A time to be Thankful!~ John J Arent

As we approach what is perhaps the greatest holiday of the year...Thanksgiving...I wanted to post a follow-up to my blog in February 2012 entitled Gratitude...

http://amgtconsulting.blogspot.com/2012/02/gratitude-is-feeling-thankful-gift-last.html

Recently the East Coast has been hit by two major storms that have caused loss of life and and has brought much pain to millions of people in the storm's path.  I recall as a young boy growing up when the 1962 storm destroyed thousands of homes along the coast of New Jersey.  I had never before seen such destruction where homes were in the swampland and I prayed to God that I would never see it again.  This storm eclipsed that storm of 50 years ago by a wide margin but also brought a feeling of togetherness as we move forward.  I do not live on the coast anymore but witnessed what we all saw on the news channels.  The devastation was horrific but the strength of mankind is evident.  You did not hear of looting but rather a "coming together" to get through this disaster.  Across the vast area affected, crime was minimal...support was universal. One life lost is far too many but the ability to evacuate and heed the warnings saved thousands of lives during these storms.  The leadership in those states and our national leaders are to be congratulated  for their strength and support to their constituents. I know of several people who have taken off from their jobs to help people displaced in this natural disaster.  I applaud them and their sacrifice and will keep them in my prayers as we rebuild through this tragedy.  I am reminded of a quote that helps me in time of great struggles and will paraphrase what those words meant to me....

"Be grateful to everyone you meet and your blessings will shine through you to them and beyond...By doing this everyday will be a GREAT day".  In other words, live the golden rule.  Help each other through tragedy and our lives together will be rewarding in this life and beyond.

Some thoughts on "how to build a terrific team?" ~ John J. Arent

Over the years I have seen some great teams put together in sports and more importantly for our subject, the business world.  There are several key qualities that I wanted to list to help you build that "dream team".  to make this article brief, I am going to limit my thoughts to just 5 qualities...Please feel free to add more and I encourage you to do so by your comments.  Let's start with:

1. COMMUNICATION ~ You want to staff your team with people who are not afraid to speak up and offer a different point of view.  By sharing ideas respectfully, a true team can emerge.  Also do not forget that the most important part of communication is listening!
2. Blending of various backgrounds ~ As most successful investors preach diversity, it is those managers and leaders who can bring together a group of people with various bckground and insights which will help build a strong, unbeatable team.  Expand your thinking beyond just talent, but also consider culture, experience, education, geography.
3. Cultural Fit ~ In earlier articles I shared with you my thoughts on cultural fit and core values.  Do not under any circumstance allow for anyone not meeting the standards of the company to join the team.
4. Volunteer traits ~ Look for people who are active in their communities.  Generally these individuals are team oriented who are quite passionate about reaching goals.  Volunteers are generally very positive and outgoing Never forget that belief and passion is contagious.  Those colleagues who have a good positive attitude can move mountains....conversely those with bad attitudes can destroy one within minimal time.  This is especially true during times of crisis....who do you want on your team...someone who will persevere or someone who quits!
5. "Gut" feeling ~ Never lose sight of your gut feeling about people.  It rarely lies!

I hope that these ideas may "turn on the lightbulb".  In any case, I enjoyed putting my thoughts together and look forward to hearing from you....All my best!