Randy McCormick

Randy McCormick http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072 Funeral Industry Articles by Connecting Directors member Randy McCormick en Copyright 2008, Connecting Directors Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:57:06 GMT Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:57:06 GMT Funeral Industry: Plan to Relax http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000305#00000305 How many of you plan to get away for the July 4th long weekend?  How many of you are wondering why you are doing it?  Vacations should reduce, not increase stress.  You should try your best to get the most out of your holiday down time.  Here are my hints for a relaxing vacation. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000305#00000305">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> planrelaxfuneralindustry Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:13:26 GMT Funeral Industry: If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000302#00000302 On January seventh I conducted his service.  Eight days later I conducted hers.  Today I repeat the identical scenario for another family.  Both families hadn’t even started the estate process for their dad when suddenly their mom died… they hadn’t even settled into the reality of life without him.  All week they had substituted the grief of their loss with added attention to their mother.  The situation of being alone in the world without parents is now overwhelming to them.  They are all over fifty and they are all a mess.  They are adult orphans. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000302#00000302">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandymccormick Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:38:03 GMT Who’s On Your Dream Team? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000301#00000301 No one person has all the answers.  Have you ever heard of ‘Mirror, Mirror on the Wall’?  If you haven’t, listen up.  In business, when growth is part of the plan, you need to delegate certain tasks involved with the day to day operations.  You need feedback from others. You can't only take your own advice or consider only your own viewpoints. It is very difficult for you to grow if you don't learn from other successful people. I repeat … Alone; you don't have all the answers. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000301#00000301">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandymccormickteamdream Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:18:44 GMT Funeral Industry: Forgive Your Enemies. It Messes Up Their Heads http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000300#00000300 Forgiveness is an elusive beast to tame.  Though the decision to forgive is an individual experience, it always occurs within a relational framework.  Most of us have some appreciation for the healing nature of forgiveness in our personal lives even if we don't always practice it, but …in the world of work … forgiveness is an act even rarer than the expression of authentic gratitude and appreciation.  True forgiveness supports the retention of valued employees, allows for greater creativity and innovation. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000300#00000300">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industry Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:27:15 GMT Funeral Industry: Her Vocabulary Was As Bad As, Like, Whatever http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000299#00000299 The rules of speech are constantly in a state of flux and it never ceases to amaze me the ways in which ‘teen speech behaviours’ repeat themselves across the generations.  I don’t know if you have ever sat in the arrangement room with a young person, but it can be an experience.  The day that Batesville steel was referred to as ‘Phat’ took the cake though.  An apprentice left me a note that read ‘L8R SK8R’ and I thought it was code rather than a parting ‘see you later’.  I guess if I were with it I would have replied ‘C U L8R’.   Then comes the complicated stuff!  Do you know what ‘wasband’, ‘funderwear’ and ‘dot gone’ mean?  (See end for the definitions) <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000299#00000299">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandymccormick Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:03:45 GMT Funeral Industry: Is a Small Lie Called a Fibula? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000298#00000298 Small lies are a big part of our lives. We tell them for convenience and comfort, to smooth things over for others as much as for ourselves. We say "It's all right with me," when it's not.   We insist "I'll call you," when we won't.  Perhaps the most pervasive prevarication of all is "I’m fine," when we aren't.  The most common lies are told to avoid conflict.  We all want harmony, but often this compulsive quest gets in the way of true harmony. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000298#00000298">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandymccormick Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:26:52 GMT Funeral Industry: Consider some Counselling! http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000296#00000296 Do you think counseling is for losers who can’t control their lives?  Do you think that seeking counseling is a sign of weakness?  Is it only the failures who ask for help?  These antiquated approaches to third party sharing are outdated but to many in our professions we would rather live in denial than take a chance. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000296#00000296">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandyis Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:14:05 GMT Funeral Industry: What Suits Your Busy Schedule Better...? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000294#00000294 What suits your busy schedule better – exercising one hour a day - or being dead 24 hours a day?  Walk or die; a new study gives people in their 50’s and 60’s another reason to get off the couch and be physically active, especially if they have conditions or habits that endanger their hearts. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000294#00000294">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industrysuitrandymccormick Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:36:46 GMT Funeral Industry: The Most "Water Power" in the World is in a Widow's Tears http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000292#00000292 The first time I was exposed to a widow’s tears, I didn’t know the impact they would have on the rest of my life.  Like rivers that flow from the highest mountains and forge their way through the deepest valleys, those tears cut a path through my life that remains intact to this day.  