Not Politically Correct

Not Politically Correct

The other day I had to prepare a short talk to give at a meeting. It wasn't that difficult to prepare because it was a subject familiar to me.  But the length and time is always a concern.

Many moons ago when I was taking Agriculture 1 as a freshman at Aurora High School in Aurora NC we had a short chapter on public speaking. Our teacher, Finnly Lewis, gave this simple rule which has stuck with me and guided me in every speech I have made:

"A speech should be like a woman's dress, long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep the interest."

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Granddaddy -An Excerpt From "A Boy From Down East" by Larry B. Gray

Granddaddy

An Excerpt From My Next Book, A Boy From Down East

(Due Out Whenever I Finish It) 

I had a special relationship with my grandparents growing up. I spent many hours with them having fun, learning and working on the farm.  Much of the person I am today comes from their teachings and example.  I was blessed to have great parents and grandparents who helped guide me to adulthood.

I idolized my granddaddy and spent as much time with him as I could.  We even shared the same birthday, April 24^th. He was born on April 24, 1903 and I was born on April 24, 1953, fifty years apart.  He was born in Bonnerton, N. C.  to Michael Meager Gray and Sallie Stilley Gray and lived his whole life in Bonnerton.

On the day I was born he was transplanting tobacco.  Grandmomma always told me that on the day I was born she told Granddaddy she wanted to go to Washington to the hospital to be there for the birth. He responded, “I don’t have time for all this foolishness; there is work to be done.”  Yes, this was the beginning of that special bond.

He was always working around the farm and house, except on Sunday.  I cannot remember him ever sitting still during the work day.  In the evenings, if he didn’t have to check his tobacco barns, he would sit in the living room and read the paper and it was off to bed early because sunrise didn’t wait for anyone. 

He always wore a hat when he left the house whether a clean dress hat to church or an old worn farm hat.  He smoked a pipe and I can still remember his sweet smell of aftershave and pipe tobacco. He kept a cigar box of Tampa Nugget or Hav-A-Tampa cigars in his truck and would smoke them while out in the fields.

When riding around checking on the farm he offered rides to people from the community who were walking and take them to the store or home.  I have seen him go out of his way to drive someone home who did not have transportation. I can remember him telling me “If you want people to help you then you have to be willing to help them.”

It was not until the late 1960s that my grandparents got an indoor bathroom in their house.  I remember Granddaddy bathing at the sink on the back porch and they did not have hot water unless it was heated on the stove.  During the very coldest part of the winter he bathed at the kitchen sink.  He had an old safety razor and powder to make his shaving cream.  Grandmomma made sure we all bathed every night when I was there and at times it was cold.

I can only remember my granddaddy losing his temper twice in my life.  The first time was with me when I punched my brother Mark.  He took me out back of the house and put a belt to my backside.  That was the only time I can ever remember him punishing me and I am glad of that.

The other time I saw him lose his temper was at the cucumber grader at Porters Creek.  After picking cucumbers all day we would load the truck and go to the packing shed to sell them each night.  On this particular night it was late and we were in a long line of trucks waiting for our turn to unload at the grader. I remember I was sitting on top of sacks of cucumbers in the back of the truck watching when another man tried to drive and cut Granddaddy off.  He came out of the truck yelling things I had never heard come out of his mouth and he had a great big old fashion pipe wrench in his hand.  The other men in the area came running over and grabbed him before he reached the guy. They all made the other man go to the back of the line and I can remember one old man saying as he walked by “He should have known not to cut in front of Mr. Willie like that.”

My dad and Granddaddy were active members of the Richland Township Ruritan Club when I was growing up.  I remember each year they had a Father and Son banquet and Granddaddy, Dad, my brother Mark and I always went. It was held in the cafeteria at school and I often wondered how they got such good food out of that kitchen after what we had during the school day.

The other Ruritan event that I attended each year was the annual fish fry at Jarvis Landing.  This was held in the summer and was a lot of fun since many of my friends were there and we would go swimming in the river and play. The fish, slaw and hushpuppies were good also.

When I was in the 7^th or 8^th grade I remember getting out of school one afternoon and walking up to the pool hall.  When I entered I saw Granddaddy sitting with a group of other men talking and drinking beer. I had never seen Granddaddy with a beer and I remember thinking, “cool,  I bet Grandmomma doesn’t know where you are.”  But, then there was that bottle of whiskey I found in the back of her closet.  When I asked her what it was,  she said cough medicine.

Granddaddy had a sure fire cure for anything that bit you.  If you got stung by a bee or wasp you soon learned to keep it to yourself.  If he found out he would grab you and spit chewing tobacco juice on it.  But now that I think about it, it did take the sting out of the bite.

Another memory I have of my granddaddy is that at night when he was asleep he could snore up a storm.  He would make the windows rattle.  I guess that explained why he and Grandmomma slept in separate rooms.

After I got married and move to Florida Granddaddy would always ask me, each time I went home, why I moved so far away.  I would always answer him, “I looked on a map and saw how far south tobacco grew and I moved 100 miles further south.”  He would always laugh at this but I knew the truth.  He felt the same pains of missing each other that I did.  The funny thing about this little joke we shared is I have spent my entire working career in agri-business.

