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Mark Eastman

What We’ve Got Here, Is A Failure to Communicate

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And What Can Happen When We Don’t

 

The above title is a famous line out of the 1967 movie, “Cool Hand Luke”. In the movie Lucas Jackson, played by Paul Newman, is a guy with more guts than brains, a man who refuses to conform to the rules. After being sent to a prison camp for committing a misdemeanor he is constantly giving the camp bosses trouble. After his mother dies the bosses put him in the box afraid he might want to attend the funeral. When he gets out he runs and gets caught and runs and gets caught, the bosses try to break him but he just won’t break. They try to force their ideas and rules on Lucas, but he is having none of that. In this case neither side is listening to the other.

The point is that effective communication requires listening, not trying to force your ideas on someone else. We all have our own thoughts and ideas how something should be done. In a business relationship we need to remember who has the check book, whose project it is. Our job as the business should be listening to the customer and helping them accomplish their goals. Not telling them what we think they want. Most of the time communication is thought of as what we say or write to someone. We need to remember that communication is a two-way street and we need to be listening twice as much as talking. We need to listen before we write.

I was involved in a situation this week that is a good example of what can happen when there is little or no communication. I was in small claims court as a witness in a double law suit between a building contractor and their customer. The contractor sued for an unpaid balance for work performed. The customer counter-sued for inadequate and poor-quality workmanship. Both parties had legitimate claims and neither party won. When everything was over they both dropped their suits. What could have, no should have, been an enjoyable and rewarding experience for both, ended as a losing situation for everyone involved. This whole mess could have been avoided had they started communicating in the beginning. There was no written agreement of any kind, just a verbal agreement with an hourly rate. This left too many unanswered questions and assumptions.

When I prepare a proposal for a construction project I am thorough and write the description of things to be done in detail with prices for each separate item. Yes, it takes longer than just giving an hourly rate. Some people, maybe most, would say I spend too much time working on proposals. Maybe I do, but I would rather waste some time on the front end than waste it in court on the back end.

I have been asked several times over the years by other contractors about my proposals. They want to know how I do them and if there is a software or a program that I use. Actually, I have been designing and building and tweaking this system over the last 30 plus years. I have even been hired by other contractors to do proposals for them. This got me started thinking that I need to share this system with others. So, we are just beginning the process of designing and developing a system that will include blank templates, a customizable data base and instructions on how to use it. We plan to have this ready and available by the end of June.

If you or someone you know would be interested in using a program like this then please forward this blog to them.

Sharing the Shovels

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Moving the Mountain One Shovel at A Time

 

One of the most difficult things that I struggle with is delegating. By nature, I try to do everything. It is my business and serving my customers is my responsibility after all. This can only work if I limit what I’m going to do. I can’t use more than one shovel at a time.

The last several years I have been working hard to figure out who exactly God has designed me to be. What are my strengths and what are my weaknesses. As I have worked through this process I have reached the conclusion that God’s intended purpose for me is helping as many people as possible find solutions for building their dreams, even when they may not know they’re looking for them.

There is a limit to how many people I can help by myself though. In Exodus 18:13-26 Moses was trying to solve all the issues of all the people. There were so many people that needed help and he couldn’t help them all. His father-in-law saw this and recommended that he share the load and put his energy and focus on what God had designed him to do…not everything. If I am going to help more people and help them well I must share my load, just like Moses.

One of the problems of delegation is that too often sharing of the load is done without much clarity or planning. Positions are just filled with the first warm body that comes along and says yes. Rather than helping to carry the load, this often just makes it heavier. If you have ever had this experience, it makes it that much harder to share the load the next time.

There are some towering mountains on the horizon that need moved. As I move forward into this new year I am going to pass out some shovels. I am going to be careful and intentional about who gets what shovel. I need to make sure that the shovel and the person using it are a match.

One of the mountains that needs moved is delegating. Just this week I passed out a couple of shovels. Even if it is not natural for me, it felt good. We are going to move big mountains this year.

