Do You Want to Be Liked?-A MANA/Saleswise Tip

More sage words of advice to pass along from Sales Coach for the Manufacturers Association Manufactures Agents National Association (MANA) Nicki Weiss. GET, LLC and other members of MANA gathered more insight  as she warned why trying to be liked can kill happiness and success:

"...When the need to be liked trumps your best efforts as a leader, you're not doing anyone any favors.

Here are two common fears that hold leaders back:

1. Fear of addressing poor performers

I see bad behavior and rotten performance everywhere in organizations.  I truly believe others’ poor performance sits squarely on their manager’s shoulders. If the manager won’t address the problems, who will?

I recently worked with a group of leaders and early on in our first meeting one confessed she has avoided a conversation with a problem employee for months. She lets her get away with whining, complaining, interfering with others’ work, and low sales numbers. She said, "I am afraid of what might happen during the conversation.  This employee is also a friend of mine outside of work, so I don’t want her to dislike me.” 

The results? The rest of the team was demoralized, their work starting to slide, and they grew increasingly annoyed at their boss for not calling out this difficult employee.

To her credit, the  manager rehearsed what she could say and had the conversation.  Not only did the poor performer become aware of her negative impact, but she actually appreciated the conversation and started to change her behavior.

What if the opposite happened, and the employee reacted badly to the conversation?  Oh, well.  It is not your job to stifle your good leadership instincts because you fear an employee won’t like you.

Reality check: When you let a slacker slide or allow negativity to reign, whether it is in a corporation, a volunteer organization or even a family, the people who are earnestly doing their best to meet the standards resent you for it.

2. Fear of people talking about you

I confess: I want to be liked too. But I've come to recognize that I can't make everyone happy.

The turning point came when I took on the responsibilities of Co-Chair for my Beekeepers Co-op.

I made a few changes that bothered some members. My worst fears surfaced when I discovered they were discussing my awfulness at a social gathering. The anxiety about being unpopular feIt like high school all over again.

"They don't like me," I lamented to a much wiser friend. She said, "If all the people who dislike someone are whiners, that tells me the person they are gossiping about is probably a go-getter who doesn't coddle others."

Then the situation became clear:  Why should I care if they liked me since I wasn’t very keen on them either?"

Nicki adds that being liked is nice. Being happy and successful is better.  Thanks Nicki.

For more about the goods and services that GET, LLC can bring to your organization, please give us a call at 671-483-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com.

The Future of Metal Construction Through the Eyes of Fabral

GET, LLC has had a great opportunity to meet and work closely with Fabral President Kit Emert.  It was in the Fall of 2012 that we had the pleasure of getting to know the head of the 47 year old premier supplier of metal roofing and wall systems for architectural, industrial, commercial, agricultural, post frame and residential applications.  Kit and our friends at MCR Guam Inc. are responsible for nearly a quarter of a million square feet of roofing at U.S. Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base since 2011.

Earlier this week, Kit shared his thoughts  on what lies ahead for the metal building business this year and into the near future: "In the U.S., as well as globally, there is a huge inventory of buildings sitting idle awaiting new office occupancy, industrial expansion or institutional upgrades.  In many cases, these structures are simply in need of exterior updating while in other cases these buildings are in need of substantial interior and HVAC improvements.  Regardless of the individual owner or building need, it is often the more sensible and sustainable option to retrofit a structure to meet current and expected future needs than to build new.

Metal exterior, and interior, cladding systems are ideally suited to meet the demands of retrofit construction.  Metal products are typically lighter in weight than other building materials and that means there may be less structural work necessary to accommodate a new metal cladding system and to meet building code requirements.  Metal can also be easily fabricated to meet the design element demands of retrofit construction and to address tolerance requirements that may be prevalent on an aged building structure.  Additionally, metal cladding systems integrate easily with other building materials and elements that may be maintained from the original construction design.  And, finally, metal can be fabricated to match historically significant metal construction design elements, such as, cornices, spires, finials, reveals, trims and panel systems.

Metal does provide an ideal architectural and functional fit for retrofit construction applications.  An idle building, or a building that is an eyesore, can become functional and architecturally significant with a beautiful metal enclosure system or design element makeover."

Thanks Kit for the vision and great advice.

To find out more about how GET, LLC, through our metal building partner and Fabral representative for Guam and the Pacific Rim MCR Guam Inc., can help with your next steel building or aluminum roofing project, give us a call at 671-483-0789 or our website at www.get-guam.com for more information.    

Federal Workforce Numbers Poses Challenges for Contractors-Job Loss = Federal Fund Decline?

President of Allen Federal Business Partners Larry Allen wrote recently that the U.S. Government's Civil Service workforce shrunk by nearly 80,000 positions in 2013- continuing what he called, "a trend in which more people leave the government than come on board."  The Virginia-based Allen, also an consultant to Cisco Distribution Giant-Comstor, wrote in his Blog with Cisco Partners like GET, LLC, that the total federal workforce, including active duty military personnel, now stands at 4.3 million people and that the size of the workforce is expected to continue its contraction, including in the military, as activities in Afghanistan wind down. 

