Did you know there are about 316.1 million of us humans here in the United States? Sounds like a lot until you look at China. They have 1.357 billion. I bring that up just for comparison sake. One of the things about my job I like best is that I get to interact with lots of people.

For some strange reason, I seem to get energy from meeting other people. I have always told my kids that the three most important things are: Do your best, do the right thing and people are the most important part of life. With so many of us here, I sometimes wonder why it is so hard to get things done or accomplish goals in organizations.

Some say it’s because of the lack of direction or focus. I am sure some organizations have issues with that, but to me, I think the lack of properly motivated or applied workers is the more likely cause. An old cliché is, “We need all the right people on the bus” to get our goals accomplished. That is only part of it. We need the right people in the right seats to really get where we want to go.

Not so long ago, my daughter thought we needed to change our mobile phone provider. I already was on board since our cell bill was nearly as large as a car payment. So, we headed off to the mall to find the cell phone carrier kiosk. The salesperson, who seemed knowledgeable and pleasant, asked what we needed. Then, the fatal action occurred: He started talking directly to me and basically wrote my daughter right out of the conversation.

Needless to say, we did not choose them and I doubt that carrier will ever see any of her dollars during her lifetime. That salesperson made the error of focusing on who he thought controlled the money. If he had continued to keep her in the loop like she was a person, too, he may have gotten five new lines.

I don’t care what part of our business you want to discuss, it’s all about the people. From the manufacturing of the parts to distribution and on to the technician who installs it, there are people on all sides of the process. People are our most valuable asset. We need to be sure they are set up to succeed, in the right job, trained appropriately and equipped with the right tools. Then, and only then, will we march toward our goals, poised for a win. Hope to have the pleasure of meeting you soon.