort to separate the two, so don’t burn the extra hour of daylight in the office or on the job, get out and enjoy it !

To this end we checked out the new Wynyard Quarter and Party Central in the city on the weekend and had a good time mixing with  ruggers supporters from all nations. I was pleased my steady recovery allowed us  to stretch the legs of the Suzuki Retro on a long overdue jaunt to the big smoke.

Thanks to all those who assisted during the day with push starting the old girl due to electrical system issues! We had cool fun, Auckland is buzzing at the moment, hope you are enjoying it too.

Another great sporting weekend with the AB’s rumbling on as we come to the business end of the RWC 2011. Exciting tiimes for some, complete despair for others including poor old Dan Carter and the Warriors who suffered major setbacks on the highly intensive roller coaster ride that is professional sport.

I hope you had a great weekend making the most of time with family and friends, cheers Jonesey !

Harry the hairy hound has booked himself into Dr Bobs for his annual daylight saving/Spring/Summer Scooby Doo shave , beware all Greyhounds.. the racing H is back !

“Progress is never the work of contented people. Today’s contented companies , managers and employees are tomorrows has-beens.” Michael Le Boeuf

Selling isnt easy these days, customers are spoiled for choice and there are plenty of companies and opposition sales people out there willing to cut prices to make sales and keep customers!

It is important not to let this approach from others or apathy from reluctant customers get to you or wear you down.

As sales people our biggest ally is our discipline, persistence and perseverence.

I have had to refer back to the “sales manual” on more than a few occasions lately as times have been particularly challenging in the field trying to get customers across the decision game line.

There are times when it seems no one wants to make a decision or return a phone call. Times when it seems everyone you call is trying to avoid you,or avoid making a decision on your deal. There are even times where for a brief second you think those two horrible unthinkable things……maybe they don’t want to buy from me…or god forbid…..maybe they don’t like me !!!!???(nah impossible,right?).

Crikey who would be a salesperson?, it can be lonely out there in the field of opportunity!....refer to the manual and you will find in times of despair the best thing to do is to add more prospects! Yes sales is a numbers game, the more prospects the more chance of an order. Always keep adding prospects to your sales funnel and you will never run out of people to follow up and sell your wonderful products and services to. The day we are contented with the number of prospects we have or give up on calling and asking for the order is the day we become tomorrows has-beens.

The good thing to realise is that all sales people have bad days and good days the secret is to make sure the ground work is done by having a constant stream of new prospects to guarantee the good days outnumber the bad 10 to 1…………….good luck adding prospects sales sizzzzzzzzlers.

“Never give in.Never. Never. Never. Never.” Winston Churchill

Captain Fantastic

Hi,after weeks of resisting the temptation I finally gave in and bought some of the local homemade apple crumble (not as good as Mums of course) and a yard or two of hokey pokey ice cream ! Hey lets face it Ive endured a lot for a bloke lately and it was high time to spoil oneself !! The fact that this brief indulgence will add a week to my recovery exercise program was quickly forgotten as the icecream melted slowly into the steaming hot crumble hmmmmm even some left for another night …hey someone has to do it (make that two weeks exercise!). We have had a huge ruggers week…and why not we have the best teams in the world here so no reason not to immerse ourselves. It started with a special treat, tickets to a couth and cultural evening attending the play “I George Nepia” about the legendary All Black fullback and one of my favorites from the famous 1924 All Black Invincibles tour. We were then joined by Richie, Dan, Fitzy, Zinnie and Grizz (our life size cardboard ‘rent a crowd’ replica’s) to watch the current AB’s demolish and exorcise the French Tricolours and celebrate Captain Fantastic Richie McCaws 100^th game in the black jersey! Not to be outdone the mighty Warriors then snuffed out the Melbourne Storm to qualify for the NRL grand final next weekend! Crikey, life doesn’t get any better and lets face it, even if you are not into sport chances are heaps of people you know are and you can be assured on the back of these victories they will be ‘Upbeat’ just like you this week!

I hope you had a good weekend with family and friends and like me eventually remembered to put your clock forward, roll on those balmy spring and summer evenings!

Go the mighty AB’s and the New Zealand Warriors……it is our time, Cheers Jonesey

Harry the loyal ‘Upbeat’ hound also enjoyed his serving of apple crumble and hokey pokey!

“Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination”

I was inspired and motivated watching Richie McCaw play his 100^th game for the All Blacks on Saturday night. He has become a great leader in his 10 years as an All Black, most as captain. He was presented with a special cap to mark the occasion by another former captain Jock Hobbs. The thing that made this truly remarkable milestone even more so was the fact that Jock Hobbs was lucky to even be there given the battle he has been raging in recent years with dreaded leukeamia.Jock showed the same strength and determination to be present as he did when he led the All Blacks himself. I found he added emotion and humiliity to make the occasion even more memorable.When he and Richie hugged each other I doubt whether there was a dry eye the length and breadth of NZ.

I was moved to consider the importance of leadership both on and off the field.

I believe great leaders are made not born and that leadership skills are developed from a young age by the people we are exposed to. Obviously our parents have a lot to do with it as do our extended families and friends. Teachers, role models, mentors,team mates and work colleagues all play their part in shaping us as people. The sports field is certainly a great place to develop strong leadership traits that can then be transferred into the work place and community, names like John Graham, Wilson Whineray, Wayne Shelford, John Kirwan, Sean Fitzpatrick and Steve Price to name a few. The best players and /or workers don’t always make the best leaders and it does take an extaordinary amount of determination and strength to lead , mentor and be a role model to others. In my experience the best leaders are in fact ordinary people like you and me and there is no reason why any one of us couldn’t aspire to be that person,here are Dale Carnegie’s 10 ways to be a leader….1)Begin with praise and honest appreciation, 2)Call attention to peoples mistakes indirectly, 3)Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person,4)Ask questions instead of giving direct orders,5)Let the other person save face, 6)Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement,7)Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to,8)Use encouragement, 9)Make fault easy to correct,10)Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest…..We are all born with the ability to lead, the rest is hard work and good luck…Just do it!

No i in TEAM

                                                      

Edition 108 Monday 19^th September 2011

Hi, crikey, you wouldnt have had to be too quick or flash to keep up with this Jones boy over the last week! I forgot what a huge impact and effect anaesthetic has on the body post operation and paid the price somewhat! Every mother I know has made the point about there being no pain like that of chidbirth but I reckon I got within a whisker of that elusive barrier as the anaesthetic cruelly deserted me. Anyway staying with last weeks theme there was no point in moaning no matter how strongly my man patient instincts were urging me to do so. I was motivated, inspired and amused by the great feedback I got from ‘Upbeat’ readers relating to the importance of not taking good health for granted. Then I read an incredible story on the weekend  about Ian Winson who lost both legs below the knees after the recent Onehunga gas blast. He made his first public appearance since the accident officiating at a marathon that he foundered. He is due to be fitted with prosthetic legs shortly and hopes to walk part of the course next year. The thing that impressed me was his comment to reporters “Sure Ive been angry and said why me? But theres always somebody who’s worse off than me. I’ve got a lot to be grateful for.” WOW, says it all about life really.

Thanks again for your feedback, support and good wishes, it is appreciated and enjoyed.

Even if you are not a ruggers supporter I hope like me you are getting into the spirit of our very own RWC 2011. I am enjoying the coverage and in particular the passion, pride and teamwork the so called minnows or minor teams are bringing to the competition.

I hope you all had a fulfilling weekend with family and friends enjoying all that is good about our great country. take care of your health, have an awesome week, go the mighty AB’s.

Harry the loyal hound has enjoyed the extra attention this week but is over all the moaning

“Coming together is a beginning; Keeping together is progress; Working together is success.” Henry Ford

With the buzz and excitement of the Rugby World Cup on at present I am reminded of the many similarities between the sport and business worlds.

One of the key things that we can relate to is the importance of ‘teamwork’ in both these environments. As Henry Ford reminds us in his quote above, initial selection or recruitment is a beginning but staying together and working together as a team are the keys to success.As all Coaches and Managers will tell you this is particularly hard to do unless all team members are fully committed to the cause.

One of my favorite quotes on teamwork comes from the book ‘Born To Win” written by veteran America’s Cup skipper John Bertrand. This quote says it all about commitment required to any cause..

“My team will be totally involved in my own entire reason for living-to be respected and admired by your peers. I want them to be assailed by the feeling that the only thing in the world they can never do is to let each other down.

This is how I perceive we will achieve our goals through being a fantastically tight team. A team of people who will go to the wall for each other, inspiring, covering,supporting helping out everywhere, each backing up the others, watching each other through the difficult areas, each ready to jump in and help to slave away at what is necessary. We need a team of people who will push themselves until they feel they are going to collapse. And then they will go back and do it again and again. Not because they have to but because they want to. Because the prospect of letting their team mates down is so utterly, so humiliatingly unthinkable.”

Wow, no wonder Australia II won the Americas Cup in 1983 with that level of commitment. Imagine if we could get the people we work with to feel this way about their jobs and the company, hmmmmm.

“The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.” John Wooden