Don’t Get Snowballed by Poor Planning

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It Only Works If You Use It

 

Here it is the beginning of another year already. It is crazy how fast they go by. I was talking with someone earlier today about how poorly I had done at writing blogs this past year. I told them it had been six months since I last posted. I am going to do better this year. When I looked back I realized it has been almost a year since my last post. So, right then, I started writing this blog. Like I said earlier it’s crazy how fast time goes by.

 

It seems like human nature is to over schedule. We think we can do one more thing or that that whatever it is we are doing won’t take as long as it does. Then, there we are again, behind schedule. And when you get behind an hour or a day or a week, it is going to take three times longer to get caught back up to where you planned to be. The farther behind you get the bigger the mountain is to dig out off. It’s the snowball effect. The bigger it gets the faster it goes and the bigger it gets. And, before you know it, it’s been a year since the last blog post and you’re buried under a pile of snow.

As we at Timber Creek Construction / Solution Building look forward this year we are setting some big goals. So that we don’t get run over by a giant run away snowball we are implementing some accountability and breaking the big mountain into shovel size pieces. For our planning, we are using Andy Andrews 90-Day Results Plan. We will separate the big goals for the year into smaller 90-day pieces. By doing this and regularly reviewing the progress we will be able to keep the snowball from getting too big and rolling over us.

 

It is good to plan, even plan big, but one needs to be realistic also. You don’t want to get pulled into the New Year’s resolution tendency of setting a goal and then abandoning it a few weeks or days into the new year. Not planning and having no clear direction will just leave you wondering out in the snow. Snow is a beautiful thing unless you get buried under a huge pile of it because you weren’t prepared. Last year I started the year without having all my plans for the year ready. The goals that weren’t planned for, didn’t get done well and the goals that were planned for were accomplished.

 

The new year is full of possibilities and opportunities. I hope you are as excited about them as I am. I will do better at blogging this year and look forward to sharing this adventure with you. So, as you go into this new year be ready to keep the snowball as small as you can and have a shovel with you in case you need to do some digging.

The Wisdom of a Life Plan

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Instructions from an Old Man On a Mountain

 

Since the beginning of the new year I have been working to get my ‘life plan’ for this year completed. As a part of this process I spend time looking back over the last year specifically and my life in general. I am naturally a people pleaser, so it would only make sense that I also want to please God. The hard part is figuring out the details of what God wants me to do and who he wants me to be. To find my purpose and live the life that He intended for me.

As a part of this process, this year I am incorporating ‘The Seven Decisions’ from the book “The Travelers Gift” by Andy Andrews. The second decision is ‘The Guided Decision; I Will Seek Wisdom’. This ‘Decision’ is based on King Solomon. From the time I was a kid and heard about King Solomon I was inspired by him. His asking God for wisdom instead of all of the other things he could have asked for (2 Chronicles 1:8-13). I have always wanted that kind of wisdom.

I have always seen wisdom as just knowing the right things to do. Not some old sage living all alone in a cave on a mountain that has all of the answers to life’s questions. However, the more I think about it, the more I wonder if this image isn’t pretty close to what wisdom actually is like. Let’s break this down and look at it.

Old: Their age would mean they have lived through or witnessed more of life’s experiences and had the opportunity to learn from them. The more information that we have the better our decisions should be.

Living alone: This solitude would have less distractions and interruptions. It would allow for more thought and self-reflection. We need to regularly take some quiet time to be alone; to think and contemplate.

The cave: This would be evidence they realized the importance of seeking the right things in life. Living simply and not being sucked into the desire for accumulating a bunch of worldly stuff. It is easy to be drawn into this vortex of accumulation. Having stuff isn’t bad, unless it becomes the focus above all else.

The mountain: Would represent the importance of looking outward. Intentionally taking time to see the beauty of the world around and not being self-absorbed. It is hard to see the beauty around us if we’re always looking in.

