The Trinity of Pirate Mike…

Most people have a singular personality and their soul. The objective in life is to align our personality with our soul so we can successfully fulfill life's plan.

After half a lifetime I discover I have two personalities that I was born with. On one side of me there is the external representation of my personality that is a culmination of all of my words, thoughts and deeds. On the other side there is the personality disorder of ADHD of which I am severely influenced.

The ADHD side of my personality is the friend that I never knew. The one who never left me when times were tough. Although I never knew him he has always significantly influenced me even though I was unaware of his presence and leverage.

He is the internal representation of my personality. He resides along with my first personality & my soul. An interesting trinity and an awkward threesome we do make.

After years of languish I must acquaint myself and befriend this life partner of mine so I can empower myself and move forward with my personal development. 

To know & understand him is to further aligning my first personality with my soul. To ignore him is to deny myself; forfeit my purpose, and squander my destiny.

What I have learned over the last almost 3 months now is that we have been together since birth and he will never leave me. To be separated from him means my soul's energy has been freed from my body.

Only slightly dulled by the effects of modern day pharmacology  and behavioral therapy he comes alive anytime I do not sedate him! He is always willing to listen and give advice. He has great strengths and terrible weaknesses.

To be upset with him is futile just as it would be futile to be upset at the sunset for it will come around again the very next day. To get angry with his advice would mean to live a life of a time bomb just waiting to Go off.

At first I was mad at him as I went back after our introduction and successfully blamed every bad thing that happened to me on him! Later I looked for ways to kill him prohibiting him from influencing me in the future.

But just as I can not take my own soul I have nothing left to do but make friends with him and take on what's left of my life's journey hand in hand maximizing his strengths while being aware, understanding and buffering his weaknesses.

Together we are strong and as a team we are dedicated students in the Earth School. We both have the same class schedule, and when one fails a class we both fail and must start over till be both pass every class. Interestingly enough he doesn't make me who I am. Rather his influence both brings out my strengths but also reinforces my weaknesses. 

Together we are Yin & Yang both of us having each and both of them intertwined with each other. One's strength is another's weakness and vice versa.

My ambition is to capitalize on my intention to bring us both into synchronous harmony.  That way neither of us can blame the other for our shortcomings and deficiencies. Each day we improve each other and give definition of what it is to be uniquely me!

How do you bring two lives together?

Well in our modern day society there are many things that can start a “union.” Also in the world of unions there are many types and levels of commitment? So what is it that drives us to desire someone else’s commitment to our dream? Is the success of that dream dependant on the quality of our vision? How about the detail by which we “flow chart” it? Is there a value to a written dream? Should all dreams be constantly be re-evaluated to ensure the longevity and validity? Can a dream started 10 years ago become null and void? Can a dream become non relevant?

At what intervals should we check ourselves and our dreams? Is there a formula for success? And whom should we share these dreams with in the first place? Should they be protected and hidden or should they be published and openly communicated? If we communicate our dreams to others the first thing we risk is rejection and ridicule. What is the benefit to communicating our dreams with others? Accountability, oversight, corrective criticism, and maybe if we are lucky help to get from a current step to the next.

So if we meet someone and you want to bring your lives together, the first thing you have to overcome is them being closed minded or not receptive to your current dream. So if that is true should you immediately change your dream to match their expectations? Should you look for the common ground and find a way to build your foundation upon the parts of the dream where there is agreement?

If you can successfully present your dream and get buy in what is your next step? Do we build business plans around our personal dreams just as if we were starting a company and were going to need a loan from the bank? Do you not think that an emotional loan will be requested at the time of your presentation? How much will this cost your potential partner? What are the risks? How much common ground do you have with individual that gives them the confidence to trust that what you are planning will work?

Fear, uncertainty and doubt will surely be your foes! Prepare to put the war paint on and draw your sword as you have just entered the coliseum! And just like the days of old, 2 go in and only 1 comes out! So in the world of dreams and unions does 1 side of the union have to lose for the originator to win? Well of course not, so that brings us back to how do you bring two lives together.

The collective dream is only possible when there is a symbiotic relationship place where both individuals need and respect the other. There already has to be an understanding before there can ever be a presentation or collective dream. Without harmony there can be no peace, and without peace there can be no honorable regime.