Does this mean that the pace of job loss is expected to slow? Allen wrote:

"...This phenomena poses many challenges for companies selling to the federal government.

First, there are fewer people to sell to.  Does your firm sell hardware or services priced by the seat?  Your business may have to look harder and diversify in order to succeed.  We have already seen agencies, for example, write provisions into contracts for software that require contractors to reduce their fees in the event that fewer licenses are purchased or if some are cancelled due to workforce reductions.  This makes up-front discussions with customers all the more important so that you firm understands how to make smart pricing decisions.

Service sellers may have an easier time as the missions of government certainly aren’t going away.  Despite political rhetoric, the fact remains that citizens expect government services.  If the feds themselves aren’t providing it, contractors will have to.

No matter what you’re selling, however, budget constraints will still be a reality."

GET, LLC stands with Allen in that we all should take proactive steps to ensure our federal customers are making the best buying decisions and provide as much assistance as possible to help facilitate such. The more we all understand and share the historical knowledge and program experience with our federal customer's contracting teams, both will succeed.  Thanks Larry for the words of advice.

GET, LLC is a proud Cisco Registered Partner providing the latest Cisco products and services direct to businesses and organizations. For more on the benefits that our Partnership can bring to you and your respective business contact us at 671-483-0789 or at www.get-guam.com.

Keeping Those Private Dreams Alive-A MANA/Saleswise Tip

Sales Coach for the Manufacturers Association Manufactures Agents National Association (MANA) Nicki Weiss has been giving great advice as of late.  GET, LLC and other members of MANA are happy to have her and her powerful insight into sales.  This week she sent this to manufacturers' representatives like us at GET, LLC related to staying focused on our goals and dreams:

"When my children were little and I had a hectic work life, I secretly fantasized that I would get into the car and just drive away. Of course, I never did. But I found it comforting to retreat every now and again into this harm less daydream in which I drove to a quiet, beautiful place where everything was slow and peaceful and I could just be alone.

Many people harbor a little private dream of what they would do if they just couldn’t take it anymore and dropped out. Maybe their Plan B is spending six months working and six months bumming around the world, or it could be moving to the country and opening a bed and breakfast.

Here’s an unwelcome dash of cold water on those blissful images of escape. We seem to be retreating to them less often in this stressful, always-too-much-to-do business environment. The hectic pace of our daily work is creating a fallout you probably have not noticed.

A psychologist friend recently told me that she is seeing a significant jump in anxiety and feelings of overwhelm among her patients. She attributes this increase to a sense of mourning for the death of their Plan B. Without these dreams of escape, we feel we have no options or control. And a sense of at least some degree of control over our lives is essential to our well-being.

The demise of Plan B comes courtesy of reduced circumstances. A September 2013 Reuters poll found that, four years after the most recent recession officially ended, many North American adults are still struggling to recover financially. A Pew Research Center poll, conducted about the same time, indicates 54 percent of North Americans feel their household in comes have “hardly recovered at all” from the downturn. So instead of daydreaming about one day saying, “Take this job and shove it,” many of us have no choice but to put up and shut up.

This new reality is making itself felt in every age group, even among those not yet launched in the work force. We’re all concentrating on landing, or holding on to, a secure position that pays cold cash. No room for fantasies.

In these trying times, is it possible to bring back some feelings of optimism and possibilities? Yes, but you need to apply some discipline to the process. Here’s how:

Make a conscious effort to put aside your “to-do” list for at least five minutes a day and take that time to nurture your Plan B dreams. You might even come up with a way to make them come true. Where and when can you daydream? Try Albert Einstein’s method. He said that his best ideas came to him in the shower.

To keep your creative juices flowing and manage your stress level, go play once a week for an hour or two. Pick something you find relaxing and fun, but do it alone.

In our work lives, we often can’t find the solitude necessary for the free-flow of ideas. Our creativity is blocked by ringing phones, emails and meetings. By giving yourself some relaxation time, you let your ideas percolate in the back of your mind, away from conscious concentration. Kierkegaard swore by a long walk; Steven Spielberg claims that his ideas flow while he’s driving; and a friend extols the benefits of an hour puttering in the garden.

So begin your solo activity, whatever it is, and stick to it. Just because the economy is still suffering a bit, you don’t have to be. A new year is here."

Nicki says perhaps finding your alone time can be first on your resolution list.  Thanks Nicki.

For more about the goods and services that GET, LLC can bring to your organization, please give us a call at 671-483-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com.

CONEXPO 2014 and Terex-"If It's New, It's Here"

In March, Nevada is playing host to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers CONEXPO 2014.  Las Vegas will showcase all the newest equipment, technology and product breakthroughs in construction. 2,400 exhibitors, including our friends at Terex will be showcasing new products and technologies for every major construction industry including asphalt, aggregates, concrete, earth moving, lifting, mining, utilities and more.  GET, LLC is encouraging you all to consider joining the over 125,000 attendees at this five day event, set to begin on March 4, 2014. 

Why?

