Who keeps pooping on the porch?

If you are an adult then chances are at some point in your life you had a dog as a pet. In many instances you got the dog as a puppy and took the liberty of raising it and nurturing it as it became a part of the family to some aspect. It probably ended up sleeping with you or very near you and even stayed by your side while you were walking around your house. One thing is for sure and that is that the relationship probabaly didn’t start off too grand!

When you get a new puppy it seems to be so sweet! It is so cute and cuddly! It has the cutest little bark and even has nice puppy breath. You love on it and squeeze it and all is fantastic.... until you have to house train it! The first time you have to pick up puppy poop or step in it you realize that this may not have been a good idea. You start trying to train it but you realize that this little animal is a pooping and peeing machine and no matter how much you take it out there always seems to be more to come!

We were always taught to rub it’s nose in it or close to it and pop it’s butt and put it outside in order to train it to not go in the house. You have to make sure you get up in the middle of the night to let it out so you don’t end up stepping in something on your way to the bathroom. You have to make sure you take it out multiple times during the day to make sure it doesn’t go in the house. Taking care of a puppy is almost as tiring as taking care of an infant. 

Well, let’s say that your puppy gets a little older and has learned to scratch at the door to go out and you think it has finally learned. Then you let it out and instead of going to the yard to use the bathroom it goes on the porch. So now you have to spend time trying to get it to actually make it to the yard to finish its business. It almost seems like there is no end in sight.

Then the dog gets older and for some reason or another  the dog always wants to poop in the house or on the porch and you’re thinking to yourself ‘What am I doing wrong?’ So, you decide to find a different owner since you’ve stepped in its poop for the last time. Though it’s hard to do, it may be necessary because possibly the dog doesn’t like you or the circumstance it lives in or quite frankly maybe it’s just very stubborn and likes to make you mad. Either way you have to make a tough decision and let it go. 

What is my angle here and what does this have to do with anything?

Who keeps pooping on the porch?

Do you have someone at work that you work with or supervise that for some reason or another likes to always poop on your porch?

Chances are that you either have one currently that you work with or supervise or without much effort you can think of one from the past.

What’s does pooping on the porch mean before you answer that?

Well, do you have someone, that you work with, that’s always negative and loves talking about people. Do they often talk about fellow employees in a negative light? Is there someone that talks about your place of business or the people they work with negatively in public?  Are they quick to point out all the the faults and negative things about the people or the business and rarely, or if at all, speak of anything positively? If so, you may have one that likes to poop on the porch!

How do you deal with one that does so?

 Well, first you have to be able to see how this affects the people and the business. Chances are that this type of attitude is a huge distraction and more than likely causes others to be negative as well. If this type of behavior continues it could actually be a disease that infects all involved and may possibly decay the workplace from within.

Is there anything that can be done? Sure, if someone likes to poop on the porch like this then it can be a couple of things. 1st, maybe there is a training issue. Maybe this particular person is so negative because they weren’t trained properly and seems to think that they deserve more.(Not that negative behavior is ever a good thing and should ever be tolerated).

2nd, maybe this person is just bitter. Maybe they are just mad at life in general and don’t see anything in a positive light. Maybe they had a hard life and like to take it out on everyone else. They are the one that wouldn’t take extra training or positive feedback as a good thing. This is the one that you’ll probably recognize and see the most. They are the negative Nancy that can’t ever see the good or positive in anything and yet are the same ones that don’t seem to want to help do anything or help change things to make them better. They would rather complain and make everyone around them as miserable as they are.

Both of these are legitimate reasons that someone might continually poop on the porch but neither should be tolerated because it could take a detrimental effect on the workplace and the other people that work there. Should one person’s views and negative behavior be able to influence everyone else? I think not!

The only two things that you can do is to try to help them by training them or let them go to a new home. 

