Cleaning in the USA
International Custodial Advisors Network (ICAN)
A new association has been born. ICAN is for cleaning related consultants, advisors and educators. The goal of the group is to promote it’s members to prospective customers, to improve the cleaning industry and to let others know that professional consultants are available to assist a manager, owner, company or association in solving a cleaning related challenge or problem.
The group has a website with a directory of it’s members and offers an “Ask the Experts” service via Cleaning Management Magazine where anyone can post a question for ICAN members to answer. So far, roughly two or three questions are being posted and answered each day. The group has membership categories for those actively involved as advisors (primary) and others in the industry that support the group’s efforts (associates) such as manufacturers, associations, individuals and publishers.
For more information on the group visit: www.custodialadvisorsnetwork.org
Ceramic Tile Educational Foundation (CTEF) Conducts Inspector Course
I recently had the pleasure of attending a five-day course (July 19 to 23) taught by Dave Gobis, Executive Director of CTEF (www.tileschool.org). The course gave the twenty inspectors in attendance an overview of the history of ceramic tile as well as detailed information on the manufacture, installation, maintenance, testing and inspection of all types of clay, ceramic and porcelain tile. It was a very good course and real eye opener for me being I didn’t know much about ceramic tile prior to attending the class. Several excellent resource manuals and handouts were also provided and the group toured the Tile Council of America headquarters and testing lab.
The course was held in Pendleton, SC and was sponsored by the National Institute of Certified Floor Covering Inspectors in conjunction with The Tile Council of America (TCA) (www.tileusa.com). Yes it was hot and humid, but the barbecue was good and it was a great opportunity to renew acquaintances and make new friends with a group of true professionals who take their work very seriously. A study group was held each night to help prepare students to pass the 200-question exam required to pass the course and obtain certification as a Ceramic Tile Inspector.
Linda Lockwood, Executive Director of NICFI stated that this was the first class of its type for the 100-member group, which holds it’s annual convention in October of each year in Dalton, GA. For information on the NICFI convention, educational programs or membership, visit: www.nicfi.org
Education is the Answer
On August 27 & 28 I attended A Power Group meeting billed as the First Annual Sy Ferber Memorial Skull Session. It was a Think Tank meeting of about a dozen cleaning industry professionals who are interested in improving what they do while improving the cleaning industry in the process. I was invited to attend last year, but had a scheduling conflict and couldn’t make it. Being I had never attended such an event before and the idea sounded interesting and I was happy to be able to attend this year. Larry and Linda Bier owners of Breeze Software in Atlanta, GA organized the two-day meeting and took care of all the details such as the meeting room and food. Participants contributed $150.00 each and paid their own expenses.
I got the impression that the event turned out to be quite interesting as well as productive for everyone who attended. The discussion was lead by Frank Necela, President of Zing International. On the first day, the format was an open and free discussion about an entire range of topics from the need for more and better training and upward mobility in the industry and how we as a group could move an industry that doesn t want or think it needs to be moved. On day two each attendee had 30 minutes to discuss specific issues of interest and receive input, suggestions and ideas from the other attendees. By the end of day two the group was on a roll and it was a shame that we didn’t have more time to continue the process.
The group ended by agreeing to continue the process via monthly or quarterly bridge line phone conference calls in a effort to move a number of the ideas from concept to reality. Now the question becomes, will we do it? Like many ideas, that’s all they are if you don’t follow through and put the action and the effort behind the talk. If you’d like more information on participating in the group, contact Larry Bier at: larry@breezesoftware.com
Get Motivated
About three months ago, I got a flyer in the mail for a one-day seminar in Seattle with several nationally know speakers such as Zig Zigler, Goldie Hawn, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Hopkins and others. It caught my eye, I like to hear good speakers and the price was a whopping $49.00 for up to ten people to attend. Not $49.00 per person, but up to ten people could attend for a total of $49.00 (that’s $4.90 cents per person). The flyer also caught the eye of one of my office staff and she asked if she could attend, I said sure, why don’t we close the office for a day and we will all attend as a company wide educational event and have lunch together. So the money was sent in and we set aside the day to attend. About two weeks before the event, someone in the office raised the issue of pay. They wanted to know if I was going to pay them to attend or did they have to attend on their own time? I thought about it. Good questions, the issue had never crossed my mind, being I don t get a regular paycheck. I said, yes, it’s an educational day, an investment, I’m willing to make an investment in my staff and my company and Yes, I’ll pay you as if you worked the entire day. So I figured everyone was set to go. The day before the seminar, I talked with my office manager and asked, where are we going to meet at the seminar site? I figured we would all sit together and talk things over as it happened and then find a place for lunch. To my surprise, she said that she had heard that the event was about religion and scientology and she and others didn’t want to go. Say what? I never heard that before. My understanding was that this was a motivational program, not a revival. So the rumor spread throughout the office, and even after I bribed my assistant by saying come for one hour and if you don t like it you can leave and I’ll pay you for the day, and he said fine, I’ll be there, then didn t show up. My office manager shows, but leaves before lunch, the office person who asked to go in the first place doesn t show at all and a high school student trainee showed up and stayed until mid afternoon. Myself and one other worker stayed for and enjoyed the entire program.
