Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008 - (Page 7)

distractions or issues that would derail them from reaching their goals. They and their teams soar with the eagles, and leave the buzzards of life behind. Distractions of life will always be there—stay focused and on track to reach your destination, to be the best that you can be! • Striving and thriving: As we rode the train and started to progress into the mountains, one could hear a change in the sound of the locomotive.—it was obviously pulling harder to make it up a hill. However, the little train that could didn’t give up, it just worked harder and kept at it until it reached the top of the slope, and then roared down to the bottom at great speed. The train, for lack of a better word, trained harder! It huffed and it puffed and it reached its goal, actually ahead of time. Likewise, Nikki Stone had to train harder to reach the top of her profession. The injuries that she sustained when trying for her first Olympic Games could only be overcome by therapy and weight training to make her back stronger. The pain each day was incredible, but she kept at it until she reached the top of the hill, her profession as a skier, and then she zoomed down the slopes to a gold medal. There is no doubt that if we have goals, we will have to dedicate hard work towards them, sometimes for many years. However, the field of human endeavor clearly indicates that those who train and work hard, win. A good example of this is Tony Dungy, the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and winner of a Super Bowl while with the Colts. Prior to that, his was a very different story. He had been head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had a couple of dismal seasons under his leadership, and he was let go in 2002. Out of a job, with a growing family, it would seem that his career could have been at an end. But, he didn’t give up—he was picked up by the Colts, he worked hard, made the players and assistant coaches work hard, and they became the best team in the NFL by winning Super Bowl XLII in 2007. Ironically, for several years prior to the arrival of Coach Dungy, the Indianapolis Colts had been labeled the Indianapolis “Dolts”—at least by some in Indiana. Coach Dungy’s newest book, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices and Priorities of a Winning Life is an excellent read! • Staying with relationships: John Donne, an English clergyman and poet (1572-1632), stated, “No man is an island, entire of itself ” and it is clear that we do not stand alone for long. As one hears about people such as Nikki Stone, one learns that people truly become great because of great people behind them. For Nikki, it was her family that stuck with her through thick and thin. In addition, I was impressed with Coach Dungy’s story. It was obvious that his family, his faith, and his relationships with people of faith, gave him the strength to stay the course. Also, I would not have written so much if it had not been for my wonderful wife, Linda. She inspires and supports me to be better. Relationships are like railway bridges, across which the train must cross to reach its destination. The bridge connects point A to point B, much as our relationships strengthen us to move from one place in our careers to another. However, bridges often go unnoticed—sometimes they get run over by our aspirations, hopes, and dreams. Nonetheless, they remain there to support us, during the good and the bad. Take time to build relationships in the profession, at home, at work, and in the community. Thank people in your life who have helped you move ahead towards reaching your destination and your goals. Look for opportunities to help others to strive towards their goals by becoming a mentor. Just as the railway bridge holds the railroad tracks together, from one side of a river to the other, relationships are what hold our lives, our profession, and society together. Without relationships, families fail. Without relationships, organizations fail. Without relationships, nations fail, usually ending up with the tragedy of war. As this year winds down, and as we look at the state of national and international affairs, there seems to be much to distract us that could derail us from our goals. Let us learn from the little train that could: Set a goal or goals, stay on track and do not be distracted by the issues around us, stay focused, strive hard to be the best that we can be, and stay with and keep building relationships that will support us towards our goals, while we support others. Remember to soar with the eagles and leave the buzzards behind! W © Copyright 2008. Alan S. Bigger and Linda B. Bigger. Alan Bigger, REH, is the Director of Facilities at Earlham College in Richmond, IN, and President of APPA. Linda Bigger is a freelance editor. E-mail them at frugalperson@comcast.net. November 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 7

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008 Contents Executive Corner The Most Unwelcome Guests Good Housekeeping: Eliminating Pests from the Equation Frugal Housekeeper Director-at-Large Distribution Don’t Just Clean up After Birds—Get Rid of Them! Monday Night is Fly Night Green Pest Control Practices Executive Profile The Green Scene Keeping Hard Floors Clean For the Holidays Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members Advertisers’ Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.