The last few weeks have been tough…

The shop has been busy. We had my wife’s aunt staying with us. I finally managed to overcome my own personal nemesis and Achilles Tendon since childhood, Bronchitis – again. And, I haven’t been able to work out – in the pool or otherwise, since the last time I wrote about it here.

All in all, this is not the optimum scenario for me or anyone else, for that matter.

I think that’s why no one seemed to understand why I would wake up early… really, early… this past Sunday morning to drive the seventy-plus miles to Santa Barbara for a shop management seminar when that’s the same kind of thing I’ve been presenting for more than twenty-five years.

I don’t blame them! At first, I couldn’t understand it myself. Nevertheless, I was driven – figuratively speaking, of course – to do exactly that!

So, after a quick stop at Java Johnny’s – purveyor of the world’s most exquisite (and, powerful) coffee –  for a “special” and a large coffee with a double-shot… Hey! It’s a long drive and the Corvette isn’t the only thing that requires “High Octane” fuel! – Bob Seger, Blues Traveler, Dave Matthews and John Mayer found ourselves on the “Old Road” to Highway 126, and then the 101 Freeway to the Fess Parker Inn to listen to my friend, Ken Brookings, hold forth.

It would be hard to describe just how beautiful it was taking the “Old Road” to Ventura and then heading North on the 101. So, I’m not going to try…

I’ll show you instead. The picture quality isn’t what I’d hoped it might be. But, then again, trying to achieve great picture quality while rocketing along at seventy-four or seventy-six mile per hour may not be a realistic goal. Especially, when you’re the only one in the vehicle! And, I wasn’t able to catch the waves crashing over the rocks on to the southbound lanes like I wanted to… So, you’ll just have to take my word for it. But, it was magnificent, nevertheless!

Regardless, I made it to the seminar venue with just enough time to watch the para-gliders do their thing (Sorry, too busy watching and enjoying to think about more pictures…) and park myself for more than four hours of great information, stimulating conversation and a spectacular lunch.

It’s interesting to see how others react to a morning spent like this: Why did you go? Didn’t you have anything else to do? What in the world could possibly be worth that kind of a drive? Or, my personal favorite: I thought you already knew all that stuff!

The fact of the matter is: Information is power! There isn’t anything I wanted to do more than I wanted to go and sit and learn that morning! Hanging out with smart people and listening to what they have to say was well worth the drive! And, yes: I do know all that stuff already! But, as you learn and grow, everything you read or hear or experience impacts you in new and different ways and on formerly unexplored levels based on all the new information you processed. Consequently, the morning was glorious!

Almost as glorious as the ride home listening to the car’s tunes and thinking about all the great stuff I just learned for the first time all over again!

There are few things in the world that get me crazier than average. Average drives me nuts!

No one I know strives to be average, at least no one I actually want to know or continue to have a relationship with.

Striving to be average is all about giving up, coasting, taking the easy way out, accepting ‘good enough’ as good enough. It’s about complacency… accepting things as they are because doing nothing is less complicated and takes far less energy than doing anything.

I’m not talking about someone who is trying the best they can but can’t prevail because of circumstance, limited opportunity or limited ability. I’m not talking about the people who can’t do any better or try any harder… By definition, they are trying as hard as they can to be the best they can be; to do the best they are capable of doing.

I’m talking about the people who could make a difference, who could do better: but, after careful consideration, choose not to. Generally, at the risk of putting themselves or someone close to them in danger of some sort. They would rather work at ‘getting by,’ than work at getting better. And, I think what bothers me most of all about this social or cultural phenomenon is that it seems to be growing.

People come by the shop to take an order or solicit our business, either representing themselves or other companies, and they just barely manage to follow the script, as if showing up was enough. They don’t bring anything of value to the relationship, they don’t create anything of consequence, they don’t move information up or down the pipeline. Hell, half the time they don’t even say Hello!

I can’t live like that. I don’t think I would even if I could: could, as in allowed. I’m not wired that way and neither are any of the people I work with. They are constantly trying to learn more, get better, accomplish something significant, overcome obstacles, attain success. Now, they may choose to define success a little differently than the majority might define it. Their success isn’t always about ’stuff’ or money. More often than not, it’s about that feeling of satisfaction that can only come from doing something extraordinary. And, extraordinary rarely occurs without a serious compliment of exertion.

I think the answer is not only simple, it’s obvious. This level of performance – Or, perhaps, more appropriately – this level of non-performance, should no longer be accepted as adequate by anyone anywhere at any time anymore.

Complacency should be banished, and its practicioners and advocates no longer tolerated or accepted.

I don’t know about you, but I think I’m going to give it a try… And, the sign I place at the edge of the  driveway will read: Average No Longer Tolerated Here

I actually wrote and posted this to my other blog site earlier today, but felt it was really appropriate to this site as well. So, here it is…

I just got off the phone following a twenty minute interview conducted by a Vice President at one of the nation’s (The “world’s,” actually…) largest and most respected public relations companies. The interview was focused on our experience with TMPS – I know, it sounds like the interview was all about really ‘cranky’ tires. But, it was really about what you know about these highly sophisticated Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems and how what you know impacts what we do in the field: “We” being the repair community.

To tell you the truth, while interesting from a philosophical or theoretical point of view, or on the basis of the marketing program it will ultimately generate – there was nothing all that extraordinary about the interview with one small exception, and that exception was a sliver of insight I was able to garner, a glimpse of what success in our relationship should really be all about… from your perspective: the only perspective that matters.

If my experience has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that the only way you can make anything automotive ‘relevant’ to a vehicle owner is to demonstrate that it is ‘meaningful.’ The interview I just completed helped me clarify that; perhaps, even quantify it more than anything I’ve ever done: especially, when it comes to anything even remotely ‘technical.’

It’s really all a matter of three questions, maybe four. The first question should be the most obvious: What does ‘it,’ whatever ‘it‘ might be, mean? And, that should translate to: What does it mean… to me! How will it impact me: economically, from the standpoint of safety, as a matter of inconvenience, et al.

If this is relating to a warning lamp, noise or a potential  mechanical problem, the second question is or should be: How will I know? That question is really all about how to tell if there is something going wrong before it actually fails and really goes wrong.

The third question is really a two part question: What do I do about ‘it:’ whatever ‘it‘ might be? And/or, what do I do to avoid ‘it‘ altogether.

The fourth questionis, if there really is a fourth question, is: How will all or any of this impact me (meaning you)?

I’ll be exploring these and other questions over the next month or so if for no other reason than to help me find better, more appropriate, more meaningful, more relevant ways to help you.

If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Like the computer in your car or truck, this will work better if the communication is bi-directional. But, we can talk about that later!