Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2009 - (Page 8)

Two Important Words: Thank You! FROM THE PRESIDENT BY FRED SHELDON, NRWA PRESIDENT Isn’t this the way of Rural Water? Isn’t this the way courtesy should be our hallmark, not just an afterthought. we were raised? Common THANK YOU! No two words in the English language say so much with so little. Eight letters, two words, one piece of punctuation. Even the punctuation says a lot. A simple period, and the thank you is simple. A question mark, and you’re asking “Why thank you?” An exclamation point and thank you becomes two important words that look as if they’re shouted from the mountaintop. I would like to further explain how important the words THANK YOU are. We all go to DC and ask for funding once a year. Most times, we properly tell the person we have talked to, “Thank you,” and then we leave until the following year, when, at the Rally or a ﬂy-in, we are back face-to-face with a Senator, Congressman or staff person. How many of us take the time to do a follow-up call when we get home to say thank you to the staffer who squeezed you in, or the Senator or Congressman who took time from their busy schedules to listen to you? Do you thank them even if they didn’t sign our letter or agree with our request? I’ve always found that the easiest way of having someone remember you is to start with a thank you. We’re in D.C. at a very busy time every year, and there are hundreds of people in and out of those same Congressional ofﬁces asking for everything under the sun. However, very few of them remember to say thank you after they’ve gone home. The same thing holds true at your state capitol, too. It only takes a minute to give them a call or drop them a note to thank them for their time. This will accomplish two things; one, they will know that you were thankful for their time and, two, you will have started building a very important relationship. One former staffer told me, “I always remembered the people who took the time to come back, call back or send a note to say thank you. The people who, for example, would ask if there was an event back home that the Senator/Congressman would like to attend. Or, is there a community in need of water or wastewater assistance that the Senator/Congressman might know of? They were asking to help without asking for anything in return.” Isn’t this the way of Rural Water? Isn’t this the way we were raised? Common courtesy should be our hallmark, not just an afterthought. Trust me, when it comes to “crunch time” in those same ofﬁces, they’ll remember Rural Water and YOU will be the ﬁ rst people they call! So, as we prepare to go to the Rural Water Rally on April 19-21 in Washington, D.C., remember that we are one concerted voice for Rural Water. Remember that together, we are more than the sum of our parts. Remember that we’re all in this together, that there is strength in numbers and that we really do need each other. Most importantly, remember that as rural folks, we always say “Thank you!” Thank YOU for all that you do for your state association, your national association and your utility. THANK YOU for taking the time to read this article. 8 • First Quarter 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2009

Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2009 Contents From the President Question & Answer: Water Conservation in the Home Avoiding the Humpty Dumpty Approach to Data Backup From the CEO What the Future Holds Asset Management for Small Communities Understanding Your Surface Water Source: The Rivers Hydraulic Models Expeditionary Water Packaging System Graces Delta The Rural Water Rally in April Training in Hawaii Regulatory Update Rural Water Releases Report on Water Infrastructure Projects and Economic Stimulus Legislation Throwing My Loop Advertisers.com Index to Advertisers

Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2009

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