Volume 6, Issue 12 - December, 2007

• Tis the Season of Values
If there are seasons to our thinking, then December and January are the season when our thoughts shift to our values and possibly the reawakening and renewal of value based behavior in the coming year.

As I look at our world and particularly this passing year, there are many good things to be thankful for. Sadly, there are many things to be discouraged about as well. While our economy is good, the threat of trouble looms on the horizon. While we have plenty of candidates for President, there aren’t any that have truly captured the imagination of a country in need of real leadership. While we are benefiting from low cost products from China, we are also at risk from products that are not always safe. At the same time we are faced with ongoing terrorism in the world and the threat of nuclear holocaust. Gandhi pretty well outlined our problems in 1925 with his Seven Sins:

Politics without Principle
Wealth without Work
Pleasure without Conscience
Knowledge without Character
Commerce without Morality
Science without Humanity
Worship without Sacrifice

For more on the Seven Deadly Sins, you might want to pick up a copy of Stephen Covey’s “Principle Centered Leadership.”

Theodore Roosevelt also had a pretty good handle on what makes America great and what can destroy America when he said, “Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity, and hardihood – The virtues that made America. The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price… The love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”

Jon Huntsman in his book “Winners Never Cheat” may have provided a great roadmap for the New Year with his suggestions.

• “Begin with a question when you engage in something that affects others: Is this right? Would I like to be treated this way?
• Take your values to work. Don’t disconnect them when you sit down at your desk. There should not be tension between making profits and adhering to traditional principles of decency and fairness.
• Consider yourself your brothers’ and sisters’ keeper when setting the example for ethical behavior.
• Make the underpinnings of your life a string of f-words (at least phonetically): family, faith, fortitude, fairness, fidelity, friendship and philanthropy.”

As leaders, we owe it to our customers, our employees and our employers to set the standard. Make 2008 the Best Year Ever!

• PLANET – Green Industry Conference
Recently I had the privilege of speaking at the Green Industry Conference in Louisville for the Professional Landcare Network Conference. It was a very interesting show with a huge educational schedule as well. This is a growing industry with some potential for my friends from the Hardware Industry. Certainly there was a tremendous amount of equipment on display with hands on testing taking place outside the building.
Our friends at Snap-On were there selling maintenance software. There were others selling tire changing equipment. It looked to me like there are opportunities for hand and power tool manufacturers, gas can producers, storage system people and other hardware products.

• Other Events
In November I had the privilege of presenting my program on Decision-Making to The North Coast Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. Precision Printing also had me present the Decision-Making program to their customers and to their sales force.

December will find me in San Diego presenting workshops on “The Leader in You” and “Strategic Staffing” at the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs National Care and Prevention Grantee Conference put on by the Department of Health & Human Services.

If you have an interest in any of these programs or would like to discuss having me present something entirely different, please call me toll free at (866) 598-8450.

If you have a subject that you would like to see covered in future issues of “Taking Aim,” please send me an email at aim@CannonAdvantage.com.

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Robert E. Cannon
Management Consultant
13985 Aquilla Road
Burton, OH 44021 USA
866.598.8450 phone/v-mail
440.834.1052 facsimile

aim@cannonadvantage.com


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Smart Thoughts from Smart People

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.

Agnes M. Pharo

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.

Roy L. Smith

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.

Burton Hillis

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!

Author Unknown

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