Army’s are run by dictators but relationships are run my patriarchs. These benevolent monarchies look simple but are nothing even close. Insecurity, Jealousy, fear, Distrust all come into play to erode the hierarchy that is put into place to ensure that the kingdom is run efficiently and honorably. Fear creates mistrust and mistrust creates divisiveness.  A house divided shall fall. There is no way for a union to succeed if both parties are not 100% committed to its success.

So then how do we bring two lives together? Well the first step is strong, frequent and open communication, after that  the two in question have to have a meeting of the minds; the minds have to be at peace. Time; time is the builder of trust and without trust no kingdom can be built. Trust is a funny asset as it can be constructed over time and in fact the best trust built is trust that has taken its time and has weathered a few storms yet is like peace of mind it can be wiped out in a second.

Communication

Peace

Time

Trust

Understanding: there has to be a clear understanding of what is bringing the two together in the first place. Random relationships with no purpose have no chance of standing against the storms that will soon be brought against it.
Plan; No kingdom can be built without a solid plan. The plan should have S.M.A.R.T. goals and should be measured and readjusted regularly to ensure progress is being made and that both parties take ownership of the successes and failures. Just as you would shoot an arrow at a target you must; aim, pull, shoot, readjust and start over till the bulls eye is hit or the game is won!
Execution; One must have impeccable execution of the plan. A plan without execution is nothing more than a pipe dream, thought of my the illusions of grandeur of fools.

Could anything be this easy?

Fruit from a poisoned tree; a look at employee turnover and how leadership contributes.

"There are seven things that will destroy us: Wealth without work; Pleasure without conscience; Knowledge without character; Religion without sacrifice; Politics without principle; Science without humanity; Business without ethics." - Gandhi

Once thing that I have learned is that what is bad at one company is good at another. By the same token once you get to the new company you find out that they have issues that were worse than the previous company just in different areas. This is often found out after the fact. Business technology companies often have tremendous turnover, I can attest that I have seen many heads come through the doors to do nothing but turn around and go home. A sales team of 5 will see 3 new faces by the end of the year and those may change out every 8 to 18 months. There is no loyalty from either employers or employees; what we have is an ever intensifying battle to pressure people to produce more for less or be replaced.

When I was at Minolta I felt like I was part of a local team and that team was part of the greater group that was part of the greater good. We were shunned to own anything but a Minolta camera, and at events no one would ever dare be seen with a Canon or Nikon. We were loyal to the products that our company produced even if they were in different divisions than we personally worked in. I worked in the office equipment division, and was part of the equipment sales group. This feeling of belonging allowed us to bare the intense pressure and competitiveness that is found in office equipment sales. When Konica and Minolta merged there was still this feeling albeit not as strong. The leader at the time Jun Haraguchi was very dynamic and was a leader among the men. After the merge he went to each branch office and made himself available. This type of exposure brought a lot of loyalty in tough times.

In contrast I have been at IKON for almost 2 years now and very few leaders inside the organization know me other than the ones that I have been bold enough to force myself on. I have watched top leaders show up, walk across the sales pit to the corner office, stay 45 minutes and leave just as quickly as they came. Most never knew that one of their greatest leaders had come and gone. In fact what you find in many organizations this size is a fear to reach up or to open up communication to those that we report to. In fear we do not want anyone with a relationship with anyone higher than ourselves. And when new information is presented we want to be the one to present it. One of the sad things that I have seen over the last 6 years is the great talent that has come and gone due to the lack of care from management.

Everyone is replaceable. That is the code by which we all live by. And from what I have seen this is a fallacy. This is what desperate leadership says when they have no other way to issue control to an unruly crowd. The fact is that not everyone is replaceable and in fact you do not want to have to replace people they are the lifeblood or currency of the business. People own the relationships that bring the business; what IKON has proven is that companies buy from people not brands. What IKON doesn't understand is that it is much more costly to pay someone to recreate the relationship than it is to just treat people with dignity and respect the first time. I guess they figure to do that might be taken as weakness rather than as strength. The cost to hire someone can be amazing both from a hard cost; ads, recruiters etc and from soft costs; personnel time during interviews and the on boarding process, not the mention the loss of productivity during the vacancy and during the ramp up period. So why does the leadership of companies not take a closer look at their turn over and seek to find out why employees leave their company? Do they just figure if you left then they didn't want you anyway?

