The Last Wild Place

People ask why I go to Alaska. It's so far they say. Aren't there plenty of places to fish in WA.?

Well, when I was a boy my Dad drove from southern California to SE Idaho for family vacations. We stopped to see family, but I remember seeing him come alive in the high deserts of northern Nevada and southern Idaho - no people, just wild. I remember 4:00 am trips to remote creeks to stalk fish.

I learned to fish in those small creeks where fish had no pressure from fisherman, just the pressure to survive amid the harshness of nature.

It seems these wild places are vanishing. There are very few remaining in the lower 48. (the Upper Queets and Olympic Peninsula rivers being remaining exceptions)

I love Alaska not because there are a lot of fish for me, there are. I love it because this is the place where my sons may find the wildness for themselves and their sons.

I come alive here because I find it to be the last of the wild places. It is my high desert. My prayer is that it will remain so for my children and their children.

I want my Dad to see this place.

Time Away...

Everyone needs it and this afternoon I get a little bit. Looking forward to fishing with some clients, but more than that, friends.

Over the past few years, we've fished rivers in Yakutat, Alaska, (Johnny's East River Lodge), The Kenai Peninsula, Washington's Yakima River, and the wild rivers of the Olympic Peninsula (Hoh, Clearwater, Queets, Bogachiel) This time it's to King Salmon, Alaska to fish the Naknek and Brooks Rivers surrounding Katmai National Park.

I'll be posting pictures of my travels on Twitter and Flickr.

Looking forward to building on our friendship, creating new fish stories, and recharging for a bit.

Clean Up Before Bed...

No one likes cleaning up a mess, especially at the end of the day when you're tired and just want to go to bed. I just went through clean up hell with my kids - what's worse is that tomorrow is the first day of school. The last memory of the summer is me telling them the only way out is to finish.

If you don't finish, the mess is still there except now there are more commitments the following day. Sound familiar?

As Winston Churchill once said - "If you find yourself in hell, keep moving..." or something like that.

Where Delivery Counts

"We rate ability in men by what they finish, not by what they attempt"

I used to play pick up basketball with a friend of mine and he was a great defensive player. He could pick your pocket for a breakaway easy as pie. When it came to making the layup at the other end, he would often choke. He'd yell out "FINISH!"

Seth Godin talks about this as "Shipping".

A client of ours has a tagline - "Where delivery counts and quality is everything." Think about that, where delivery is COUNTS.

All your work on the 99% means almost nothing, or is severely diminished, if you miss - and I'm not just talking about the final 10%, I mean even the final 1%.

If you are chopping wood you will never split it straight through if you aim for the top of the log...you must envision the axe hitting the bottom of the log - you must finish.

The same is true for hitting a golf ball, punching someone (it's true), or shipping a product. Do not aim for the front, aim for the back and drive right through. The result, you will have shipped. (Finished!)

Marketing Restart

Wouldn't it be cool if instead of spending time coming up with slick campaigns to convince potential customers how great your company is - your marketing department focused on providing tools and avenues to let your customers and employees share your message with others?

Your company would need to clean up its act a bit I bet. Each touchpoint with customers would need to improve. Each employee would need to see themselves as "thee" marketing department. Each transaction would need to be of such high integrity that your customers would have no choice but to refer you to others.

Now that's a company worth working for and buying services from.

Too bad most take the easy route and just come up with a new "message".

Partner or Frenemy - Who Cares?

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend"

It seems that with the lines blurring between specialties, business and personal life more and more frenemies are emerging. Oftentimes in order to compete some companies set aside petty differences to work together on certain jobs whilst competing to the death on others. Oftentimes employing tactics that strain relationships and partnerships. Self preservation seems to be the order of the day.

I can honestly say that we have struggled with these sorts of relationships and now look to partner only with those who are interested in providing the highest level of service and support to customers. We want to work with folks whose only motives are the success of the project and for growing the relationship so it is stronger for the next project.

Focus on doing great work, communicate honestly with partners and customers, and you'll find you have no time or need for frenemies.

Ask One More Question

It's hard sometimes for my son who is 9 to be a role model for his younger brother and sister. I mean, sometimes it's hard for me to be a good role model. I'll often ask him to help me out by being a good leader. Usually it goes something like this:

"Hey, we have a lot going on today and I need your help by not making a mess, will you help me?" His response is usually, "Sure."

This approach is not very effective at preventing messes. However, I have recently employed a new strategy that works not only at home but other places.

Ask one more opened ended question.

So, we start with the same exchange above, but following his "Sure." I ask, "Can you please tell me more about how you will help me out?"

To which he explains his idea of helping. We are then able to discuss each of our expectations and make certain we are in alignment. This process allows him to think it through and understand better how he can truly help.

Asking one more question, whether at home, work or other places takes a little more thought, but may just make a big difference