Okay so on second thought, maybe I do want to be a wise old man living on a mountain.

As I mature, take time for introspection, keep my focus on the right things and observe the beauty around me I will seek to live the life that God has given me and fulfill His purpose.

Opening the Tool Box & Looking at OneNote

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Computer Tools Are as Important to Construction as a Saw or a Hammer

 

Being a self-employed small business owner is a difficult undertaking at best. This difficulty increases exponentially when organization and communication are operating poorly or not at all. This problem only increases when you’re successful and there are more things to organize and more people to communicate with.

During my thirty-five plus years of continually working to achieve and maintain some level of control I have used a whole lot of different tools. Some were old school some high tech. To this point the best tool I have found for organizing and communicating is Microsoft OneNote. This tool is great for organizing and communicating. It does so much, so well, that I don’t need a bunch of different apps that do different things and don’t sync well across different systems and devices.

I would equate OneNote to a three-ring binder on steroids. Maybe we should call OneNote the ‘Six Million Dollar’ binder. I have used binders for my organizing for years and still do to a small degree. A good comparison of OneNote to a binder is the way I used to have a project binder on site at construction projects. This was a place where things would be kept so that as different employees, sub-contractors, management, architects and the customer could all have access to the specifics of the project. OneNote is organized very similar to a binder. You can have different ‘note books’ and each book can be divided into multiple ‘sections’ and each section can have bunches of ‘pages’.

Just like “The Six Million Dollar Man” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Six_Million_Dollar_Man this computerized version of a ‘note book’ has superhuman bionic computerized capabilities. Here are just a few.

  • Share with other people across multiple devises.
  • This can be as simple as sharing a shopping list with your spouse or as detailed as an entire note book with colleagues on a big project.
  • Syncs automatically across multiple devises.
  • If someone adds to the shopping list or checks something off, you will know it in a matter of seconds as long as you are connected to the internet. If not, it will sync as soon as you are.
  • When changes are made they are highlighted until read.
  • If one of my virtual assistants makes a change I will be able to know that, go to the specific change and know who did it.
  • Insert almost anything on to a page.
  • You can insert copies of other documents, screen clippings, photos, audio and video recordings, links to other pages and/or web locations and this is just part of what I’m currently using.
  • Link from and to multiple locations.
  • I can put a link for a specific OneNote page in a task reminder or calendar event or on a word document and click on it and it will open up that page, even if I haven’t opened OneNote yet.
  • Edit things really easy.
  • Things on a OneNote page can be clicked on and moved to a different place on the page. This feature is great for prioritizing a list. If I want to move something higher on the list I just move it there, no cutting or copying or pasting.
  • It’s always ready to open up and use.
  • It doesn’t require the opening up of a program and folder a file before you can write something down. Once you open OneNote it just takes a couple of clicks and you can write down your note before you forget it.
  • Great place for filing and storing.
  • If I want to save an email from a customer with a picture and a link to a web site, I can do that right from Outlook.
  • Can protect sensitive info with in a shared note book.
  • If I have a page that has ideas for my wife’s Christmas or passwords to my bank account, I can password protect those pages. This means that if my wife accidently goes to her Christmas page when she meant to go to the shopping list, she can’t open it without the password…which she doesn’t have.
  • Can draw or write on it just like paper.
  • This feature is great for getting down quick information with my tablet. I can draw the floor plan for a room addition and write dimensions and notes right on it.

 I know that there is so much more that this tool can do and a lot that I don’t. Some people will probably say that it has too many bells and whistles or it’s complicated. I’m sure that this isn’t the best tool for everybody and that’s okay. Not every person uses the same cordless drill. I think this tool is simple to use and it makes it easier for me to be organized and to communicate.

Using Core Values as My Life Filter

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The Core Is What Holds All of the Good Stuff Together

I have been studying and researching for the past several years on how to be the best ME. To become who God intends ME to be. As a part of this quest, I have been working on designing and living a life plan. This life plan is changing, improving and getting better each year. I will continue to improve on it for the rest of my life. My life plan helps give me clarity and direction on how I should live my life.

