"Make it Count" ... A Look Back at Notes from a 1997 Managers Meeting

Over the weekend, I was sifting through boxes and boxes of dealership "stuff" in preparation for my presentation at the Automotive Super Conference in June. I came across notes from a "Kick-off" Department Head Meeting I conducted in 1997, in the spirit of Jack Dawson's famous speech in the movie Titanic. I thought this was pretty remarkable as the remake is soon to be released in 3-D. I scanned over my notes and chuckled..."Some things are still so relevant today, 15 years later." I want to share with you my "wrap-up" comments here:

"Make it Count"...(In the Spirit of Jack Dawson from the Movie, Titanic)

In this world of uncertainty, uncertainty of world peace, the economy, the stock market, interest rates, unemployment and the automotive industry, one thing is for certain! We must focus on the PRESENT, our current status, day by day. Take each day, each prospect that walks through the door, and give them the attention as if they were our last. I am not saying that we are perishing, or that the ship is sinking, I am stressing to make EACH and EVERY day COUNT! It's merely a concept to pull forward, full steam ahead, and embark to a powerful future by building each opportunity into a promising day, week, month and year!

We must all work together, setting short term goals, such as: "What am I going to do today, this week, to enhance the state of the dealership?" FULFILL THESE GOALS! Along with the usual "laundry list" on the Things to Do pad, I challenge each and every one of you to add one thing you wish to accomplish. Put it on an email to yourself, and a post-it note taped right onto your monitor, so that it may always be in view. It's amazing how we will prosper! I can smell the excitement in the air now as we would see these goals turn into success stories, and I sense the positive vibes would spread like the plague!

Albert Einstein once said, "The significant problems we face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Think about that....CHANGE....ADAPTATION....

The Visionary Leaders of Yesterday must learn to be the Enlightened Leaders of today! (source: Enlightened Leadership by Ed Oakley and Doug Krug). Leaders who not only have the vision for a plan, but have the ability to get all the employees of the dealership to accept ownership for that vision and develop the commitment to carry it through to completion. Taking this concept a step further, this leader does not have to have the vision themselves, but the willingness and ability to draw the vision from the people in the dealership and inspire them to make their vision reality... ENCOURAGE, EQUIP AND EMPOWER EXCELLENCE!

Because we realize that people are the most important resource we have in our organization, we must also distinguish if we have the right people in place! If we do, FIRE THEM UP, If we don't FIRE THEM! We need to employ managers who are leaders and leaders who can motivate, and motivators who can carry out the plan and MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

In our establishment we have talents which are buried and stifled by ego-centric management. Identify their abilities, share with them the positive outcome which can be accomplished by putting these talents to work in the fullest, and allow their creative ingenuity to go to work! Let them know you believe in them and you care about them! Make it a blast to come to work each day and MAKE EACH DAY COUNT!

How are we going to achieve this???

Time, Energy, Attitude, Focus, Commitment! I COMMIT....DO YOU?

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Comment by NANCY SIMMONS on April 2, 2012 at 1:58pm: Thanks so much Jim...I started posting this in Carbucks over the weekend and the the thread, as you know, took a life of its own!!! Thanks so much for sharing it EVERYWHERE and inspiring me daily to ply my trade with transparency and integrity!

Comment by Jim Radogna on April 2, 2012 at 1:52pm: Great post Nancy! This is more relevant today than it was 15 years ago. Thanks for sharing!

Comment by NANCY SIMMONS on April 2, 2012 at 1:45pm: Thanks a bunch, Bobby! I never received an A+++ before just now! To think this was written 15 years ago... The other components of my notes from this meeting was writing job descriptions which would effectively drive profits, safeguarding assets to promote accountability and reduce lost dollars, and Teamwork...Communication is the Key to building a winning team! A lot of content for future blogs from years gone by!!!

Comment by NANCY SIMMONS on April 2, 2012 at 1:42pm: Troy...A little mixture of my two favorite movies Titanic and Jerry Maguire in your comment...Love your passion!

Comment by NANCY SIMMONS on April 2, 2012 at 1:41pm: Leonard, crazy to think this message was prior to 9/11, The Secret, and the Auto Bailout, while references to all are found here... We had a banner year that year and focus groups were initiated within the walls of the dealership...It was fun!

Comment by Troy Spring on April 2, 2012 at 1:30pm: I love the movie Titanic, so you had me at go. lol Great post. See you in Charlotte!!!!!

Comment by Leonard Buchholz on April 2, 2012 at 1:13pm: "Make each day count!" What's old is new again eh Nancy! Nicely done.

Comment by NANCY SIMMONS on April 2, 2012 at 1:06pm: Thanks so much Tom.... To receive a positive accolade from 1Team Synergy Coach on a subject such as this truly inspires me!!! I appreciate YOU!!!

Comment by Tom Wiegand on April 2, 2012 at 12:43pm: Very inspiring, Nancy! Does history count for anything? Only if we are living today to make it our best day, then history counts; from the failures we've converted to successes, from the failures we still need to convert to successes, from the successes we held up far too high only to be humbled when they didn't matter much to anyone but ourselves, from the successes we humbly placed more on others that, in synergy, remain strong to this day. Ah, the true power of a team in synergy producing far, far more than all individual egotistical successes ever could or can be - on their own! I appreciate you!