Terex will showcase a comprehensive range of products and services at the outdoor Gold Lot, booth number 1047. The Terex exhibit will introduce the company's latest products and reinforce its commitment to delivering customer-driven equipment and service solutions for the construction, infrastructure, quarrying, mining, shipping, transportation, refining, energy, utility and manufacturing industries.

The Terex Aerial Work Platforms (AWP), Construction, Cranes, and Materials Processing business segments will showcase new equipment, innovative safety features and unique service solutions. All of these offerings are designed to keep our collective customers' equipment up and running efficiently while lowering the cost of ownership to enhance their bottom line.

GET, LLC is excited about the roll-out of the Genie® branded products, manufactured by Terex AWP.  The coolest of the equipment displays include the innovative Genie SX-180 telescopic boom, the Genie GS™-4069 bi-energy hybrid scissor lift, the Genie GTH™-1544 telehandler and more. This blogger previously noted that the Genie SX-180 boom is a marvel of engineering.  With a platform height of 180 feet, it can be driven at full height. The stowed length shrinks it down to a mere 47 feet and the retracted width to 98 inches making it transportable without special over-width permits. The lift capacity is an impressive 750 lbs. The boom is suited for applications in the oil and gas industries, commercial construction, industrial construction and maintenance, wind farm applications, power stations and utilities that require work at height.

This Genie product and the others just mentioned are new, and they will all be at CONEXPO 2014.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Guam-A Different Perspective

The election cycle on Guam is well underway.  Decision 2014 is already shaping into a process that may be new in some cases, but decades old in others.  Just two weeks into the new year and politicians are already making their case for why should be re-elected.  I can say that look at elections on Guam so differently now than when I first participated in the process 20 years ago.  There is always some level of hope is that the results would equal better government and governance-but that is never the case in our Island's most popular contact sport.

There are already promises of more technology.  There is a hint of improved efficiency.  The word on the street is that it will be a better Primary and General Election than those held over the past 43 years.  It is a bold commitment to administer modern elections, but our culture and isolation from our U.S. counterparts makes this task daunting.  This blogger is not making an excuse in advance of what will be a very carefully watched electoral process.  People here don't do well with change and we all will have to accept the final outcome of our exercises in democracy-no matter the outcome.

The pocket meetings are in full swing.  Organizations are lining up the next 11 months of activity which is highlighted by the campaign for Governor of Guam.  Well placed and somewhat coy campaign signs already line our roads-masking their true intentions.  Emails and Facebook posts are already spewing the messaging associated with hard work and a commitment to the health, public safety and education of our island community.  Water cooler and back kitchen discussions are already in full swing on who and who not to vote for this Fall.  The pulse of this election is being felt almost everywhere we go on Guam.

What will be the ISSUE for this election cycle?  Can I recommend one for readers and Guam politicians alike-though some may not classify it as such? How about the improvement of Guam's economy-simply called a "Pocket Book" issue.  Other questions still remain.  With flat population growth, how is this election going to create new jobs among those who live here?  Tourism is on the rise, but what will those seeking public office do to help diversify our visitors industry?  Will the next Governor and Senators find meaningful solutions to what is eating at the moral fiber of what is the Hub of Micronesia?  Will we all vote for status quo or for change?

Listen.  Decide.  Act.  Voters here will hear the same rhetoric.  The electorate will witness familiar tactics to garner a vote.  Groups will pick up where they left off two and four years ago-ready to work and expecting something in return.  This is a reality that this U.S. Territory will certainly not be able to change overnight.  With short of half a century exercising our rights to select our representative government, the hallmark of our unique relationship with the United States of America, we all must come together and protect this important process and continue to work to take greater steps in shaping our collective destiny as a people of this important Pacific archipelago.

New Orders on the Rise in U.S. Furniture Factories

The High Point, North Carolina-based Smith Leonard reported that American furniture factory orders in October were 6% higher than in October 2012 as the industry continued to show gradual improvement. The manufacturing and distribution consultants reported in their monthly industry survey of the furniture industry that October shipments at U.S. residential furniture factories were 9% higher than in the same month a year earlier, while order backlogs were up 11%.

Smith Leonard Managing Partner Ken Smith wrote in his Furniture Insights newsletter that most of the economic news in the industry continues to be positive. 

"If we can keep this momentum going," said Smith.  "Then whenever consumer confidence shakes loose, we should see even more positive results."

For the first 10 months of 2013, Smith Leonard reports that new orders were 6% ahead of the same period in 2012, while 10-month shipment figures were 5% ahead.

They added that October increases in new orders and shipments marked the seventh consecutive month that those figures were higher than the comparable month in 2012.

Smith says that the largest single monthly increase was in July, when orders were up 13% from a year earlier adding that existing home sales slowed a bit in November, but the revised GDP showed a 4.1% increase in the third quarter.

For more on how GET,LLC through our friends at Savoy Contract Furniture and teaming partner American Hotel Register can assist you with your specific furniture needs- please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-483-0789 to discuss the best solution for your facility.  All the solutions are Made in America!