10 Ways to Send Them Off!

1. Salespeople don't leave companies they leave their management – The pressure on top salespeople is tremendous and they must feel that they are in a stable environment. Sales people leave companies when they cannot trust their leadership. Salespeople must be able to identify with the vision of the company and the cadence of the leadership that is in front of them. Good local leadership determines the longevity of the employee.
   
2. Work/Life balance is nonexistent – When people are out of balance they burn out and become overloaded. People do not stick with a job that constantly pressures them over the edge.
   
3. Compensation / Assignments Change frequently – 2 cardinal sins for any employer is to make changes to compensation or territory assignments. No one wants to feel like they will not get the benefit of their hard work. Long term people work harder if they feel that they will be in the assigned areas and that they will be compensated as they were expecting. There is nothing worse than having to fight for your commissions. Companies should avoid the pitfalls of saving a few dollars by creating complicated compensation plans and focus on what will it take to be successful by helping employees "sell through tough times."
   
4. No emotional connection points – People do not work for a "concept." People work for people and work harder if they have a connection or feeling of commitment or obligation. Emotional ties can get top sales people through tough times. Without a solid connection salespeople will look for "greener pastures."
   
5. Lack of development – No one wants to feel like they have nowhere to go. And we all want to feel like we are progressing and will "get to the promised land" eventually.
   
6. The feeling of insignificance – Lack of recognition for a "deal well done" is another sure fire way to run off your best employees. Recognition is very important in the world of sales, and typically sales people love to be recognized by their superiors and peers.
   
7. Being unable to get along with co-workers – Having someone that is unbearable or that doesn't fit into the team's culture is a deal killer for sure. No one is so good that they should be allowed to take down their peers.
   
8. Being unable to get along with their boss – This is an age old problem and speaks to poor leadership. A good leadership should set a positive culture and maintain the office integrity.
   
9. Politics overtakes the office – Especially during the increasing pressure of our economic times we find that everyone feels insecure. Offices start allowing "self propaganda," either to stave off would be job takers or to ensure our position within the organization. Most people do want to have to perfect being "fake," so providing a "politick free zone" will help your employees focus on what is important!
   
10. Lack of respect and integrity – Everyone wants to be respected both for their individuality and for their contribution to the organization. An individual, office or organization cannot prosper long term without a strong sense of integrity.
    

Executive sales positions are very demanding and the local leadership of an organization has a responsibility to make their employees feel secure. Security comes from having ones needs met. Abraham Maslow was one of the first to look at these phenomena. "Maslow was an American psychologist; he has been most recognized for his concept of a hierarchy of human needs. He was really the leader of humanistic psychology, he was one of the first to look at what constituted positive mental health. Most of his predecessors were focused on the abnormal or ill." ¹

Within the layers of the pyramid we find areas of need. A person's job can touch many of these areas and can be a part of someone's life that brings great rewards or can be what brings you to your destruction. The leadership team of an organization is what sets the pace for a great work environment or a total disaster. A great leader with only marginally talented people can always greatly out perform a poor leader with great talent. A good leadership team is what makes a group, whether it is a local sales team, an area branch or an entire group. Each level has leaders that are responsible for the culture and the success of the group is dependent on them. Far too often companies allow leadership to just "push out" employees thinking that "if we had the right people" instead of identifying what the root causes are for the group's lack of performance. Very rarely do leaders look at themselves as the reason for their group's failures. And from an organizational standpoint executive leadership all too often allows managers and local leaders to "blur the lines" between what is good business and what is bad.

This blurring is the death of any group. Especially in sales; the short term successes from this blurring does nothing but make salespeople lose respect for their managers, teammates and company. The deals that are won by this short changing of the process and the "blurring of lines" are what make companies appear sleazy and what earns the public's distrust. Mid level and executive managers and leadership sometimes fall into the trap of not promoting the altruistic vision of an organization and enforcing the rules so that the employees can feel secure that they are not going to get caught in this blurring. Sales people know that if they will blur the lines to win a deal they have no problem doing the same to dislodge you. You are only valuable when you are producing and any deviation could cause your loss of employment. Managers offer up their wins and star performers to leadership as proof of their success when really all they are offering is fruit from a poisoned tree.