Granddaddy was and will always be one of my role models and mentors. Some of my earliest memories of life are of the times I spent with him and I have many great memories of us together.

CYA - The Basic Rule of Leadership

CYA – The Basic Rule of Leadership

While attending Florida Southern College I took a night class entitled “Industrial Psychology.” The teacher was a retired Vice President of Human Resources for a major international heavy equipment manufacturer. The first day of class he walked into the room, went to the blackboard and wrote in large letters “CYA”. He then told us if we did not learn anything else in his class we would learn what CYA meant.

He went on to explain that in the real world of business this is one of the most important and basic rules to success and survival. Whether you find yourself in a positive or negative position, using CYA gives you an advantage over your competition. In all areas of business you needed to CYA or Cover Your Ass.

Every class after that he wrote CYA on the board and left it up for the entire period. Then he taught the fundamentals of industrial psychology while weaving in his own personal experiences. Throughout the class he referred to the board and ask, "How can you apply CYA to this situation?"

When broken down CYA involves two processes.

1. Documentation
 

2. Follow-up

Documentation

Documentation is simply “put it in writing.” Whether it involves communication or an event, write down what was said and/or what happened. Too often not remembering exactly what happened or what was said results in a totally different outcome than what you expected.

In a conversation what was heard by one party may not be what was said by the other. Often the conversation is held in a noisy or busy area with lots of distractions. Other times the conversation is held while one or both parties are in a hurry and there is no true communication occurring.

To help avoid misunderstanding take notes during the conversation or as soon as possible after the conversation write down what was said. I have always carried a little note pad in my pocket to jot down memory notes to be used later to help retain or recap the conversation. Often when I get a few minutes I will send a note by email to the other party summarizing the conversation. This will also serve a record that we had the conversation.

At times I have kept a business journal or log of my daily activities. This is a great tool for keeping notes on the day’s events and important communications. Several months later if you have to review an event you will be glad you have this information documented.

Another good habit to get into is to save all correspondences in a file. You never know when you may need it. This is one of the great things about email. It is a written record and easy to save.
 
Follow-up

One of the phrases I hate to hear from one of my managers is, “I assumed ….” I was taught very early in my business career the old adage that when you assume, you make an “ass-u-me” and I get very upset when it happens to me. This can easily be avoided by learning to follow-up on events you are involved with.

If you make an assignment don’t assume it will be done, follow-up.

If you have assignments don’t assume you have done it correctly, follow-up.

If you are involved in communication with another person don’t assume there is an understanding of what was said, follow-up.

If you do anything, take the time to follow-up to insure it is done correctly. This extra step in your work process can eliminate a lot of wasted steps in the future.

If you write it, proofread it, another form of follow-up. Years ago I asked my assistant to type a letter to the Vice President of Operations of the company I worked for telling him of the production record that was broken the previous night by our second shift team. She typed it up and brought in for me to sign and I did.

Several days later I got a call from the VP asking if I had read the letter I had signed before I sent it. I learned a big lesson on follow-up that day. I pulled out my copy of the letter and read where she wrote, “The second shift set a new production standard for the operations.” The problem was she had left the “f” out of shift. Needless to say I now read what I sign.

It may sound like you are being paranoid by keeping all of these notes and constantly checking up on people, but it is not. It is a valuable tool to help make you a better leader and manager. It will help you evaluate your past performance and help you make plans for future improvements. By applying CYA in all areas of your work you will reap the benefits.

So, everyday “Cover Your Ass.”

(First published April 2011)

Preparing for that Big Interview

Finally, it has finally happened! Your stellar resume and cover letter has landed you an interview. Now what? This is the moment you have been waiting for, the moment when you can sell yourself and get that dream job.

A successful interview is divided into two parts: the preparation and the actual interview. Each part requires time and effort.

Remember an interview is a two-way street. Not only are you being interviewed by the company but you are also making a decision if you want to work for them.

Prior to the interview, research the company and learn as much as you can about the following.

- Its history.

- Its Mission Statement and goals.

- Its philosophy about its people, the community and the environment.

- Its products, services and markets.

- Its locations.

This information will help you shape your answers to the interviewer’s questions. It will make you appear really interested in the company and the position.

You also need to research how to be interviewed and what are typical questions asked by potential employers. The internet provides many examples of interview techniques and sample questions. Practice your answers to the basics questions and always mold your answers to fit the employers’ philosophy wherever possible. You will find it easier to answer the hard questions when asked.

Review your resume and be prepared to expound upon each of your bullet points.  Most interviewers will ask you to elaborate on your accomplishments and successes. This is a time for you to brag.

Another key element to the interview is your appearance. Remember the old rule of “Dress for Success.” It is true that most interviewers form a lasting opinion of you in the first few seconds of meeting you based on your appearance. Here are a few tips.

- You need an interview outfit.

- It should be conservative, tasteful and not a fashion statement.

- It should be appropriate to the job level to which you are applying.

* I recommend dressing one level above.

* Business casual will be appropriate for most non-executive job      interviews.