As a part of my life plan I have what I call my life filter. This filter consists of my priorities (God, spouse, kids, etc.) and my twelve core values. This is what I use to determine which things I should and shouldn’t do. Not everyone’s core values will be the same. It is up to you to decide what yours are.

Core values are fundamental beliefs. They are your guiding principles. The definition of CORE is – the central or most important part of something. This is the most inner part of who you are. This is like your conscience. The deep down, on the inside, who God made you to be. VALUES are – the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something; a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life. This is the part that you choose. How you want to be, how you will treat others, etc. This doesn’t mean they have to be good. Some people’s values may be selfish or greedy, but regardless, we choose what values we will live by.

My core values are a collection of things that I’m naturally good at and some things…not so much. Things that I’m constantly working to get better at. They’re all things that are in alignment with what I believe God wants from me and for me.

My Core Values, other than  the first one, are in no significant order. Some you may recognize as quotes or common sayings. Others are things that I have modified in some way that is meaningful to me and some I conceived on my own. All of them are values I hold high and am striving to live out daily. Here they are:

  1. Honor God in all that I do
  2. Pay attention to detail
  3. Spend time wisely, there is a limited amount
  4. Never be satisfied with mediocrity
  5. Find and maintain the balance in everything
  6. Move the mountain one shovel full at a time
  7. Remember that I have two ears and one mouth
  8. Avoid drama
  9. Be accountable
  10. Take off the blinders, be more observant
  11. Make all I can, Save all I can, Give all I can
  12. Intentional action

In future blogs I plan to break down each of these core values and give you more insight into what they mean to me and how I try to live them daily. Let me know if any of these resonate with you or what some of yours are.

A New Year, A Clean Slate

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Why Did the Turkey Cross the Road?

 

It’s just a few days until the start of a new year. This start represents an opportunity for new possibilities. The thought of this can be exciting. The chance to do better…to be better. This is what encourages us to make ‘New Year’s resolutions’. The process of making resolutions and failing at them over and over, makes us hesitant though. Most of the time people give up on resolutions after a few weeks. Only about 8 percent of people that make resolutions will stick to them. Most resolutions are really good, and if kept, would make us better.

 

Okay, so if the possibilities are exciting, we want to be better and most resolutions are admirable, why don’t we keep them?

 

I think most of the time it is the lack of a clear plan. It reminds me of some wild turkeys that were crossing the road near my home. There were fifteen or twenty birds going across as I approached them in my truck. Some continued on across, some turned and went back, but one couldn’t decide which way to go. It ran back and forth going in circles in the middle of the road. This indecision and lack of clarity put this bird at risk of failure…and in this case, failure could have been really bad. Good thing I was driving slow.

 

The first thing to do is determine WHY. WHY do we want to accomplish this thing? The WHY will be the motivating factor. The WHY gives us the reason to move. For example, WHY do I want to cross the road?

Next we need to know the HOW. The HOW gives us the map from here to there. The HOW gives us a direction to go. Now I know HOW best to cross the road.

This is where things begin to get tricky. There are a lot of different systems that you can use for this. The problem is that what works for one person may not work for another. I have used several, some I paid for and some were free. The conclusion I have come to is, it matters less what the system is and more about whether you use it or not. You have to move or you will be left standing in the road.

Currently I am using parts and pieces from Michael Hyatt’s, Five Days to Your Best Year Ever; Donald Miller’s, Creating Your Life Plan; Andy Andrews, The Seven Decisions Perpetual Calendar as well as things I have designed myself. Each year I modify and tweak my system so that it works better for me. Every year I schedule time between Christmas and New Year’s Day for working on my Life Plan. Scheduling it on the calendar is critical to being intentional.