This poison if left unaided is what can kill the team, branch or organization. The problem is all too often a leader will offer up these false offerings of success to move forward knowing that what he/she is leaving will be a mess for the next leader that replaces him/her. Many have tried to disprove Maslow's theory but only because it was presented as an absolute, no one would disagree that there is a hierarchy of needs and that we all share many of those needs although it would also be true that our needs may vary from person to person and that one level may be higher on one person's list than another. I would propose that there is also a hierarchy of needs within a sales organization by salespeople and that those needs are all very similar.

Fruit of the poisonous tree is a legal metaphor and I think it is fair to use in reference to a company's leadership. If the leaders are poisonous then any of the fruit of their work should be considered poisoned as well. What seems to be accepted in today's troubled times is that companies are willing to compromise themselves by hiring "snake oil salesman" in an attempt to attain short term success. I do not believe that anything good can come from a company that is willing to compromise their integrity just to gain some sales in the short term. Customers gathered from the orders of such poisonous leaders cannot be maintained long term nor can the salespeople that are brought up under such leadership be successful long term.

Companies that ignore the salesperson's hierarchy of needs are going to not see stability in their workforce because ultimately what you compromise to keep you lose! Just some opinions from a pirate that is getting older and wiser…

Pirate Mike…

¹http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhmasl.html

The Shimmering Darkness…

The day was finally over, the sun had settled down within the depths of the lake.

The sun had put up quite a fight and left the land bleached and dry.

The lake goers had been drained as they filled the lake with the sentiment of their desires.

As the rebels quieted down, and the crowd parted a new set of sounds took over the area.

The moon arose quickly and settled in about a third of the way into the sky.

Only a sliver its presence was quite diluted as the clouds rolled into place and the stage was being set.

It was the day after the great and terrible day and vengeance was about to take its toll.

The temperatures subsided and the winds once again found the body of water that they call home.

The emergency vehicles had gone home no saving was to be done tonight.

Damage already done the mind wanders, tensions are running high.

Mind drunk with emotion, body full of pain, the potential for quite an evening is building.

As I lay aside the cockpit I looked up and realized that my destiny had called me.

The winds calling my name I could hear them saying, "follow me to the next place."

Obedient and methodical I woke up from my emotional stupor, and took on the responsibility to prepare the vessel.

At the strike of 1:00 am I set sail. Pulling the sun drenched and warmed sails I spoke to them commanding; "take me to the place that the winds are calling from."

With that I leave the cockpit and go down below into the dungeon that I call home.

Frantically digging into the darkness, feeling for a remote audio cd that still brandished its wrapper and label I hope for my release.

As I open the unique promise, I place it into my player and emerge to survey my situation.

Black as night, both lovely and unlovely I find myself echo locating the shoreline.

The winds have taken their position on the lake and made themselves prominent across the lakescape.

Then out of the blackness I see a shimmering darkness.

Heading to weather the wind positioning itself to whisper in my left ear I hold still.

As the wind picked up, the water responded in kind with a motion that took it across the lake.

Rollers they were building from the South as I headed to find the source of the wind.

Just a glimpse of their size as the moon varnished their topsides with a glow that could be seen for miles.

As the motion of the lake took a hold of me, the sound of a distant land came to the forefront.

Sharp and pleasant sounds of a simple land on the continent of Africa filled my head as I squinted to keep track of the shore.

I transported myself as the music took my soul from this ragged body and the emotions that once filled it left.

Waves crashing into the bow and it planted itself firmly into its belly. Spray fills the air as the sounds of the life that is such the beginning of all.

As the tribesmen chant their stories of family and survival, I find myself on the roller coaster of life deep within my heart as it sets happily in my chest, far from the sleeve that it once found a perch.

Whispering in my ear I can hear the wind calling me deeper into an almost trance like state.

Into the shimmering darkness I see the water and land dancing before me, leaving a path that only I can feel.

Song after song, I feel my body coming alive. My senses are overwhelmed and the thoughts of the day are far from me. Now the music takes hold and my hand holds the destiny of the vessel.

Between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand I steer this 6 ton beast. Waves crashing and spraying mist into the air, my mind races ahead in anticipation of what lies next.

