I was having such a good day...

I was having such a good day. What does a good day mean in my pathetic life? I woke up (I always count that as a good start to the day). Got the kids up and off to school and went to the office (the neighborhood coffee shop). Read and sent some e-mails, wrote a blog entry, and made a couple of phone calls. Yes, that’s as good as it gets on most days for me.

I left the coffee shop with a fresh cup of java around lunch time to check my post office box. I had a couple of checks in the mail! Booya! My good day got even better. As I was leaving the post office something happened that was going to change all that.

In front of me a blue-haired lady driving a early model sedan pulled right out in front of me. I remember thinking to myself… Hmmm… this is not good. She didn’t even see me, she’s going about 4 MPH and I am now sliding in the icy roadway approaching the rear end of her car at about 15 MPH. I did some quick calculations which resulted in the realization I was going to meet her in a very unpleasant way rather soon.

To avoid this, I had what appeared, at the time, to be a reasonable option. I would swerve to the right where snow was piled along the roadside. I would probably end up way up in the snow and have to be towed. But, I would not hit the elderly lady.

I put the plan into action and steered into the snow. It seemed like such a good plan until my car did not drive through the snow, but rather, drove UP the snow bank and before I knew it, my car was in its roof.

There I was, upside down, sliding on a icy roadway, metal screeching, and glass breaking all around me. I’m thinking “This isn’t good.” Up to that moment, I was having such a good day.

And there I was, suspended upside down, taking stock of my inventory. All my body parts are present and accounted for. But, like the song, there was something warm running in my eye. I must have hit my head. I released the seatbelt and it took a little ingenuity to figure out how to get the brake pedal depressed (which was now above me) and get the car into park and turned off. That alone was a comical feat.

I crawled out of the car, expecting the person who cut me off to be standing there, apologetic for her careless act of cutting me off. Nope, she was long gone. I don’t think she even know it happened. There were no witnesses. However, it’s amazing that once you put your car on its roof you start to attract gawkers as if you were giving away free $50 bills for everyone to stop by and ask what happened.

Thankfully, my injuries were very minor. The car, on the other hand, didn’t fare so well. It was considered a total loss by the insurance company. Now, I get to go shopping for a replacement car.

I am thankful the little old lady was not injured. I am thankful I was not injured. I am thankful there was not another car coming from the other direction. That would have been painful. I am thankful I was alone and none of my family had to endure that traumatic event. So, all in all, even with the accident, it was still a good day.

Oh, the something warm running in my eye… was my coffee!

Fire Chief (ret.) Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO, MICP
www.RichGasaway.com

Father-Son Bonding

Sometimes, when you’re least expecting, an opportunity for bonding comes into your midst. Such was the case today when I took my eldest son to the hardware store. It seemed like such a non-event, picking up a couple of replacement bolts and washers. But, for some reason, this trip was special for me.

Just before Christmas he decided that when he graduates he’s going to serve our country as a United States Marine. I am very proud of him and the direction he has chosen. Now, every moment spent together is even more precious. Even a trip to the hardware store and a discussion about bolts and washers becomes special time.

All parents know the day will come when our little ones leave the nest and venture out into the grown ups world. We wonder if we’ve taught them everything they need to know to be successful… to be happy… to be safe. I guess we never really know.

I recall the countless number of times I growled at him for playing video war games. Now I question if he played enough of those games to develop skills that will help him survive as a Marine. I guess those questions will be answered in time.

In the meantime, I will take advantage of every opportunity I can to bond over bolts and washers in the hardware store, and pray to God with all my might that he is ever vigilant. Semper Fi, my son, Semper Fi.

