FROM GOOD OLE UNCLE VIC

January 2006

   Okay, the answer to last month's quiz: Where did the tradition of hanging stockings by the fire on Christmas Eve originate? Truth be told, there are several different opinions. It appears that in Turkey Saint Nicholas, a real live person, threw three gold coins down the chimney of three poor sisters. The coins each landed in one of the stockings of the sisters that were being dried on the mantle above the fire place. That is my story and I am sticking to it. Those who got it right: Drew Bonner, Andrea Mitsos, Malcolm Kahraman, Nora McDonald, Jennifer DeHoff, Selma Kahl, Sharon Whitlock, Jamie Zemel and Todd Gunter.

   This week's quiz, where did the expression "the whole kit and caboodle" originate as in "I want the entire thing, the whole kit and caboodle." lisa.hemovich@brickbodies.com.

   January is the time for New Year's Resolutions, of course. Recently Chuck, Glenn, Lynne and I went to a long range planning business seminar in Washington D.C. conducted by Verne Harnish. The first thing we did was discuss the importance of core values and a core purpose in the success of a company. We discussed the fact that the core values and core purpose are not just things that are written on a plaque and displayed behind the service desk. The core values and core purpose dictate the daily activities of the company. Every major decision must be sifted through the filter of the core values and core purpose.

   Core values are the guiding principles by which the company lives. They are what the company stands for.

   A core purpose is the company's reason for being. It is why the company is in business. It must be a cause bigger than just to make a profit or to dominate market share. It must give the company meaning.

   Our core values are loyalty, integrity and customer service. We chose three because three is easy to remember, such as "Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness" or "Duty, Honor, Country". In order for core values to be effective, they must be easily remembered and emphasized on a daily basis.

   Our core purpose is to help people enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Again, the core purpose must be easily remembered and dictate the daily activities of the company. If any of our staff can't remember the whole core purpose, the only part they really need to remember is "helping people". This goes back to Lynne's career as a Shock Trauma nurse and mine as a teacher and a coach. We have always been about helping people.

   When you think about it, each one of us is our own brand. Each one of us represents ourselves. This is true whether we really are in our own business or whether we work for someone else. In order to live a successful, fulfilled life, it is important for each of us to have our own core values and core purpose. Most of us probably know what values are important to us, but how many of us have really developed a formal set of core values and a core purpose: things we can remember and refer to when making difficult decisions in our lives?

   How do you develop a set of core values? Make a list of every value that is important to you. Honesty, integrity, hard work, pride, thoughtfulness, love, sincerity. Anything you can think of. At first write down anything that comes to mind. Then, after you have developed a thorough list, prioritize it. What is most important to you? What is second? What is third? Choosing the top values on the list and those are your core values. I recommend choosing no more than five or six. While everything on the list may be important to you, the ones you choose should either define you or define the type of person you would like to become.

   Now, how about that core purpose? The core purpose is not what you want to be when you grow up. It is not "to be a doctor" or "to retire by the time I am 50". While these are worthwhile lifetime goals, they are not your reason for being. They are not bigger than you. When all is said and done, how do you want to be remembered? What legacy do you want to leave? What effect do you want to have had on your world? Some examples of a core purpose are "to teach people", "to build things", "to create opportunities for people", "to save the environment", "to help children", "to improve the social status of my family", "to find a cure for a breast cancer", "to reduce infant mortality", "to be a light for others." A core purpose is something that is going to make a difference.

   So, what da ya reckon? Instead of making the same old New Year's Resolutions this year, what do you think about developing your core values and core purpose? The important thing, of course, is that once you develop them, you have to live by them! Happy New Year!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY