Earl B.   IT Customer Services Manager at the University of Kentucky shares this wonderful T4D message with us…inviting us to look at others as we do ourselves.

“Whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people’s characters.”   ~ - Margaret Halsey

Make it a Great Day… and if you are not already a FaceBook Fan of my 2 Books I invite you to become one!  ~ Kirk

 Scoopers In the News!!
Just a note to say thank you for the quick delivery. I got the book just in time for our meeting. I read the book to a group of 6-7 year old boys. They absolutely loved the story. It is the first time I’ve seen them sitting still in a circle so quietly…even the parents loved it! They all want to get the book and read it to their staff. It was a hit!   Once again, thanks so very much for sharing your story with us.

A TX scooper…Eva Stephen Stoddard told me he was going to use The Dog Poop book to introduce lean manufacturing and 6 Sigma concepts to his supervisory staff. I asked him how it went…here is his reply.
“It went well. Your message parallels the Lean manufacturing theory of eliminating waste (poop). I related the dog and his owner to the waste that we don’t know where it came from or why it is there but that person/process or our customer has moved on, but we keep the waste. I related the kids arriving to play with showing up to work. Some of the waste is obvious almost glaring to some employees. For what ever reason, time, effort, management difficulties we let the waste remain. I really like the illustration of avoiding the pile. I associate the second coach/group and ref to supervisors and upper management. When an employee brings an issue or a solution to their manager or supervisors attention but they lack the initiative to investigate or even follow up. As in your book they may go out of their way to avoid the waste. They may implement policies to protect us from the waste or change processes to work around the waste.

I had my group relate to the Father. Listen to the pointers and realize that they can empower their employees (pointers) to remove the waste or resolve the issue. Remove the waste and move on. As the employees see their supervisors example they will in turn take the initiative. It will help the cream rise to the top.
~I will be using a refined version as a presentation to our employees at the department level. Thanks for the great tool.” ~Stephen Stoddard, Lean Six Sigma Project Manager

New York Times Best Smeller
A wonderfully illustrated true story to help inspire greater ownership, more initiative and more scooping on your work team or your home team!! Order your copy today from www.morebetterbooks.com

To find the other fan page just login into your facebook account and search for “cookie thief book”  THANKS

Recommended Read!! == Ender’s Game

An excerpt from The Strangest Secret  ~  by Earl Nightingale

George Bernard Shaw said, “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, they make them.”

Well, it’s pretty apparent, isn’t it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about.

Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn’t know where he’s going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry - his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing… he becomes nothing.

How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I’ll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind.

Suppose a farmer has some land, and it’s good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn’t care. It’s up to the farmer to make the decision.

We’re comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn’t care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn’t care what you plant.

 Now, let’s say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand- one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds-one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land…and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted.

As it’s written in the Bible, “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”

Remember the land doesn’t care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants - one corn, one poison.

The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn’t care what we plant…success…or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal…or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant must return to us.

You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.

So only plant good & great seeds in your mind… and if some poison ones have slipped into the soil… yank em out and be sure to get the roots!

Kirk Out

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.  ~– J.B. Priestly (1894-1984) English Author

It is a new day and a new week… but let’s not wait for the magic to happen.  Let us be the magic and make it happen.

Kirk Out

After a presentation in Lynchburg, VA yesterday that included my Best Smelling book , “The Dog Poop Initiative” the event planner sent me the following. 

“Everybody thought anybody could do it, but nobody realized that everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that everybody blamed somebody when nobody did what anybody could have done!”  ~ Christine Kennedy

Pink Floyd asks…

“Is there anybody out there?”   I say, if there is, if you are…. then prove it by being a worthwhile somebody who takes the initiative to do a worthwhile something.

 Make it a SCOOPER weekend.

Kirk out-there

  When Thomas Edison was working on improving his first electric light bulb, the story goes, he handed the finished bulb to a young helper, who nervously carried it upstairs, step by step.   At the last possible moment, the boy dropped it, requiring the whole team to work another 24 hours to make a second bulb.

When it was finished, Edison looked around, then handed it to the same boy.

The gesture probably changed the boy’s life. Edison knew that more than a bulb was at stake.  ~ –James D. Newton

Training the leaders of tomorrow - with our actions today.  Now there’s a bright idea.

Kirk Out

At my friend Dr. Jim Cain’s house…supposedly working on our culture building book.  I Asked him if had any quotes for the T4D.  He shared the following from a much larger collection he was gathering for his now completed book on Team Building Puzzles.  

