Thanksgiving

Thanks.

All too often this simple word is missed during business conversation. I know that during the day to day operations of my company, we say thanks in many non-verbal ways. We say thanks by continuing to do business with suppliers who do good work for the company. We say thanks by giving a raise to an employee who has met or exceeded goals during the course of a year. We give thanks to our customers by picking up the cost of freight or adding additional discount for continued patronage. The truth is that as human beings we assume, to our detriment, that everyone knows we are grateful for the things we receive from others.

Business tends to be very "black and white" and "by the numbers". As President of an organization, I find myself often dealing in absolutes. During thanksgiving, I always take time to reflect on the people who make our business possible. I am thankful for our manufacturer reps. who go to bat to get a deal done for a customer and help us in a pinch. I am thankful for our distributors who go the extra mile to get product and services out on time and get us a price that keeps us competitive.  I am thankful for our consultants, who sit and listen to crazy ideas and turn them into a workable plan. I am thankful for our customers, who put their trust, and in some rare cases, their careers on the line, trusting that my company will do right by them.  I am thankful for our employees, for without them there is no company.   I am thankful for my friends, who, among other things, convince me to go for a bike ride when I need one.  I am thankful for my family, who tolerates the endless hours spent working. I am thankful for my wife, who even when she doesn't understand what's bothering me, pretends she does and makes me feel better by doing so.

The world is a very different place than it was 18 months ago.  There is much worry and uncertainty and instability.  What makes this world manageable for me is that I have many wonderful people that make up my professional and personal world.  If I haven't said it lately.  Simply put.......

Thanks