As I sit here peering at the shimmering lights of our Christmas Tree, I recall the shining star of 2000 years ago .. the Christmas Story.  No, not the “You’ll shoot your eye out” Christmas Story.  But the story I enjoy reading to the kids every Christmas morning.  It goes something like this:

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register.

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Whether you are Christian or not, remember the reason for the season.  Yes, it’s the birth of Jesus Christ but it’s also the season of giving; the season of sharing; and the season of caring.  Those are gifts we can all give, rich and poor.  Don’t wait for the joy of the season to come to you; take it to others.  That’s where you’ll find true joy. Tell someone today that you have enjoyed working with them this past year.  Tell them you enjoy their smile, their morning greeting, their cheer.  Remember the teachings of Dale Carnegie — “You’ll have more success in two months being genuinely interested in people than you will in two years trying to get people interested in you.”  Be giving of yourself this day, this year, and next.  Share with others, even if only a smile — that’s free.  Genuinely care for others.  Thank you to all of you Aquaterrians for sharing yourself with us this year.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night (or good rest of the year). Have a great and safe New Year as well.

We engineers, geologists, environmental scientists, and technicians are known to elude effective communication skills.  The gang over at lifehack.org have a good post on how to write effective e-mails.  So, check it out.  Do Your E-mails [Need Help]?  How to Write E-mails That Get Results.

If my e-mails need help, don’t tell me.  I read the article.  I’ll try to do better; I promise.

“Love breeds passion. Passion breeds action. Action breeds achievement.“~ Jeffrey Gitomer

Be passionate about what you do, what you desire to do; and you’ll achieve.

Being memorable and being remembered means doing creative and personal things.  It also means doing the expected and simple things well.  Here are some ideas and actions that you can incorporate into your efforts to make you and Aquaterra memorable and to deliver the WOW Factor:

1. Hand deliver your proposals and reports€¦this can make a big difference and is not done enough.  This is especially important if you are recommending additional work or services to be performed by Aquaterra.
2. Deliver your reports and proposals EARLY€¦what a concept, actually delivering what the client has asked for early!
3. Deliver more than you promised€¦complete the project on time, under budget and sit down with the client and explain your report and recommendations.
4. Call the client and communicate problems or challenges early and often€¦this may sound simple and routine, but this is something that everyone can improve upon.  Let your clients know when there are schedule, scope, budget or technical issues and document it in writing.  Keeping the client informed is a great differentiator€¦trust me, this is a continual problem and key reason we lose business and/or clients.
5. Send a personal thank you note€¦remember the importance of thanking your clients and expressing sincere gratitude for their business.
6. Send a handwritten note with a personal message or information that might be useful to the client/prospect€¦in this day and age of over-communication, emails and voice messages it is nice and different to receive a hand written note or card.  Every office has a supply of Aquaterra cards for your use.
7. Call the client and wish them happy birthday or send them a birthday card€¦of course this means you have to know the client and when their birthday is, but it can be very effective.
8. Send/give the client a gift that is meaningful€¦consider (when appropriate and for your best clients or prospects) sending or giving your client a gift that is personally meaningful - banner from college, golf/hunting item, or anything with personal meaning that they will use or appreciate.
9. Take a client to an event or dinner and with spouse/kids if appropriate€¦if you have tickets to an event or game don’t just give them to your client, go with them.  I have found including spouses or kids when appropriate to be very effective.  Business and client relationships built on friendships are proven winners.
10. Make one client a month your “Client of the Month”€¦select a client each month and deliver a certificate and some doughnuts acknowledging and thanking them.

I am sure there are many other ways all of us could think of to WOW our clients and prospects.  The key is to commit yourself to the importance of being different (meaning better) than your competition.  I welcome any comments or ideas from you for delivering the WOW Factor.  See Part 1 of The Wow Factor here.
- Ricky

The Christmas season is a great time. A time of joy and giving. It’s also a time of increased stress and anarchy. There’s gifts to buy, people to see, meals to cook — oh, and projects to finish, a year to wrap up, a year to start, etc. All of the sudden we find ourselves amidst madness and forget to enjoy the season and enjoy our loved ones.

I made a long drive this past week so I decided to get a head start on my annual listen to the audiobook of How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. If you recall, I recommend that we all listen or read that book annually. In the book, Dale Carnegie recites a great story by W. Livingston Larned entitled “Father Forgets.” In the story, a father recognizes that in his haste and stress-filled schedule, he has forgotten the thing that is most dear to him at all. It’s fairly long, but a great read and reminder to us all.

Father Forgets, W. Livingston Larned

Listen, son; I am saying this as you lie asleep, one little paw crumpled under your cheek and the blond curls stickily wet on your damp forehead. I have stolen into your room alone. Just a few minutes ago, as I sat reading my paper in the library, a stifling wave of remorse swept over me. Guiltily I came to your bedside.

There are things I was thinking, son: I had been cross to you. I scolded you as you were dressing for school because you gave your face merely a dab with a twoel. I took you to task for not cleaning your shoes. I called out angrily when you threw some of your things on the floor.

At breakfast I found fault, too. You spilled things. You gulped down your food. You put your elbows on the table. You spread butter too thick on your bread. And as you started off to play and I made for my train, you turned and waved a hand and called, “Goodbye, Daddy!” and I frowned, and said in reply, “Hold your shoulders back!”

Then it began all over again in the late afternoon. As I came Up the road, I spied you, down on your knees, playing marbles. There were holes in your stockings. I humiliated you before you boyfriends by marching you ahead of me to the house. Stockings were expensive - and if you had to buy them you would be more careful! Imagine that, son, form a father!

Do you remember, later, when I was reading in the library, how you came in timidly, with a sort of hurt look in your eyes? When I glanced up over my paper, impatient at the interruption, you hesitated at the door. “What is it you want?” I snapped.

You said nothing, but ran across in one tempestuous plunge, and threw your arms around my neck and kissed me, and your small arms tightened with an affection that God had set blooming in your heart and which even neglect could not wither. And then you were gone, pattering up the stairs.

Well, son, it was shortly afterwards that my paper slipped from my hands and a terrible sickening fear came over me. What has habit been doing to me? The habit of finding fault, of reprimanding - this was my reward to your for being a boy. It was not that I did not love you; it was that I expected too much of youth. I was measuring you by the yardstick of my own years.

And there was so much that was good and fine and true in your character. The little heart of you was as big as the dawn itself over the wide hills. This was shown by your spontaneous impulse to rush in and kiss me good night. Nothing else matters tonight, son. I have come to your bedside in the darkness, and I have knelt there, ashamed!

It is a feeble atonement; I know you would not understand these things if I told them to you during your waking hours. But tomorrow I will be a real daddy! I will chum with you, and suffer when you suffer, and laugh when you laugh. I will bite my tongue when impatient words come. I will keep saying as if it were a ritual: “He is nothing buy a boy - a little boy!”

I am afraid I have visualized you as a man. Yet as I see you now, son, crumpled and weary in your cot, I see that you are still a baby. Yesterday you were in your mother’s arms, your head on her shoulder. I have asked too much, too much.

You can replace these words with those that describe whoever is dearest to you. Take a moment this Christmas season to relax and enjoy those who enjoy you most.