DW's Blog

A Company of Purpose, a Company with a Soul

by DW Green — July 3, 2018

“The more we shift the focus from our desires to wanting more for others, the richer we become.” —Wayne Dyer

Years ago, I was humbled to participate in a tribute to one of our clients in the Northwest. This year that client is celebrating their sixtieth year in business. Among others, I was interviewed, on video no less, on their behalf. I was presented with a list of questions to address by the interviewer ahead of time. As I was preparing my responses, I realized, from my perspective, what the essence of my clients company truly is.To me, our client is a humanistic company. It is a company with a soul. And from the depths of their soul, the will to give uncommon service to all stakeholders flows. This company is imbued with the joy of service, to the community, to society, to the environment, to customers, and to associates. Their core business practice is BEING of Service to their stakeholders.Their leadership believes in purpose and in meaning and the well being of its stakeholders—employees, customers, suppliers, business partners, and society. They facilitate, encourage, reward, recognize, and celebrate their employees for being of service to each other, to customers and to the communities...

by DW Green — June 27, 2018

We miss the message because we dislike the messenger.

I’ve mentioned Scott Mabry in past blogs. Even shared some of his work. I really enjoy Scott’s writing and his perspective on leadership. I would encourage you to sign up for his weekly blog posts (https://soul2work.com). His posts are terrific—I always learn from his writing. The following is a blog post from April 25, 2018, entitled TAKE A WALK. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.“Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you’ll be a mile away and have his shoes.” ― Steve MartinIt wouldn’t be as funny if we didn’t recognize how often people really do behave this way.Why is it so rare for people to understand and appreciate another person’s experience before judging their behavior or actions?And why is it so rare for a leader to listen to the voice of their employees or recognize the effect of their misapplied criticism?This concept of walking in another person’s shoes is grounded in ancient wisdom. Most of us embrace the idea and even more, we expect it from others. Yet in practice, it seems more a platitude than a value.I supp...

by DW Green — June 20, 2018

I’ve not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work. – Thomas Edison

“Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing.”This seems like a principle to live life by. I’d like to think I have an open mind, or mostly an open mind! But then this statement isn’t about having an open mind, it’s about having a mind that is open to everything. I’m sure I’ve discounted or rejected things from either an unwitting bias or an unpleasant or unsuccessful comparable experience. A mind that is open to everything is a mind that is open to trying new and different things, and understanding a different point of view, a different way of doing, of being.I think the second part of the statement “attached to nothing” is more difficult to achieve. Why? Because what we’re attached to, is often an attachment to our identity. If I do this or that, I might look dumb, or unsophisticated or foolish or some other negative quality. Those are possible outcomes. I know I’ve looked dumb, unsophisticated, foolish and have failed to understand a different point of view. And I’m sure it cost me business and professional standing. But letting go of my identity to try and explore new things is both rewarding and satisfyi...

by DW Green — June 13, 2018

Parents are not for leaning upon.

Happy Father’s Day, Fathers!“Parents are not for leaning upon, but rather exist to make leaning unnecessary.”—Wayne DyerLetter written on June 9, 2002.Hi Dad,It’s been a very long six years since you have been gone. I love you dad and I miss you so very much. I just want you to know I think of you every day. You are a great father. You not only left a financial legacy for your children and grand children but more important you left a moral and human compass for us to live by. Your work ethic, your strength of character, your sense of humor, your selflessness, your loving commitment to your family are only a few examples of the qualities you lived by. I miss the opportunity to talk with you, to learn from you, to soak up your wisdom and your gentle and loving spirit. I’m happy you are with mom and I’m looking forward to the day when we can be together again.Thanks dad, I love you and god bless.Your number two son and namesake,DW

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by DW Green — May 23, 2018

We live in our description of reality.

We live in our description of reality. Sometimes when I’m watching network news, I think “what the heck is really going on?” It’s like they’re reporting on two different realities. Which version is true?I read this article, What Makes You Think You’re Right, by Tris Thorp. It’s interesting. Seems there are many different realities!“Have you ever wondered why other people don’t see things the same way you do? Isn’t it baffling that you don’t necessarily share the same viewpoints or beliefs even when you come from the same family? You absorb and filter information through your own experiences, which affects your viewpoints.From a psychological perspective, you have your own internal set of core values, beliefs, memories, and quality of emotion. With every external event you experience, the information comes in and is filtered through your emotions, memories, beliefs, and values. How you “see” yourself, others, and the world you live in will be flavored by what you’ve experienced or believe to be true. What you don’t realize is that it’s only true for you. There will be an entirely different reality for another person, and another, and so on. ...

by DW Green — May 16, 2018

When you have love within you, fear cannot survive.

I’ve been thinking about writing a book; The Life and Times of a Lazy Man. But since I’m lazy, the title may be as far as I get!I receive a weekly email from Dictionary.com. Sometimes there are great words in the email. This week’s email had one of those great words. Lollapalooza. Not a word we use every day. Lollapalooza has a neat sound and the letters in the spelling look pretty cool! Lollapalooza means: an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. When was the last lollapalooza event you had in your store? How ‘bout planning a lollapalooza Friday. A series of food activities that are extraordinary!Back to being lazy, here’s my blog topic today. The myth of failure. Written by one of my favorite writers, Dr. Wayne Dyer.“This may come as a surprise to you, but failure is an illusion. No one ever fails at anything. Everything you do produces a result. If you’re trying to learn how to catch a football and someone throws it to you and you drop it, you haven’t failed. You simply produced a result. The real question is what you do with the results that you produce. Do you leave, and moan about being ...

by DW Green — May 9, 2018

What I meant to say.

Well, Mother’s Day is Sunday. The official day to honor our moms. Though I think every day is a day to honor mom. I love my mom. I miss her. I think of her often. She was loving, and kind, understanding, and thoughtful. She trusted her instincts and intuition. I am blessed to have had such a wonderful, beautiful, loving and caring mom.In an excellent book written by Michael Murphy called What I Meant to Say, he describes saying good-bye to his mother as he leaves her home after a Thanksgiving dinner. It’s all small talk as he makes polite excuses for having to leave, which prompts the following tribute. What I meant to say was… How can I possibly say good-bye to the person who was the first to hold me, the first to feed me, and the first to make me feel loved? From a distance I watch you move about, doing the mundane tasks that to everyone else seem so routine. But for me, the tasks you lovingly completed year after year built and reinforced the foundation, the structure that made my world a safe and comfortable place to grow. All that I am and all that I have can be traced back to you. Whatever accomplishments I have made along the way would not have occurred without first believing in myself....
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Literal

by DW Green — May 2, 2018

Design is the opposite of literal.

Sometimes with design work, retailers prefer designs that literally reflect the subject they represent.According to the ole dictionary, literal is defined as the strict meaning of the word or words, not figurative or metaphysical. To construe words in the strict or in an unimaginative way; matter-of-fact; dull; prosaic. So basically, the word literal refers to the use of words. The problem is that design goes beyond the specific definition of the word or words, good design also conveys feeling and emotion. Grocery shopping is more than a grocery cart. A new or remodeled store is more than new fixtures, new floors and new décor. Design is the opposite of literal. Good design is imaginative, dynamic, and energetic. Good design builds an emotional connection between your customers and your brand. We recently updated a store logo for a client. The new design created a clean, comfortable, and captivating look and feel. The design brought energy and an aliveness to the brand (a word). Amazing.
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