If you don’t ask the right questions, you don’t get the right answers. A question asked in the right way often points to its own answer. Asking questions is the ABC of diagnosis. Only the inquiring mind solves problems.  ~Edward Hodnett

The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions.
Claude Levi-Strauss

The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he is one who asks the right questions.  Claude Levi-Strauss

Every generation thinks it has the answers, and every generation is humbled by nature. ~Phillip Lubin

The only interesting answers are those which destroy the questions.  Susan Sontag

Sometimes we do a thing in order to find out the reason for it. Sometimes our actions are questions not answers.  John Le Carre (1931 - ), Magnus Pym in “A Perfect Spy”

I imagine good teaching as a circle of earnest people sitting down to ask each other meaningful questions. I don’t see it as the handing down of answers. So much of what passes for teaching is merely a pointing out of what items to want.
Alice Walker (1944 - ), Meridian

Any Questions?

Kirk out

Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space.  It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe.  It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished.  ~Michael Strassfeld

There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.  ~Edith Wharton

We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.  ~Mary Dunbar

The hero (leader) is the one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by.  The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light.  ~Felix Adler 

   “And I shall shed my light over dark evil… for, the dark things cannot stand the light… the light of the Green Lantern”

Did a fun post for an up coming speech at the YES SUMMIT.   My presentation is called “The Green Lantern Effect”  To read it click here. or here  http://yessummit.blogspot.com/2009/10/positively-contagious-leadership-green.html

BECOME A FAN!  If you are a facebooker.   I would love your support of 2 fan pages created for my Best Smelling Books - The Cookie Thief & The Dog Poop Initiative.  I’ve placed fun video clips on each fan page that I just know you will enjoy. 

Bright Leaders Help their people to LIGHTEN UP.

Kirk Out

In the signature block of a dear friends e-mail comes this line.  “Day in and day out what we do is who we become.”  It linked with this quote that came up in a recent discussion of the character of baseball legend Cal Ripken, who when responding to his approaching 3000 hits said, “”The streak has become my identity; it’s who I’ve become.”

   Still, you don’t have to follow baseball to know who Cal Ripken is, so I was excited to read more about him, meet him and to have the honor to introduce him.  What follows are a few statements from Mr. Ripken

“As long as I can compete, I won’t quit. Reaching three-thousand is not the finish line as long as I can contribute.”

“Early in my career, I decided I never wanted to get out of shape.”

“He (Eddie Murray) showed me how to play this game, day in and day out. I thank him for his example and for his friendship.”

“I’d like to be remembered. I’d like to think that someday two guys will be talking in a bar and one of them will say something like, ‘Yeah, he’s a good shortstop, but he’s not as good as ole Ripken was.’ ”

“I haven’t given it (achieving 3,000 hits) much thought. I was taught a certain approach, how to come to the ballpark. I try not to do too much thinking about things like that. In this society we measure success in different ways. Three thousand (hits) represents success over a career, not a season. It’ll be nice to get to that point.”

  “So many good things have happened to me in the game of baseball. When I do allow myself a chance to think about it, it’s almost like a storybook career. You feel so blessed to have been able to compete this long.”

“Stubbornness is usually considered a negative, but I think that trait has been a positive for me.”

“The last thing you want to do is go down in the history of All-Star game competition as the only injury (his nose was broken by Roberto Hernandez) sustained during the team picture.”

“The reality is that players can’t play forever.”

“The streak has become my identity; it’s who I’ve become.”

The question we might ask ourselves is simply… “What am I doing, reading, thinking, spending the private and public moments of my life on?  What do these things I am doing have me becoming?  If we don’t like what we’ve become, or what we are becoming… we will need to chamge what we are doing.

As for Cal Ripken… one of the names he’s earned because of things he did every day is the name “Mr. Integrity”.   There are very few men in our world today who have earned that title… and in my view, there are very few titles noteworthy than that one.  Maybe, if you do it right… the title of Dad.  Cal Ripken didn’t inspire me to a sudden love for the game of baseball….but he did inspire me work harder on my game of becoming. Thanks Cal Riken 

I want you guys to have a terrific Friday!  Thanks for helping me in making it a great week.  I wanted to end the week by sharing with you a video, a quote and a request. (and a reminder) 

The VIDEO - I just watched an amazing video of a dog and his trainer.  An amazing display of commitment, talent, training, and passion.  To view it click here.