So what’s the story here? It opened my eyes to how difficult it can be to provide employee training on the job. Many workers don’t see the need or want for training unless they can see a specific benefit to them and many will find a good reason or even a rumor as a reason for not attending. I guess it’s just human nature. You can lead a horse to water, but you can t make them drink unless they are thirsty.
As for the speakers, one did have a religious flavor; a couple of others mentioned that they couldn’t have accomplished what they had achieved in life without a strong belief in God. But it certainly wasn’t a religious revival.
Interestingly enough, what they were really selling, other than motivational speakers was a software program to play the stock market for $1000.00 and roughly 2000 people bought it, including me.
98% of the program was each speaker sharing with attendees his or her experience and discussing what they saw as keys to their personal success. Over all it was an excellent and useful program. For those who didn’t attend, here are a few tidbits of what you missed.
George Ross – Donald Trumps Lawyer and the bad guy on The Apprentice
You got to get through the crap to get to the good stuff
Pre-planning is a key to success, then do it. Most only talk about it.
After meetings, come up with a plan of action with steps for implementation and a time line.
Tom Hopkins – The Sales Guru
Find your niche
Have a passion for what you do so you don’t see it as work.
Love what you do
Make questions a part of your conversational style
When selling give people alternate choices that give you an acceptable result
Answer a question with a question that will get a yes answer
Home-based businesses are hot – A lot of people want to do something worthwhile with their lives and their time
Eliminate negatives words that create stress or fear in the buyer’s mind. Such as:
The price – instead refer to it as the total investment
Down payment – instead call it the initial investment
Sign – instead ask people to approve, ok or authorize
Buy – talk about owning
Don’t sell things – get people involved – help them acquire
For more info visit: www.tomhopkins.com
Dick Vitale – The Coach
Success is an ordinary person with extra-ordinary desire, dreams and enthusiasm
You can accomplish anything – it’s only a matter of time and effort
You have to be able to commit to make your goals a reality
Take care of today
Look in the mirror three times a day and tell it who you are
Don’t take the easy way out – face challenges head on with the best of your abilities
Character is the game of life
Have a passion for anything and everything you do.
The difference between a champ and a chump is you.
For more info visit: www.dickvitale.com
Goldie Hawn – We Love you Goldie
With laughter a career and a character was born
Laughter transcends all languages and cultures
Laughter is healing
And 10,000 people laughed with Goldie
Zig Zigler – The World s Greatest Motivational Speaker
You are not a victim, you have choices
Motivation gives you the want to; training gives you the how to.
You can get what you want if you help others get what they want
You can not be what you can not see
Every person needs a game plan for his or her life, without it you are lost.
Genius – the ability to focus on the issue at hand
Goal setting is bringing the future into the present and doing something about it
Respond, don’t react
Don’t have pity parties
To see things differently you need new glasses
Your dreams grow when you do
50% of the people leave their jobs because they don t feel respected or appreciated.
You can make colossal growth if you take small steps
You will be dead much longer than you will be alive
You’ve got to prime the pump of success with an investment of time, effort and money.
Rudy Giuliani – Former New York City Mayor
Leadership for All to Understand
Leaders are made, not born
The most important characteristic of a leader is to have a love and a care for others – to be there when others need you.
Principals for Leadership
You must have strong beliefs and principals
Communications
Get your message out
Speak from your heart and mind to others
Know what you are talking about
Research so you are prepared
Teamwork
Understand it, use it, apply it
Surround yourself with the experts you need
Balance your weakness with the strengths of others
Relentless Preparation
Anticipate
Rehearse
Prepare for everything you can anticipate and you will be prepared for those things you can’t anticipate
Be prepared for the worst that can happen and you will be as prepared as you can be for whatever does happen
Have courage of your convictions
Manage your fears
Live your beliefs
You must be optimistic
People follow hope and solutions to their problems
Be a problem solver
Have a dream and a vision