The1st is training them. If you decide to train them then you would have to do so with positive reinforcement and feedback. They need to know why you are doing it and what you’re trying to accomplish. This may be difficult with a very long term employee. They may not understand why the necessity of this new training and feel like they are being singled out. They are being singled out in a way but it’s only because they shined the light in themselves!

The 2nd thing is you have to give them away to a good home! Much like the dog may need a new home to strive, the negative person may need to be let go to show how much their demeanor has effected everyone to the point that they are let go. I know this can be hard but sometimes in order for them or the other people that are employed there to grow then sometimes you have to prune away the dead or fruitless limbs. Sometimes, in order for them to change, they must see the seriousness of their actions and sometimes merely words are not enough.

If this is you and you find yourself constantly being negative and being a bad influence in the workplace then maybe you need to go somewhere else before you are made to go. On the other hand, if this is you and you want to continue where you are then maybe you just need to ask for help and see if there are ways to help you get some training to stop pooping in the porch!

Shaking the Coke can!

Do you remember when you were younger and you thought it would be funny to shake up a can of Coke and watch someone open it so it would spray all over them? I know I did it a few times but when I think about it I don't think it would be that funny if it happened to me. It definitely leaves a mess and makes whoever it happens to very mad.

The same type thing happens if you leave a full can in your car when it is hot. The pressure builds up so high that it eventually explodes. That also leaves one heck of a mess and it is very difficult to clean up fully.

Do you ever feel like that can of Coke that has been shaken? Have you ever felt like you could just explode? Well, that's what I am talking about here.

We often times, myself included, let things weigh us down so much that we get frustrated and upset and instead of talking it out we let it build until there is nowhere else for it to go and we explode on someone. Often times it comes out on the closest one to us much like whoever is holding that can of Coke. We are quick to snap on a spouse, a co worker or ourselves whenever we have hit our boiling point. Sometimes it can be simply in a verbal way but often times it could result in a physical altercation which neither one of these things are acceptable. If you were to do something like this there could be severe consequences and even severed relationships.

What can be done that will help keep the pressure from building to that point?

The best way to combat these things from happening is simply to talk it out. I am bad about letting things build up and getting overly angry at something that I really shouldn't simply because I am not one to talk about too many personal things. I often times won't even talk to my wife like I should when there is something bothering me or on my mind. Talking it out is usually the most effective way to handle these things and can also be the most beneficial because there may be someone that could help you or give you good advice. It could be close friend or family member that can just listen to you and maybe even comfort you through some tough times or decisions. It could be someone that is going to give you the cold hard truth even though it could be the most difficult thing to hear. Either way just having someone to go to or talk to can make a huge difference in your life especially if you are one that struggles with life every day and don't ever seem to be able to make it out.

We often create our own toughest times as well. We get into things and make bad decisions that seem to make us think that there is no way out and we lash out at others when that's not necessary. Sometimes we just need to take responsibility and own up to it and deal. We often times need to hold ourselves accountable before we take it out on someone else. Lack of self accountability, I think, is one of the main reasons for unnecessary pressure build up when we want to blame everyone else for our mistakes and problems. You know what I mean??...the victim mentality?!

All this to say.... have someone that you can talk to. Get someone that can be there to listen to you when you are struggling or made a poor decision. Get a mentor or 2 that can be there when you can't figure out a problem or seem like you have no where else to turn. You may be like me and have a hard time trusting people or telling people your problems but it can make a world of difference in your life if you have a couple of people that can help you carry whatever burden that you are carrying...whether you caused it or not.

I hope this may help someone that may be struggling with something to be able to release some of that pressure before you explode!

Laying new floor! So what? What’s the difference?

My latest Facebook Live video had to do with laying new flooring in our house. We are about to put our house up for sale and build a house so we are starting to do some things to spruce it up a little. Now, there’s not much wrong with our house since it was built in 2011 or 2012 but sometimes you have to change some things in order to get the most out of it while possibly changing someone’s perception.

