the boss man…
well, like so many others, i have a boss. everybody has to report to someone and you will either like them, respect them, learn from them or the opposite. me? i am one of the fortunate ones. i like my boss. why? well, yesterday is one of the prime examples.
i am in sales for a commercial furniture dealership. specifically we are a corporate interior furnishings company that provides space planning, acoustical consulting, lighting analysis, and relocation services. the markets we service are corporate, healthcare, higher education, institutional, and industrial. i have been doing this now for two years come may 15 and have experienced great successes. this first quarter of ’08 however has been tuff. slowed economy, rising gas prices, election year, etc, etc, etc. did i mention i am commissioned sales? u don’t sell, u don’t eat! well, i’ve lost a few lbs. lately is all i’m sayin!
one of the most challenging things in sales and my job is covering all the different angles of attack in order to get to a signed purchase order. what happens is that it is so easy to become hood winked, travel down one road, experience some success, and the next thing you know, that is all you wind up spending your time on. bad idea! have you ever heard, don’t put all your eggs in one basket?
i approached my boss (i suggest making appointments to do so) yesterday with a multitude of new marketing ideas and approaches on reaching the different audiences we have to reach. all envolving spending money. some small sums and some moderate sums and none large. why is that such a big deal you ask? i am glad you asked. remember i said it has been a tough first quarter! yeah, and now i am asking the boss man to spend money!!! most bosses would laugh and say something like…”we are in a spending freeze”…”you just need to work harder” or, my all time favorite “all you ever want to do is spend !#@$R^% money”! i hate spending money, i really do. i prefer to multiply money. you have always heard that you have to spend money to make it? well, most of my plans seem to spend a lot of it! my boss (the reason i like him so) listens to me, he considers my marketing ideas, he makes suggestions, he asks questions, we work together and reach great decissions. we make it happen capatain! this influences me and makes me want to work harder for him and our company. so many bosses fall into the trap of wanting their employees to do things their own way and make their employees feel like they have NO worth or input. not my boss, he understands that there is more than one way to skin a cat! he says all the time how he learns from us more than we learn from him (which is not true btw but i understand why he says it…he’s a servant leader).
the bottom line is this…he influences being the boss(leader) that i so desire to be one day. he is a man of faith in JC, a man of integrity, a man of desire, ethics and results. he makes it easy to follow him. i hope that everyone is so blessed to have an earthly boss like Tom Partrick.
be encouraged…