Sitting in the port side stern perch, head cocked gently to the side, I try to make out the dam and the source of the wind.

Never admitting but gently remembering that it has called for me before.

An elusive friend the wind befriends the water and makes a pact with my vessel.

Completely in sync with nature as the music recharges my soul.

Now the age of completeness comes as I turn the corner to see the light of my home port.

In the shimmering darkness there I find my peace again.

For in the heat of the day, emotions ran free and the damage of their energy has taken its toll.

But now in the perfectness of the moment my soul is again whole, my mind is at ease and my body is free from pain.

Just arriving to my place, I reposition my home and engage the moon to hide me from the shimmering darkness.

July 5^th – 6^th 2008, on Lewisville Lake, listening to the original Mbube music of Africa while participating in the dance of a lifetime, after an event of emotional magnitude.

"Fair weather does not a skilled sailor make. Even the brightest of skippers must navigate through the storms of life to emerge on the other side, sometimes with nothing to guide them but the shimmering darkness of their soul." – Pirate Mike…

Free Gem Tumbler, Stones Not Included...

Free Gem Tumbler, stones not included…

When others look into your life what do they see? Do they look at you and see an ugly old stone, or as a polished gem? All of us are in the tumbler of life and we provide the stones for which it will polish. We are all in different stages of completion. As we wander through we find the stones that we must carry to the next destination. As we go from stage to stage we see those stones change and begin to polish up. The ultimate goal is to become polished enough that someone would want to keep us.

The sad thing is when people are too afraid to go through the polishing process. Many people refuse to change and embrace the challenges that come our way. They are always avoiding pain. They will not allow themselves to be ground into something new. The stones of our lives are collected and are never fully complete. The grit that the tumbler uses are the sacrifices and struggles that come against us as we walk down life's path.

Between the motion of crashing into the stones and the intense friction that is created with the grit the hard outer shell soon comes away and what is left is a shiny exterior that was the inner self of the stone. We too must go through the tumbler of life and let the hard outer shell of this world come off so that we may become that which we were intended; beautifully polished and desirable.

When we look upon a person for the first time what we typically see is the outward appearance that is what attracts us to them. After the first 30 minutes it is usually apparent at what stage they are in their tumbler and what stones that they are carrying around with them. It is very unfortunate that most can't look into a mirror and see what it is that others do. Often times people project what they want you to see and work very hard to hide the stones that they are carrying with them.

They do not want you to see them and know what they are and in what stage they are in. That would expose them and sometimes painfully so. I have always believed that people will eventually see your stones; therefore it is best to leave them out in the open so that if there is one of particular interest to someone they will see it upfront and not 6 months later. This is not always possible as many times we can overwhelm people with our history and needs. This is typically a process and requires some tact so that you just don't go run people off.

But what is the saddest is when people totally refuse to grow and change, and do not allow themselves to tumble. I have been tumbling for some time now and have fought the process with everything I have. I have climbed out of the tumbler on occasion and spit on the grit. Somehow I keep getting scooped up and thrown back in. I hope that as I start to wear down that someone can appreciate me. I know that it has taken everything I have to get to here. I hope that at the end of the road there is someone that really cares about what I have gone through to be the shinny pebble that they keep in their pocket.

Pirate Mike, caught in the tumbler again…

"The weather has come to discourage me from my choice of destination, but what she doesn't know is that without her wind and waves I surely would never get there..." - Pirate Mike

Out from the ashes...

January 10th many years ago (1999)…
Seems like another lifetime that my life dramatically changed. My mother, sister and I had just arrived home from what was to be the last trip we would ever spend together. We had arrived late and our mother needed her rest. That day will live out in my mind forever. Her door locked and late afternoon approaching I knocked to see why she had not come out to enjoy the day with us.
A brain aneurysm had taken her life and that day my journey to learn and live on my own truly began. This is just the next step in embracing writing and experiencing the thoughts and emotions of others through the gift that she gave me.

I hope to be able to develop my writing skills and hopefully make my contribution and publish the writtings that she never got the chance to. 20 years of ink on paper, a lifetime will never be enough.

Pirate Mike… the day after the disaster… just like it was truly yesterday I can remember it quite vividly… my life will never be the same without you... i miss you mom...