- Wear appropriate shoes.

* Polished and clean.

* No tennis shoes, flops, or casual sandals.

* Depending on the nature of the job, ladies may want to avoid wearing high heels. This is for safety reasons if there is a facility tour.

- Limit jewelry and especially limit cologne.

Arrive on time. Being late is the kiss of death for an interview. If you are running late call and let them know.

Now all you have to do is WOW them with your brilliance.

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Using Props during a Presentation – The Wow Factor

Using Props during a Presentation – The Wow Factor

(An excerpt from I Have to Give a Speech – Now What by Larry B. Gray)

With the advent of computer generated presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint it is now easier to make a professional presentation. Speakers now have the ability to present a lot of information in a format that emphasizes and reinforces their message.

This has also created a phenomenon that I call the “Wow Factor.” It can have a positive or a negative effect on the message. One negative effect can occur when the speaker has added so much “razzle dazzle” to the material being displayed that it distracts the audience from the true message.  When the audience is more interested in the display they tune out the speaker and miss the key points.

Here are a few tips to help improve your next presentation:

Follow the KISS principle, Keep It Simple Stupid. Try not to make it more complicated than it has to be.

Avoid the temptation to WOW.

Keep your presentation slides as simple as possible. 

Use large and legible fonts.

Spell Check!!

Practice with your slides.

Keeping it simple means don’t overdo it. Cover your subject and make your slides interesting but relevant. It is easy to over describe a topic when one or two sentences and/or slides have covered it. Don’t lose your audience by boring them with needless information.

When you over emphasize the “Wow Factor” you run the risk of causing two problems. Your audience may become more interested in your slides than in you and too much “Wow” may be mistaken for a lack of knowledge of the subject. Be sure your slides emphasize the subject of the presentation without distracting from it.

There is also the temptation to put too much data on a single slide. This can make the slide unreadable or confusing.  Remember, your audience is trying to read the data from a distance and too much data will make the slide look jumbled.

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He Was A Good Christian Man

The other day I was standing outside my work with a couple of guys when a funeral procession drove by. One of my co-workers said, “He was a good Christian man.” I then asked him did he know the man. He responded “No, but he was a good Christian man.”

I thought to myself what a marvelous way to be remember, “He was a good Christian man.” One of the definitions of Christian is to be more like Christ. We all think about what our epitaph will be when our life is over. How will people remember us and what will we have accomplish with our life?

Will I be remembered as a good businessman and hard worker? Will I be remembered as a good teacher or leader? These are lofty aims and I work hard to achieve them every day.

Will I be remembered as a good husband and father? I have worked hard to accomplish this but have I done the right things?

Have I been a friend when needed? Am I someone who is there in good times and bad? It is good to have friends and to be a friend.

What kind of impact have I had in other people’s lives? I once had a young man come up to me in a grocery store and thank me for being his Boy Scout Leader years ago and that I had made a difference in his life. Recently I had a man thank me for being his mentor in the past and giving him the courage to try new things. This felt good, but have I been able to influence others.

Yet, the true test of our impact on other people’s lives is not what we think we have done, but what other’s see in our life. There is a saying, “not just talk the talk, but walk the walk.” When someone looks at my daily life what do they see? The way I handle myself daily is my greatest witness. In the end it doesn’t matter what I say I have done but what I actually did each and every day.

People are watching our every move. It is not only your friends and family that are watching you but strangers, people you hardly know. Your entire life serves as a witness to everyone you come in contact with, even people you are just passing in street. As is often said, “You may be the only Christ someone ever sees.” What do you want them to remember about you?

I hope when I die strangers are able to say, “He was a good Christian man.”

My prayer: “God, help me be more Christ like, more Christian, in every aspect of my life.”

Saturday Mornings With Dad

Here is a little snippet from my next book, A Boy From Down East, do out late this year.

Saturday Mornings With Dad

I was on Facebook today and came upon a group for Bill’s Hot Dogs in Washington NC. Memories of my Dad and me eating there in the early 1960’s came flooding back.

Back then Dad worked for Beaufort Equipment Company as a mechanic and later in the Parts Department. He worked Monday through Friday and a half day on Saturday. When I was young I often went to work with him on Saturday morning. There was always something fun to do.

Some Saturdays Dad took me to the Turnage Theater, which often had Saturday morning kid movies. Back then parents could let their children go to movies and not worry like we do today. With 25¢ for admission and 10¢ for a drink and popcorn you had a couple of hours of great entertainment.

On other Saturdays I went on equipment deliveries with the sons of Mr. Snows, the owner. This was always fun. I got to travel all over the area and at times I got to ride on the new tractors and harvesters. We often stopped at a little country store on the way to get a Coke and a pack of Nabs. It is amazing to think back on how filling a couple of crackers and a 6 oz. Coke were. Now you need 32 oz’s. No wonder this country has an obesity problem today.

Almost every Saturday, when Dad got off work, we went to Bill’s Hot Dogs for lunch. When I think back to that time I remember the hot dogs tasting better than they do today. Maybe it is because going out to eat was a special treat, especially when it was ME and my DAD.