The plan needs to look back at the past to see what worked and what didn’t. It needs to look to the future to see where we want to go. Most importantly it needs action now. It also needs a way of measuring progress so you can see how you’re doing. Resolutions are only as good as our actions. Like Ebenezer Scrooge in the Christmas Carol, we have to decide to be different if we’re going to be different.

Don’t be a turkey. Make a plan before you start across the road and stick with it. Don’t stop in the middle of the road. You can continue to improve on the plan every day if you keep moving.

MAKE A PLAN AND GET OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!

Christmas Movies and a Life Plan

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The Similarities of Fiction and Reality

 

I love Christmas time and especially Christmas movies. There are the classics of course; Miracle on 34th St., White Christmas, A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life, etc. There are a bunch of TV Christmas movies that are really good as well. Then there are some great shorter animated Christmas shows; Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, etc. My wife and I are big movie fans anyway and at Christmas time we try to watch as many Christmas movies as we can.

While watching one of these movies recently I was aware once again of how most all of them are the same basic story repeated. Yet I watch them over and over. I know in the beginning how things are going to go. There is going to be those people that are or want to be in a relationship of some kind; friend, family or romantic. Then you have the trouble that happens. It might be a series of calamities or events that cause problems. Maybe there’s a person who is a selfish trouble maker or just isn’t the right fit. Then after the struggle everything works out and there you have it…a happy ending.

One of my personal favorite Christmas movies is the Polar Express. It has such a great story. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is about a young boy who is beginning to doubt the reality of Santa Clause. He’s woke up by a loud noise in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve and finds a train parked in front of his house. It’s the Polar Express. He boards the train and it takes him along with other kids to the North Pole to meet Santa. Along the way there are a bunch of obstacles to overcome. Through his diligence and the help of others he makes the trip successfully. After this journey he is reassured and believes.

I have come to the conclusion that there are a great many similarities between these Christmas shows and life as a Christian. Life is full of difficulties and situations that may or may not be direct results of things that we have done. Either way we have to deal with the situations that we find ourselves in. It is great to have the support of family and friends when going through difficulties. This is not always the case. Some people aren’t as fortunate in this area. Regardless Christ is a friend that we all can count on. Christmas is after all the celebration of He’s birth. Just like in these movies, as a Christian, my story will have a happy ending and I believe that yours can too. It does however, require that you believe.

If you haven’t seen it yet you should watch the Polar Express, live your live and get your ticket to ride and BELIEVE!

Window Shopping…Really I Mean Shopping for Windows – Part 3

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Even More Things to Consider When Buying Windows

 

I know that it seems that I have written a lot about windows in this ‘Window Shopping’ series. I think one of the issues with construction in general and this topic of windows specifically, is the lack of information people have before deciding what to buy. There is no right answer for everyone, but the more you know the more likely it is to find the best one for you.

In the previous two blogs in this series, part 1 and part 2, we discussed materials used and construction options for windows. In this final one we will talk design.

3-st_brigide_church-doorway-montreal_2013-ticklebear4u_comDESIGN – When considering design, it is more about function and appearance. There are a huge variety of options available to choose from. This is one reason to start with a clear why. Design is an area that can make a big difference in the finished project. You need to be careful though because it is easy for the ‘bells and whistles’ to push the price beyond your budget.

            Shapes – There are a lot of shapes available; curved tops, circles, triangle, trapezoid and custom shapes. Depending on the manufacturer, some size limitations and how much you want to spend, shape is open to your imagination.

            Grilles – Grilles tend to have more of a connection to the architectural design and that should be considered if you are thinking about painted-windowsgrilles. It may also be that you hope to change the view when looking through the windows. Grilles are a great way to do this.

            Shades – Mini blinds or cellular shades between the panes of glass aren’t offered by all manufacturers, but serve both a design and pragmatic purpose. They also have a big effect on how the window looks. They allow you to let in only as much sun as you would like, as well as provide privacy.

            Colors – This is another area where, depending on who makes the windows, there are a large number of color choices. These choice options will also depend on material; wood, aluminum, vinyl, etc. With some manufacturers it is possible to get one pre-finished color on the outside and a different one on the inside.