Fire Chief (ret.) Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO, MICP
www.RichGasaway.com
... and proud parent of a soon-to-be United States Marine

Hot dogs are social food

I was with a friend the other day and we stopped and got a hot dog. As I was eating it and enjoying the conversation, I quickly realized that hot dogs (at least for me) is a social food. I cannot recall ever eating a hot dog alone. Maybe it's because I'm not particularly fond of the tubules of compressed pig lips and knuckles. Ya, I eat them when there's no good alternative and ya, I enjoy the taste with the right proportion of condiments. I like ketchup, mustard and relish on my dogs.

I had to think back on when and where I've eaten most of my hot dogs. By far, the first place winner is on the golf course when we've made the turn from the front nine to the back nine. They're quick and easy and they taste good with a beer. Second place is picnics and other gatherings of people in mass. And finally, at professional sporting events, where you're sure to pay for one dog what a package of dogs cost at the grocery store.

I don't recall ever getting a craving to eat a hot dog out of the blue. But I do know that when I smell them cooking, something inside me triggers the urge to have one and often causes me to recall some fond memories of being with friends and family. What other foods would you classify as social foods?

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD
www.RichGasaway.com

The Psychology of Money

I had the pleasure of working a fundraising event with my sons who are both swimmers on the high school team. They were bagging groceries for donations and I was staffing the collection box. It was a good night for a fundraiser, the night before Thanksgiving. The patrons were in a giving mood and the swimmers were thankful.

One of the tasks that I had was to take the money out of the box, count it and prepare it for a bank deposit. It was then that I observed a rather peculiar pattern. Those who gave one or two dollars folded their money multiple times or crumpled it up before they put it in the box. Those who gave 3-4 one dollar bills or gave 5, 10 or 20 dollar bills (and yes, there were quite a few who did), the money was never folded more than once (in half) and often not folded at all.

The hole on the lid of the box was large enough that no folding would be necessary. What was it that would make those who give less more included to multiple fold or crumple their donations. Was it embarrassment of giving such a small donation and the belief that folding or crumpling would disguise the amount given? Was it the larger contributors were proud of their giving and wanted those around them to see how much they were putting in the box? (Though, honestly, no one was watching the box that closely). Were the people giving the smaller donations more stressed and taking letting their anxiety show through their bill folding and crumpling?

As a researcher I know that such understanding would require research. I've only observed the phenomenon and have thus asked the question. The answer will have to come from one of those senseless government-funded research projects (you know, like the one that was done to determine how fast ketchup runs out of a bottle). But there's something to it. If you know... reply and educate us all.

Fire Chief (ret.) Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO, MICP
http://www.richgasaway.com/

Dignity and respect earns trust and loyalty

If you are in a position of authority over others, you have an awesome responsibility. You also have been given a privilege to lead. If you are “lucky” enough to rise in your organization to a position of power, I would encourage you to keep your feet firmly on the ground and to be a humble leader. If you are a leader, people will follow you. Some will follow out of fear. Some will follow out of mere morbid curiosity of where you will lead them (see lemmings). No one will follow you out of desire unless you earn their trust and loyalty.

Trust and loyalty comes from treating people with dignity and respect. Simply because you have the right to give orders and boss people around doesn’t mean you have to. Saying please and thank you and showing a genuine interest in your employees will do more to motivate them than the threats and intimidation that so many bosses use.

Some bosses get consumed by their power. It feels good to them. Order people to jump… and they jump. Not because they WANT to jump. Rather, they fear the consequences if they don’t jump. The boss feels accomplished because the employees are jumping, just as the boss ordered them to do. The boss thinks the employees are motivated – and they are. However, they are not motivated by desire to do the company’s work. They are motivated by fear to keep their jobs.

Effective bosses do not have to be popular. However, the most effective bosses I have seen are those whose employees genuinely enjoy working for the boss and doing the company’s work because the boss treats the employees with dignity and respect. One of the problems with bad bosses is… they don’t see it. It’s like they have bad breath and can’t smell it. And no one’s going to tell the boss because the fear factor is so high it’s not worth the risk. So employees hang on and hope the boss leaves or the employees leave. Surveys of top performing employees have repeatedly shown that they don’t quit the company… they quit the bad boss. If you become a boss, treat your employees with dignity and respect and you will earn trust and loyalty.