Now, laying down flooring can be somewhat expensive and labor intensive so why would we decide to do this particular upgrade before selling? Well, for starters our house had a lot of carpet and we all know that carpet doesn’t take long to get dirty especially if you have children or pets. So, if there is dirty carpet in the house that could immediately change what people perceive the house to be while walking through the house especially if they think that the first expense they will incur would be quite expensive. So, many times just putting out a little money in advance and investing it in replacing the flooring could make a huge difference in one’s buying discision. Painting could also help which we are doing as well.

What is my point you might ask? Well, much like changing the flooring in a house could change someone’s perception and possibly add value, changing someone’s perception of you could come by just changing something small about what you do or possibly change a characteristic about yourself through effort! It may take some time to change someone’s perception of you but you have to start somewhere. If you’re known as a liar then stop lying! If you are known as dishonest or a thief then stop stealing! It’s that simple! Many times you start doing things every once in a while because you get away with it then before you know it that becomes a habit and then you’re doing it all the time.

I know what you might be thinking! You’re thinking that you don’t care what people think about you! I think that in itself is a lie because most people want to be liked and respected but let’s say that’s not the case for you. If you’re in commission sales of any sort you must care about what people think about you because nowadays you are not the only game in town or in the area like you may have been 10 or 20 years ago. Today a customer can search, price and compare a few different business and sales people online without leaving their house and much of what they find online can determine where they do business! If they search and see that your place of business has a bunch of 1 star reviews doesn’t that affect you if you work there? Sometimes it might affect you directly or indirectly but you must do all you can to change their perception even if you’re not named in the review or source.

The moral of this short lesson is to make sure that what people think and say about you is mostly positive because that could make the difference in your future business! It may not 100% affect you right now but it could catch up with you down the road maybe with your current place of business or possibly a new place that you’re looking to apply. Remember that even business owners and managers may search you online before they make that final decision whether to hire you or not because ultimately your online presence is your new resume whether it’s good or bad!

Do you make a difference?

Jeff Parton and myself did our Facebook Live this morning as usual. Today we decided to talk about that 1 customer or situation that was either special or moved us in some way. I went first and I talked about a situation that I experienced with one of my previous customers.


Wednesday I came in to work, it was really my off day and I hardly take a full one off, but I was in a bad mood. I have been having a few tough days and for some reason or another I couldn't shake it. I was even a little ill toward my wife this same morning which almost never happens. I even got out of my truck and said to myself that I should just go back home since my attitude was terrible. It's rare that I'm in a bad mood but today it was definitely on my back.


As I was getting settled in at work this same morning one of the service advisors came to me and said a customer was here to see me. I then said to him that I didn't have the right attitude right then to talk to anyone. After I said that, I asked him who it was. He then told me her name and I immediately tried to remember the last time that I had talked to her and her husband. She was in service a few months ago and we talked about her husband and how he was doing. He had developed Alzheimer's and wasn't feeling well enough on that day to come in. I ended up paying for half of a new car battery that she needed and she left. I haven't seen her since that day.


Now back to present day.... I walked in the side door and she was standing there looking towards me. I could tell immediately that something was bothering her and that she had something to tell me. I felt that I already knew by the way she looked and the fact that Mr Jullian wasn't with her again. I hugged her and as I was hugging her she started to tear up and inform me that he had passed away last month which would've been May. As I stood there speaking with her I tried my best to comfort here but it's really a hard thing to do when someone loses someone that they really loved. But I noticed something while we were speaking and that was a since of calm that was on her. She started talking about the love for Jesus that he had and that seemed to help comfort her since she knew where he was and the comfort he had and the lack of pain he had. He was now praising his Savior face to face which is something that all true believers dream of.