Let me give you an example of how this decision making process works. I live in a one hundred-year-old craftsman style farm house, built by my Great Grandfather. It has always been in our family and both my Grandmother and Mother grew up in this home. To me the history and heritage plays a large part in my decisions. It was built with large double hung, single pane windows. Originally the size allowed for an ample amount of natural light and fresh air. There wasn’t much in the way of electric lighting and air conditioning when it was built. We have plenty of artificial light and central heat and air now so we could go with smaller windows.

When considering windows here are the things that I would keep in mind:

      windows-with-shades      Wood – I like its stability and the option of having a stained wood interior.

            Double Hung – Match the original architecture with windows the same size.

            Grilles – Possibly, might give the house an upgraded feel, while being true to the original style.

            Shades – Definitely mini blinds between the panes of glass. My experience with these are that even though they add to the price they are worth it. They are great at controlling the amount of natural light coming in as well as privacy.

            Colors – A neutral aluminum clad exterior with a pre-finished stained interior. These colors will not be too restrictive when considering future painting and finishes.

There is a lot to consider when it comes to deciding what you want when buying windows. As I told you in the beginning, not all windows are created equal and the same is true for installation.

I hope that this gives you some physical insight and direction when shopping for windows. Don’t forget that there is an emotional consideration as well. You can find out about it in the blog about “How Do You Feel About Windows”.

Dreaming About Budgeting

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The Roots of the Financial Planning Tree

 

A few weeks ago I wrote about the 4 W’s of budgeting. That post was an overview of the WHY, WHAT, WHERE AND WHEN of budgeting. It was a quick look at the purposes for budgeting from the outside. It didn’t answer the question of HOW I do my business budget. It is important to understand the underlying reasons or there is no motivation to prepare or maintain a plan. So we will peel off another layer of the onion and get closer to the process of HOW.

This morning as I was reviewing my schedule and once again trying to figure out how best to spend time, I had a thought…time and money both need to be managed and spent well. Both of them have a major role in achieving our dreams and need to be budgeted.

We can’t see into the future so we can’t know in advance how much of either of these, (time or money) it will take. What we can do is use information from our past and plan for the future. The hard part is maintaining the present. We need to be aware of where we are and be intentional in our actions using what we know from the past and what we want for our future, otherwise we just wander through life.

Dreaming about the future –

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

            If you haven’t determined where you want to go, how will you ever get there? Growing up watching my Dad farm, that was what I dreamed of doing. I started in that direction without much of a plan (okay none) and then something unexpected happened…my Dad died. If his death wasn’t enough, the waves that it created completely changed my future. Granted there is no amount of planning that could have prepared me for his death, but the right plan would have served as a life preserver until the waves subsided. Instead my ability to dream was drowned. I went through years with no clear destination or direction. Then several years later I had a dream resuscitating incident. I fell while working on a second floor. I was unconscious for three days. After regaining consciousness and while recovering, I realized that God wasn’t done with me yet and I still had things to do and dreams to achieve. I think that when I hit the ground the impact must have restarted my ‘dream heart’. The point of this is the underlying importance of dreams. Having a plan can serve as a life preserver.

 

863937109_6245bef2c4_oI have always been a planner by nature. For years there was no purpose behind the planning. Dreams are what give the planning a purpose. My dreams now are big, more like they used to be. Things like; being debt free, renovating our home, traveling, owning rental property, flying my own plane and owning a NASCAR team…to mention a few. Everyone’s dreams will be different, but this will be the motivation behind the plan.

Okay now we have a reason for making plans. How much money and time are needed to achieve your dreams? Break each one down, what is it going to cost to get out of debt or buy that NASCAR team?

If my debt is $100,000.00, how am I going to pay it off? How long is it going to take? How much do I currently earn?

I will peel another layer in a later blog and we continue to go deeper. Until then what are your dreams?