Fire Chief (ret.) Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO, MICP
www.RichGasaway.com
RBG3100@aol.com

Communications skill... the foundation of success.

According to a survey conducted by Suzanne Bates, author of “Motivate Like a CEO: Communicate Your Strategic Vision and Inspire People to Act!” there is a real need for improvements in leaders’ ability to communicate the mission, vision, and purpose of the organization to employees. She notes this is especially challenging in times of downturn and recession.

It is during these difficult times that the organizational mission and vision can become obscured and blurry as employees look out for themselves and the short-term objective of survival.

According to the participants in the survey, the top challenges for organizational leaders included (in order):

1. Communicating purpose and mission to all employees (66 percent).

2. Strategic thinking (62 percent).

3. Connecting people to a shared purpose (59 percent).

4. Engaging employees (58 percent).

5. Motivating employees (56 percent).

6. Vision (54 percent).

7. Moving from tactical to strategic (43 percent).

8. Decisiveness (35 percent).

It’s easy to lead in the good times where prosperity is abounding. During the troubled times is when leaders need to help keep the organization focused on what’s most important… mission… vision… core values.

Mission = purpose
Vision = direction
Core Values = beliefs
Communications = understanding

These four things form the legs of a stool upon which the success of your organization rests.

Fire Chief (ret.) Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO, MICP
Gasaway Consulting Group, LLC
http://www.richgasaway.com/

I can't make this stuff up

I'm in the Walgreen's Pharmacy with my daughter. We're there for flu shots. There's a line. I get bored. I start walking up and down the aisles. As I pass by one aisle I glance to the left and keep walking. Then I stop as my brain tries to comprehend what I just saw. I'm struggling, so I back up and do a double-take. Yep, I really did see it. There was a customer with a package of toilet paper pulled off the shelf, measuring the width of one role of toilet paper with a seamstress tape measure. I paused and watched as the customer put that package back on the shelf and took down another (a different brand) and measured the width of one of the rolls. I SO MUCH wanted to just ask "why?" But I didn't. I just went back to the flu-shot waiting area and sat quietly in my reflection. It will remain one of those mysteries that will haunt me till the day I die.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
www.RichGasaway.com

The power of the first impression

I had just backed into my driveway and my cell phone rang. It was a conference director wanting to talk with me about the details of an upcoming program. As we chatted, some movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. It was a person walking through my yard and headed right for my driver’s door.

It was not someone I knew. It’s difficult to describe how he was dressed and his general appearance without giving indication there is a bias in play. Simply stated, he was dressed in blue jeans with holes in them (the kind of holes that make blue jeans hip and stylish for a young person to wear). He had on a tank-top t-shirt and his hair was in disarray (again, stylish for young people). As he approached I wondered what he would want from me.

He handed me a flyer for a tree and landscape service. I immediately thought to myself this person does not put me in the frame of mind as a tree trimmer or a landscaper. When I think of a landscaper or a tree trimmer, in my mind’s eye the person is dressed neatly in khaki trousers and a green or beige shirt with their company logo on one breast and their name on the other. They have on work boots and maybe a pair of gloves protruding out of their back pocket just in case they need to do an impromptu inspection. Stated another way… they are in uniform… or costume if you prefer. Call it what you will. Their dress and appearance gives me a first impression that tells me, immediately, if I would even consider for a moment doing business with them.

If my neighborhood were populated with young, hip urbanites, he might have been able to get away with that look. But it’s not. We’re mostly older and, for sure, conservative in our values and judgments. This poor guy didn’t have a chance. I watched him knock on doors and talk with people as he made his way down the street, only spending just a matter of moments at each door.