As we were finishing our conversation she showed me a video from this past Christmas of Mr Jullian smiling as he was listening to a song about Jesus. She told me that he didn't really smile much and that it was hard to see emotion on him but at that particular moment he was joyous. She told me that he listened to that song a few times and the whole time he had that big smile on his face. (Who knows, maybe he was thinking about what it would be like when he finally meets his Savior and it brought joy to him?) After the video we hugged and she looked at me, as I'm trying to choke back tears, and said to me, 'Gary, I love you and so did Jullian and I pray for you all the time. I have your face on the refrigerator and I see it everyday'. At this point I couldn't talk or I would lose it so I said I love you too and thank you for that and walked away. I had no idea how I would continue to stand there and talk with her anymore so I had to go.


Later on I went and took care of her service bill and from what I was told she was almost in tears as she left.


The moral of this story is you never know who you are going to come into contact with that could help or change theirs or your life or at least make an impact on. If you are the last person that someone could potentially come into contact with what would you say? What would you talk about? What help could you offer them that might make a difference in their life?


We get in such a big hurry in life that we sometimes overlook those that are struggling with something and we tend to miss things that we could say or do that might change the direction of their life. I'm guilty of this as well. I have no excuse except of the fact that I can be selfish sometimes with my life and that gets in the way of me noticing someone else's struggles.


I hope this particular post helps someone that may be struggling with something in their life and you feel there is no way out.

How’s your Open Door?

The past few days I did a Facebook Live video on my Facebook page and the primary focus was for you to be able to check your Open Door and see how effective it is. I essentially gave 3 ways to improve it and gave 4 things that you could be missing if you didn’t follow the 3 ways to improve your open door!

Tuesday and Wednesday I basically covered the 3 ways to improve your Open Door. The 1st way is to be Proactive and not reactive. The more Proactive you are with your people the easier it will be for you to head off serious problems and opportunities as well as help keep up morale. In other words, be more seen by your people and let them know that you care by actually talking with them and actually hearing them. Sure, you may have a few that do nothing but complain but those are the ones that are probably hurting your business and culture and need to go anyways. The 2nd point was to actually show your people you care. Much of this could be accomplished by simply listening since that’s all most people want anyways. This doesn’t mean to give them everything they want and fulfill all there demands and desires but simply lending an ear and actually paying attention to what they are saying. The 3rd point was to be interested and involved with your people and in your business. Actually caring and being engaging can handle this one sometimes but if you’re always couped up behind your desk it isn’t going to be too inviting. Remember that most people are timid and intimidated about talking to management especially if they don’t believe your door is actually an open one and confidential one. So, not only to you need to make yourself available you must also be trustworthy!

Now, there are a few things you could miss if you don’t have an effective open door. The 1st is you could miss one of your employees that’s really struggling with something and it would’ve been an opportunity for you to help them. There again if you’re Proactive instead of reactive you might have seen this earlier before it got so serious. The 2nd thing you could miss is the next superstar. There is always one unique and gifted individual that slips through the cracks because they aren’t noticed or shown attention. This mostly happens because management overlooks them because they aren’t involved with their people as they should. Next thing you know is that superstar is working for your competition and there’s nothing you can do now but cry over spilt milk! The 3rd thing you could miss is a great idea. Often times great ideas come from the least greatest of people or situations. If you would just keep your eyes and ears open and actually converse with your people sometimes you might pick up an idea that will send your business skyrocketing! The 4th and final thing you could miss is the fact that someone may be stealing from you or taking advantage of you without you knowing until it’s far too late! This often happens because you aren’t interested and invested in your people enough to be able to pick up on questionable situations and people! If you were this may not happen!

All this to say that I believe that having an effective Open Door or not having one is both the cause and solution of poor morale in the workplace. If you have an effective open door and actually use it regularly then chances are you have pretty good morale in your place of business. On the other hand, if you don’t have an effective Open Door, or one at all, then chances are the morale in and around the workplace is suffering and then so is your profits.

Take a serious look at your Door to see if it’s actually open all the way or is it closed and locked! Just because it’s open doesn’t mean it’s really open to your employees!