Success comes from working together

Written 10/31/2008

Hello Everyone,

Taking the time to write these few paragraphs each week has allowed me to reflect on the needs of our department while keeping in mind the needs of the unit as a whole. My whole week I was thinking about sales and how to impress that each of us makes a difference, that were each ambassadors to this process. However, that will need to wait for another week as I have something equally important to share.

Success comes from working together; we succeed together or we fail together, from the whole units of the Print Shop, the Copier Lease program, the Postal Center, and Surplus Property to the individual unit of ourselves as employees.

I make this statement after attending a conference on what I believed would only be a copier based information meeting. What I received instead was a lesson on how so many singular units of individual businesses work together. Forming a collective group striving to deliver environmentally sound products, while being a viable future based business. Together, these companies have a mandate of ZERO waste being sent to a landfill… that’s impressive as they need to recycle hundreds of copiers each day that have been retired from active duty.

Moreover, to see this in action makes you wonder how much does this cost. Then you think it’s because of companies willing to forgo a bit of the green to do the right thing that makes me want to know more and do more with them, or better said, to do more because of them.

To be inspired… Ten people could possibly describe the word Inspiration in ten different ways, each with their own impetus in doing so. However, inspiration is only wonderful if acted on.

My challenge this week is for all of us to think about how we can work together as a collective unit versus the thought of I only work in this one area because… to improve ourselves, which in turn improves us all.

I want all of us to think “what if,” to look at ourselves with the words “what if I did” you fill in the blank here. What I suggest is that we all create our own IDP, Individual Development Plan; this will help to give us goals, direction, and that other word that accompanies inspiration, vision. I believe we have in place the management structure to support these brand new ideas, and to help us all with the transitions that are inevitable for us to succeed.

More often, our fortunes in business are tied with those of our neighbors and theirs ours. We can have a direct effect on this. I find it amazing that the wire that holds up all suspension bridges is no bigger than the width of the lead in your pencil. It is the process of winding them collectively together, which makes them strong enough to support and endure.

It is with this thought of unity that I wish you all a wonderful Halloween. I like so many dads will be asking for that homemade popcorn ball, wish me luck!

Sincerely,

Kevin