I suspect this young man wasn’t even an employee of this tree and landscape company. Rather, he was hired to pass out fliers door-to-door. And that’s exactly what he was doing. He probably got paid the same whether someone signed up for their services or not. The sad part is, the tree trimming company spend some amount of money to have this person perform these duties and likely had a very low return on their investment. Why? Because the first impression is so powerful. Never, ever, let the opportunity slip by to make a good first impression.

TMI... TMI...!

I was sitting in a cafeteria this morning. It wasn’t very busy. I was multitasking (eating breakfast and reading). At the next table were three men. I wasn’t eavesdropping on their conversation, but it was quiet in there and it was hard not to overhear their conversation. One started to share a story, in vivid detail, about a problem he had with an infected tooth and how it required a root canal. He did not spare any of the details. I’m not a big fan of dental work and it was not a pleasant conversation to listen to. I contemplated moving, but I didn’t.

After he finished his story, there was a lull in the conversation and then, as if there was a contest to outdo each other, another fellow decided he’d tell the story of his recent medical procedure, a proctoscopy (a.k.a. the garden hose up the back-side procedure). As he started into the story, my brain was screaming “TMI… TMI! Too Much Information!” Why in God’s name would a man share, with his friends, in a public place, the intimate details of this painful experience at the proctologist’s office? And while I'm on the subject... what possesses a person to want to be that kind of doctor? Of all the doctors you can be...? I hope it pays well. For me... there's not enough money in the world. Anyhow... back on point... if there is one...

There should be a protocol for what topics can be discussed in a public place where food is served. Suddenly, the bagel sitting in front of me conjured up images of body parts of which I do not speak. I couldn’t take it any more. I had to leave… and the bagel went in the trash.

A record of Guinness proportions

Being affiliated in the fire and emergency medical services allows me to see, and hear about, the best and worst that humankind has to offer. I have witnessed great acts of bravery and incredible acts of stupidity. After 30 years in the business, not to many things surprise me any more. But this one did.

I was talking with an associate who shared a story with me about an ambulance call they were on. Sorry, due to HIPPAA regulations, I can’t share much in the way of details. They were called to a report of an intoxicated person having difficulties. When the ambulance arrived, the police were already on-scene. They entered the house and found a conscious, yet obviously intoxicated man. He was cooperative, but not particularly coherent in his conversation. The police officer informed the ambulance crew that the PBT would not register the alcohol level, which means it was rather high. But it is how high that is the basis of this story. A blood test at the hospital confirmed his BAC to be .775 which is almost TEN TIMES the legal limit.

I personally had never seen a patient above .40 in all my years as an EMT and paramedic. In fact, I didn’t know anyone could live with a BAC above .50. According to the University of Texas, a person with a BAC of .40 to .50 will become comatose and the mortality rate is high.

In case you've not been exposed to many drunks in your life, there are two kinds of drunks... happy drunks and mean drunks. When happy drunks get pickled, they want to hug everyone and tell them how much they love them. Some even cry because they are overwhelmed with how much you mean to them. It's not very enjoyable, but it's harmless. Then there are the mean drunks. When mean drunks get sauced, they want to fight everyone and show everyone how tough they are. These are the ones who usually end up in jail or the hospital. At least this guy was a happy drunk and told the EMS crew repeatedly how much he loved them. It's nice to hear you're loved once in a while... even if it's coming from someone whose breath would ignite if exposed to an open flame.

This guy had to set a new record for the State of Minnesota… maybe even a national record. Hmm… does this earn him a spot in the Guinness Book?... not the Guinness of world record fame… but the Guinness of beer fame. Surely at the very minimum he’d get an invitation to dine with the governor or garner an appearance on the Tonight Show. I do not condone the excessive use alcohol but a BAC of .775 is indisputably impressive. Smart?… no. Impressive?… yes. Please enjoy your suds responsibly. Remember, when you are drunk, gravity is not your friend and you never know how your friends will take advantage of you.

http://www.richgasaway.com/
http://www.fireleadership.blogspot.com/