Be a manager

Growing up in a family owned business carried with it many lessons that otherwise I don’t think I would have learned.

When I on Christmas break and sleeping in my Dad would stop into my ask, "Want to do firewood, Robert?"

The first thoughts that would go through my head were, "No, I don't want to wake up on my day off from school, and go out into the cold. "In an effort to procrastinate I'd ask when he planned to leave to which he would answer, "Right now."

Now this lesson I am about to share may seem trivial to anyone over 10 years old. However I still encounter adults that lack this simple skill - I really can't even call it a skill.

At the end of the loading and delivery of firewood my dear sweet Dad looks over at me as we park in the driveway at home and asks, "How many hours did you work today?"

Dumbfounded I respond with a penny-unwise shrug.

Then my gracious and providing Dad tells me the start and stop time of the day. Then he adds the sentiment. "If you want to be a manager you've got to wear a watch, and carry a wallet."

With that he hands me the hard earned wages, and closes with, "Put this in your wallet."

Ricart, we're motivating

On Tuesday October 6 Rhett Ricart joined the Columbus Young Professionals at our monthly networking breakfast to speak about life and business. He shared a laundry list of things.

Top 11 biggest mistakes

1. Don’t short yourself – get a good bank relationship
2. Get an estate plan
3. Use consultants pay your vendors first
4. Get a good HR director
5. Don’t let your sales outrun your service
6. Don’t teach your people to steal
7. If you cant come to work positive – stay home! Always keep a positive mental attitude
8. Phone etiquette – first and last name and answer with a smile
9. Pay your secretary/assistant the most you can afford
10. Hire by emotional intelligence – they know ho to deal with tragedy and problems
11. Have to spend time with your family – have dinner together.

15 C's of success

1. Charismatic - know how to work with people
2. Communication - you have to be able to talk. Readers are leaders.
3. Consistent - people should know what to expect
4. Compassionate - make notes and care about what is going on
5. Confident - "A vision is nothing more than a dream that comes true." -Les Wexner
6. Computerize - you have to be computer savvy
7. Cooperate - work with each other to build each other up
8. Credible - others have to be able to believe you
9. Courteous - treat each person you meet with the dignity and respect they deserve
10. Concise - Don't waffle or waiver and make the decision
11. Clever - you have to figure out how to get out of sticky situations
12. Charity - not just $$, but time and talents
13. Candid - if you are wrong, step up and say so. It's easier to eat crow when it's warm.
14. Capitalistic - know how to turn a profit on things you are good at doing.
15. Competent - be the expert and the master of something.

Satisfy your customers in this order

1. Customers
2. Employees
3. Vendors

Take care of your customers or your competition will be glad to do so, just ask them.

Imagine the best thing you could do everyday and figure out how to do it.

Herd Mentality - If you want to get to where everone else is, then follow the herd.

Tell the truth - Save your memory and creativity for things that are important. If you tell the truth you won't need to remember your lies.

Business - brand your business so when people think of your industry, they think of YOU!

If you ever have a doubt of doing something, think of your family. "Will my family be proud of this?"

Take care of disagreements with your partner behind closed doors, and say everything that is on your mind.

Thank you Rhett, I look forward to crossing paths again soon.