The Merchant Stand a blog by Bob Williams

The reality of now

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Bob Williams Posted in Career, Customer Focus, Ideas Leave a comment

Yes, but what about the reality of now? I played that card recently in a conversation with a colleague while we were discussing his vision and objectives for a more efficient work flow. I hated to do it. But it’s something that can’t be ignored to sustain a healthy business. Business does need a vision. Business does need to look for continuous improvements. But business also needs to take care of the here-and-now. The customers see and feel the here-and-now. Customers make decisions about who they’ll partner with here-and-now. That’s the cash that funds the vision and future. Steven Brown writes about focusing on problems over objectives in his book 13 Fatal Errors that Managers Make. His point is that we can get pulled into spending most of our time on problems that influence a small amount of our overall productivity as a business. Brown offers an illustration to show

Saving (and spending) pennies

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Bob Williams Posted in Business and IT Alignment, Career Leave a comment

A penny spar’d is twice got. The root of our well known proverb “A penny saved is a penny earned” is traced to George Herbert’s Outlandish Proverbs (1640). The idea is that by keeping a penny, you have the penny to count in-hand rather than counting the penny spent. Hence the thought ‘twice got’. Over time the phrase was evolved into other variations including: A penny faved is a penny gained. (Thomas Fuller – The history of worthies of England, 1662) This I did to prevent expences, for..A penny sav’d, is a penny got. (Edward Ravenscroft – Canterbury Guests, 1695) A penny sav’d is Twopence clear. (Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1737) A penny saved is a penny Earned. It seems we don’t know exactly who to attribute the modern phrase to. It was printed in Pall Mall Magazine in September 1899. While the phrase has obvious implications for our

Customer service wowed

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Bob Williams Posted in Customer Focus Leave a comment

Guess who wowed me with customer service? Auto maintenance know-how is one skill I wish I had. I know some basic things like how to change a car battery, how to change head-light and tail-light bulbs, how to replace a fuse, and how to change wiper blades. But I’ll admit that’s a pretty lame list. I’d like to learn more, but then I keep asking myself if I would feel safe in a car in which I had performed mechanical maintenance. I place a high degree of value on reliable cars so I keep up with preventative maintenance. I use the same local auto-service shop for all my family vehicles. Over the years, I’ve come to know the employees and owner at the shop. They treat my car maintenance needs honestly and fair and I repeat my business with them. This past week I entered the shop without an appointment

Book Review – Man’s Search for Meaning

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Bob Williams Posted in Ideas Leave a comment

I recently completed Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Apparently I was late to the game as the Wikipedia page states “According to a survey conducted by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the Library of Congress, Man’s Search For Meaning belongs to a list of the ten most influential books in the United States.” I know why now. Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the Jewish concentration camps during World War II tells his story. Frankl, a psychiatrist by trade, gives a thorough examination of the mental psyche of man during life threatening circumstances. He intermixes his findings with those from his private practice to give a balanced approach to the question “what is the meaning of life?” As you read Frank’s account of his first-hand experience in the Nazi concentration camps it’s natural to have mental anguish, frustration, anger, sadness, and wonder. Frankl examines the heart of man both as

Superheroes among us

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Bob Williams Posted in Career, Ideas Leave a comment

Action is his reward. My favorite childhood superhero was Spider-Man. I loved reading the comic book series, seeing the villains stopped, and the thinking about the vivid colors in the red and blue suit. I remember wishing I could spin webs like old spidey. I loved the theme song to 60s cartoon as well. Towards, the end there is a great line: Spiderman, Spiderman Friendly neighborhood Spiderman Wealth and fame He’s ignored Action is his reward. I love the concept of finding reward in the challenges and action required to solve a puzzle or problem. It’s a fundamental motivator in the workplace. Superheroes living among us. Jump forward to today. I’m still enamored with superheroes. But they don’t live on comic book pages or cartoons. These are people that benefit my daily routine with their God given ability and strengths which I like to call “superpowers.” I’m talking about what