The QUOTE….   The smallest good deed is better than the grandest good intention. — Duguet

The REQUEST .. yesterday I created a Facebook FanPage for my best smelling book, “The Dog Poop Initiative” I would love it if you would become a fan of this page.  I also invite you to watch the fun video on the page and share it with your friends.  THANK YOU SCOOPERS

the REMINDER - Saturday(tomorrow) is the last day to order any number of copies of “The Cookie Thief Book” and have your order doubled.  Below are some editorial review of people who have tasted of it’s Semi-Sweet pages.

Editorial Reviews

Review
Amazing Job on the book! I’ve heard this story before but it never made me laugh out loud like your book did. Cool idea hiding all the messages and stuff! Hope you’ll be baking more books soon. ~ Rob

I read The Cookie Thief book on my flight back home and the story line hit close to home. This is a true story that happened to me a few years ago. I called the helpdesk to submit a work order for my computer problems and they indicated someone would stop by in a few minutes (after all, I am their supervisor). I stepped out of my office for a few minutes and left behind my Butterfinger candy bar. When I got back, there was technician Matt munching on a Butterfinger bar. I asked him if he was enjoying the candy and he replied “yes” and kept right on snacking on what I thought was my candy bar. He soon fixed my PC problem and as he got up to leave, lifted his work order from my desk and underneath it was in fact my candy bar. I was speechless as he winked at me saying bet you thought that was your candy I ate didn’t you?To this day, we both laugh about this. Ben Arroyo City of Peoria Information Technology Department –Rob & Ben

Another home run, Kirk! Ever since I read the Dr. Seuss classic; Oh, the Places You’ll Go; many years ago, I’ve been a big fan of easy-to-read;picture books; that tell a great story and include important morals. Your book, ;The Dog Poop Initiative; is another classic example of what I am talking about.  Now, with ;The Cookie Thief;, you have done it again! All three of the above-mentioned books should be in every home… AND in the board rooms of every business! Way to go, Kirk!   Brent Gray Chief Operating Officer –

Hi Kirk, I love your version of Cookie Thief Book/Story - it’s just so true! I have 3 stories for you! First, my story: The Eyeglass Thief. My wife, kids and I tore into The Cookie Thief when it arrived in the mail yesterday. We read it together, then leafed back through the pages and enjoyed the hidden messages and pictures. I asked my son William (nine years old), what he got from the story. He said, ; I liked where it said Weisler Hits a Home Run on the newspaper. He also said it reminded him of when he’s arguing with someone, and then finds out that he was wrong, and how that’s embarrasing. (Learning is happening!) How timely your story! I looked frantically through my desk at work today for my reading glasses. I last had them yesterday, placing them in a drawer during a past-due desk de-cluttering ritual. I didn’t use them after that, I didn’t take them anywhere. So my internal temp’s been on the rise for the past half an hour as I’ve torn my desk apart looking for them. Age 39 might be a youngish age for ’senior moments’, though I’m not ruling it out altogether. But after a call home to my wife, and a thorough search of my car, I’m pretty sure they’ve been taken. So as I walked back from the parking lot just a few minutes ago, it hit me how so-like ;The Cookie Thief; my saga is. It made me reflect on which Cookie Thief I wanted to be * all angry and indignant, or bemused and selfless. Thanks for reminding me I have a choice: I own only one piece of this whole little drama * my reaction, which I get to choose. So here it is: If someone took my glasses, they must really need them, maybe they can’t afford a pair themselves. I do hope they get good use out of them; I’m blessed that I can afford another pair. If, on the other hand, I took them out of that drawer myself, read something with them, laid them down somewhere, and somehow can’t remember a stitch of any of that, then I’m also blessed. Blessed because I can afford another pair, and because God-willing I’m young enough to take advantage of the great advances that medicine will make in memory-loss prevention over the next few decades! And now, number B: Karen, the beautiful brunette middle-school science-teaching mother of my children who has graciously (some say miraculously) agreed to share her life and love with me, relayed to me yesterday that she uses ; The Dog-Poop Initiative Book; to discuss taking responsibility with her seventh- and eighth-grade students. (That explains where my copy of the book went to….) She reads the book aloud, and credits your story with a marked improvement in classroom responsibility! Thirdly, but not least: The quote you shared today is quite literally the most powerful definition of true friendship that I have ever read. I am sharing it with each of the people in my life that I can say, by that definition, is a true friend. It’s not a small list * I am truly blessed!! Thanks for giving of yourself * you are a terrific role-model!

God bless, Jim –Jim Garland