She was a small woman but her tears of grief haunt me still.  Her tears of sadness reflected the scars left from a lifetime of healing.  Those tears were visible evidence of her vulnerability.  To this day I am brought to my knees by the memory. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000292#00000292">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandymccormickwidow Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:09:34 GMT Funeral Industry: I've Traveled a Long Way and Some of The Roads Weren't Paved http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000291#00000291 The journey of life takes its toll on one and all.  The precious memories shared as we nurture the families that come to us are borne of hardship and toil.  If we listen with our hearts as well as our ears, we will hear voices on the wind hailing as we bear their loved ones to the hallowed sites of family burial plots.  They are being welcomed home at the end of their journey.  Not so for us.  We still have a way to go. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000291#00000291">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandymccormick Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:14:36 GMT Funeral Industry: Because I Said So, Thats Why http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000288#00000288   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000288#00000288">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandymccormickbecause Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:33:07 GMT Funeral Industry: Keep The Score http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000285#00000285   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000285#00000285">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandymccormick Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:51:22 GMT Funeral Industry: Working Parents Are People To http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000284#00000284 I want to address the single parents in our funeral homes.  I offered a previous post referring to working with single mothers and now want to acknowledge the journey of all single parents.  I realize how unfair it is to discriminate but I come from a different era … an era when a single father was unheard of … so please forgive my nearsightedness. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000284#00000284">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandymccormick Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:28:24 GMT Funeral Industry: Can a Hearse Carrying a Corpse Drive in The Carpool Lane? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000282#00000282 Just try it using the carpool lane or the HOV ‘High Occupancy Vehicle’ lane in Vancouver and see how far you get.  I did and got busted with a ticket.  Apparently someone who is dead is not considered a commuter.  I am sure other jurisdictions have similar rules so be aware if you are tempted to try a similar action.  You too could be courting a $200.00 wake-up call. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000282#00000282">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandyfuneraldrive Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:23:57 GMT Funeral Industry: A Sharp Tongue Can Cut Your Own Throat http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000281#00000281   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000281#00000281">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormicktongue Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:02:24 GMT Funeral Industry: Do The Math. Count Your Blessings http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000279#00000279 Life seems so crazy and hectic these days, and we often forget to slow down and count our blessings. My hope is that you take a deep breath, brew a cup of tea or coffee and relax.  Think about your rough month, week or day.  Try to focus on counting your blessings rather than your trials. We have a lot to be grateful for as we review our situations at home and at work.  I am reminded of a poem of sorts that a friend had cross stitched and hung over her bed. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000279#00000279">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandymccormick Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:15:44 GMT Funeral Industry: If You Want What Lies Buried, Dig Until You Find It http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000277#00000277 You will never find hidden treasure lying on top of the ground.  If it was, it wouldn’t be called ‘hidden’ treasure.  The treasures that we seek either lie within people around us or deep within ourselves.  Personal searches involve many pitfalls and onerous roadblocks, but the destination is worth the journey if you find but one truth. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000277#00000277">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickblog Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:07:01 GMT Funeral Industry: An Enemy Takes More Space in Your Head Than a Friend Takes in Your Heart http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000276#00000276   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000276#00000276">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryfriendrandy mccormick Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:10:59 GMT Funeral Industry: Celebrate Your Victories http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000275#00000275   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000275#00000275">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickcelebrate Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:19:32 GMT Funeral Industry: Healthy Older Male, Mentally Alert but Forgetful http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000272#00000272   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000272#00000272">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industrymentallyrandy mccormick Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:15:14 GMT Funeral Industry:Train Your People to Do It Better Than You http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000268#00000268   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000268#00000268">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormicktrain Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:09:33 GMT Funeral Industry: No Matter Where You Go, There You Are http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000266#00000266 You can try to change the way you answer your phones and you can renovate your chapel to your hearts content, but the essence of your funeral home is built upon your attitude.  Hand-in-hand with your attitude goes the attitude of your staff.  Your business is hinged to the way you view the world and your place in it. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000266#00000266">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralfuneral industryrandy mccormick Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:30:45 GMT Funeral Industry: Feet Firmly Fixed on a Foundation of Faith http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000263#00000263 There are times in the life of a funeral director when assaults come from all sides.  The core of our belief structures can be shaken and the growth process can be challenged.  All that we hold sacred ca n seem dashed unless we visualize ourselves as a sail at rest, awaiting the gust of wind that comes along to fill us and move us onward.  Different belief systems abound in the world we serve, and we must be able to let them pass through our lives gently. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000263#00000263">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralfuneral industryrandy mccormick Fri, 30 May 2008 13:15:27 GMT Funeral Industry: One Thing You Can't Recycle is Wasted Time http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000261#00000261   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000261#00000261">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralfuneral industryrandy mccormick Thu, 29 May 2008 12:50:36 GMT Funeral Industry: Reach for The Sun http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000259#00000259 Expectations that you make for yourself as a funeral professional need not be modest.  Personal goals become the vehicles that make each of us individual and they spur us on to greater heights of performance.  One thing is sure about personal goals; no one can achieve them without action. You must have a firm grasp on what you want to do.  Each person has their own way of setting and reaching goals but here is one way that has worked for me over the years. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000259#00000259">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormick Wed, 28 May 2008 16:18:49 GMT Funeral Industry: I Can't Shake This Cold http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000256#00000256 The spring cold makes its way through the funeral home staff, then sneaks home as a surprise gift for your family.  Cold and flu bugs plod their ruthless routes through our lives everyday and there seems precious little we can do except let them run their course.  But what about the ones that insist on hanging around for weeks on end?  These are the bugs that finally bring us to our knees as we trudge to the doctor’s office where we learn that his family and most of the clinic staff have been affected in the same way.  The infections seem to hang on forever! <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000256#00000256">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickcold Tue, 27 May 2008 12:57:45 GMT Funeral Industry: Birthdays and Bagpipes http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000252#00000252   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000252#00000252">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industrybag pipe Fri, 23 May 2008 13:20:31 GMT Funeral Industry: We Have Enough Youth. How About a Fountain of "Smart"? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000249#00000249 How mankind has cheated itself by it’s pursuit of youth to the detriment of all else.  We all know about Juan Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth, his main reason for traveling to present-day Florida in 1513.  Apparently the search did not start with him, nor was it unique to the New World.   Why do we want to stay forever young?  What’s wrong with being old and wise?  Do we have to wait until we are old to become wise?   Should we assume that we will automatically become wise because we get old? <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000249#00000249">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryyouthrandy mccormick Thu, 22 May 2008 13:20:51 GMT Funeral Industry: The Cheapest Facelift is a Laugh http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000246#00000246 What a serious lot we funeral professionals can be.  We constantly deal with a grieving cross section of the population that arrive at our doors accompanied by waves of tears.  We must always be aware of the space they are in as they navigate emotional minefields that assault them on every side.  We live with these realities all day and then arrive home to greet our happy families.  We do all of this and more.  We turn people’s lives around with a few well chosen words yet do we have enough left in us to be effective when we get home? <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000246#00000246">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormick Wed, 21 May 2008 13:19:31 GMT Funeral Industry: Pressure Transforms Stones Into Diamonds http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000245#00000245 Today you don’t have to look far to identify someone who is stressed out.  The phenomenon is particularly alarming in mothers who have chosen the funeral profession as their vocation.  There is a large population of moms in this business who shoulder the added burden of being the principal bread winner for the family.  They need the most support because they have the most to lose.  This is a business where it seems that nothing is ever enough. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000245#00000245">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral indusrtydiamondsrandy mccormick Tue, 20 May 2008 13:24:13 GMT Funeral Industry: Walking to Forget http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000242#00000242 The difficult moments in the funeral home often make us search for new ways to unwind.  We aren’t always able to get away from the office for a few days, but getting away for a few minutes is a different story altogether.   ‘Stop and smell the roses’ is a common phrase used as a helpful reminder to slow down, relax, and experience the beauty around us. We work in offices that cut us off from nature and this is unfortunate because nature is a powerful de-stressor. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000242#00000242">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickwalking Mon, 19 May 2008 13:14:00 GMT Funeral Industry: Life is Drawing Without an Eraser http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000239#00000239 The journey of life begins and we are welcomed into the mysterious world of the hospital.  We are surrounded by a room full of smiling faces all staring down at us.  The journey of life often ends in another hospital room where, once again, we are surrounded by faces, sad faces this time, all staring down at us.  Between those two scenarios we live our lives. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000239#00000239">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormicklife Fri, 16 May 2008 13:44:02 GMT Funeral Industry: The More I Learn About Terrorism The More I Understand The Phone Company http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000238#00000238   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000238#00000238">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryterrorismrandymccormick Thu, 15 May 2008 12:38:02 GMT Funeral Industry: I Can Tell From The Smell - You Must Be Beautiful http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000236#00000236 I almost died at the Mall today.  After bashing through the chain smoker blockade at the front of the building I decided to take the elevator to the second floor.  I usually use the stairs but today I was in a hurry.  Before I knew what hit me the door slammed shut and I found myself gasping for air. The elevator was saturated with the overpowering scent of shaving lotion. My fellow passenger was an athletic middle aged jock.  I immediately started to wheeze and by the time and by the time we reached the second floor I could hardly breathe. As we exited he gave me a courteous smile, completely unaware of the napalm death he was emitting. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000236#00000236">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandymccormick Wed, 14 May 2008 13:09:52 GMT Funeral Industry: To Heck with Tradition - Let's Play Rock n Roll http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000235#00000235   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000235#00000235">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormick Tue, 13 May 2008 14:10:12 GMT Funeral Industry: Saying Goodbye is Hard and We Never Learn to be Good at It http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000233#00000233 We watch from the wings as grieving families act out their scenarios on the stage we provide but there is no acting involved, only RE-acting.  They are reacting to the gut wrenching reality that has become theirs.  It visits all and when our turn comes, one would think that a funeral professional should have a handle on the stages and the procedures.  Sadly, when our time comes to cross through the Valley of Shadows, we are no more prepared than others. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000233#00000233">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industrysaying goodbyerandy mccormick Mon, 12 May 2008 13:25:43 GMT Funeral Industry: I Keep Hitting "Escape" But - I'm Still Here http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000231#00000231 The office situations we dread most are the ones that begin with confrontation.  Whether in the arrangement room or in the coffee room; in the office or in the hearse on the way to the cemetery, there are situations from which we all wish we could escape.  The reality is that ‘Escape’ is not a solution.  Confrontation on an issue is often the only way that some people feel they can get our attention and they do not want us to run away.  What they really want is a clear explanation to help them see the issue as we do. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000231#00000231">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeralindustryrandymccormickescape Fri, 09 May 2008 13:13:38 GMT Funeral Industry: Wisdom is The Reward For a Lifetime of Listening http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000230#00000230   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000230#00000230">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickwisdom Thu, 08 May 2008 14:21:26 GMT Funeral Industry: The Sun Dries, Without Prejudice, The Garments of The Rich and Poor http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000228#00000228 Each time a family enters a funeral home they are looking for help.  Every individual walking through the ‘Valley of the Shadow of Death’ should be welcomed equally.  Unlike the medical profession with its famous Hippocratic Oath, the funeral profession relies upon a series of unwritten standards that have survived the ages.  The understanding is that … as a result of our apprenticeships … we are all automatically aware of our obligations to humanity.  I hope this is true because ours is a heavy mandate. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000228#00000228">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryconnectingdirectorsrandy mccormick Wed, 07 May 2008 12:54:09 GMT Bozone: The Substance Surrounding Stupid People That Stops Bright Ideas From Penetrating http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000227#00000227 Not to be unkind, but there seems to be one in every office.  I am referring to the person who is always there to trash the new ideas.  Who knows, maybe you are the culprit.  There is always that person who just can’t fathom a fresh idea that didn’t originate in their court.  The old expression of being a ‘wet blanket at a beach party’ aptly describes them in brainstorming sessions but the sad thing is that most groups bow to their lack of insight, especially if the one surrounded by ‘BOZONE’ has any seniority. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000227#00000227">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickstupid people Tue, 06 May 2008 13:07:34 GMT Funeral Industry: One Thing I Can Give and Still Keep... Is My Word http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000225#00000225 "I have been asked what I mean by word of honour.  I will tell you.  Place me behind prison walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick reaching ever so far into the ground and there is a possibility that I may be able to escape; but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honour never to cross it.  Can I get out of that circle? <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000225#00000225">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickconnectingdirectors Mon, 05 May 2008 13:23:10 GMT Funeral Industry: Doodle Your Way Into Creativity http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000223#00000223 Ever sit in the lunch room with an idea that just won’t take shape?   Many years ago I discovered a way of exploring the potential of my creativeness.  I started scribbling picture-notes to myself.  That developed into doodling … shapes and lines around the words.  Have you ever thought of something (an idea) that would help you solve a problem, only to forget it later?   I find that doodling helps me remember. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000223#00000223">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryfuneral networkingrandy mccormick Fri, 02 May 2008 14:00:26 GMT Funeral Industry: Do Stupid Things Faster With More Energy: Drink Coffee http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000222#00000222   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000222#00000222">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industrygoogle Thu, 01 May 2008 07:40:15 GMT Funeral Industry: The Mind, Like a Parachute, Only Functions When Open http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000221#00000221 Have your ideas been born of decades of tradition? Has the gray matter of your brain set like so much concrete?  Have you been challenged lately to see things in a different light?  What innovative ideas speak to you?  Have you had an experience lately that made you look at yourself differently?  These are all questions that indicate an open or closed mind.  Even the most set-in-their-way curmudgeons can develop an open mind but the exercises require work. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000221#00000221">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickconnectingdirectors Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:02:39 GMT Funeral Industry: Stupidity is Not a Handicap. Park Elsewhere! http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000220#00000220   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000220#00000220">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickconnectingdirectors Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:07:42 GMT Miss Smith’s ‘Fish Sauce Shop’ Seldom Sells Shellfish http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000219#00000219 As times change the public you serve demands more and more of your marketing.  Out of self defense you suddenly find yourself stocking products that you previously did not consider seriously.  Today’s funeral professionals operate within a far wider marketplace than in the past and the products offered reflect many eclectic requests. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000219#00000219">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickconnectingdirectors Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:04:18 GMT Funeral Industry: Not All Superheroes Wear Capes http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000215#00000215 The frail widow clutches a Kleenex like a life line as she speaks of the three-year journey she has traveled.  The cancer diagnosis was devastating to her husband and he made no attempts to mask the fact.  He remained pleasant in public but alone became moody, mean and miserable.  In the beginning he slipped into depression and didn’t speak for weeks on end.  Medication only aggravated the cancer treatment.  Trapped in the proverbial ‘burning house’ she prayed for release. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000215#00000215">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industry Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:08:09 GMT Funeral Industry: Make Yourself at Home: Clean Our Kitchen http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000214#00000214 Is there a more disgusting experience than walking into a reception area and finding an unkempt kitchen?  Soiled cloths hanging to dry over faucets and coffee cups stacked in the sink speak of a lack of discipline by employees in any business.  It may be convenient to toss the cloth used to wipe up an office spill into the sink closest to the disaster, but it is unsightly and indicates a complete disregard for paying customers.  Accumulations of staff lunch utensils fall into the same category. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000214#00000214">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickhome Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:12:21 GMT Funeral Industry: Brainstorming... http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000212#00000212 Do you need to add new energy to your business?  Do you need to find new ways to increase your outreach within the community? Funeral homes and their surroundings can become stale after awhile and that is why brainstorming sessions are so important.  I agree that … like McDonalds … if you have a good thing happening DON’T CHANGE IT - but there are still things that can be re-thought.   Taking the pulse of the business through a brainstorming session can be helpful for the entire staff. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000212#00000212">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryfuneralindustryconnectingdirectorsrandy mccormick Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:14:16 GMT Funeral Industry: SECRET... Something You Tell to One Person at a Time http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000210#00000210 How easy it is to sit in the local coffee shop with another staff member and talk about the day.   How easy it is to share a laugh, forgetting that you are in a public place BUT that lady pallbearer WAS a sight in those FOUR INCH spikes as she maneuvered the goose poop on the way to the graveside.  How are you to know the person behind you is her next door neighbour?  How easy it is to forget that the man at the next table could be the next person deciding which funeral home to use. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000210#00000210">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormicksercretconnectingdirectors Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:12:10 GMT Funeral Industry: Are You Doing The Right Job? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000208#00000208 We all assume that we have chosen the perfect occupation and we attack our everyday lives with a zest and vigour that speaks of total harmony with all the elements of our being.  Is that the case for you or do you find yourself dragging out of bed, approaching work with apprehension and plodding through the day waiting for it all to end? <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000208#00000208">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickconnectingdirectors Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:05:31 GMT Funeral Industry: How Do You Know That You Are Stressed? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000206#00000206 The funeral profession has to be one of the most stressful occupations on this planet.  The simple matter of taking a first call would be enough to put most people into a state of depression, but the funeral professional handles it on a daily basis.  Each time you walk through the morgue door and accept the scenario laid out before you as ‘normal’ you store stuff in your subconscious that lurks until enough builds up to become a problem.  I am sure there are very few funeral homes out there offering a staff debriefing session on a regular basis so you need to take ownership of your stress issues. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000206#00000206">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickconnectingdirectors.comfuneral blog Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:25:23 GMT Are You a Good Leader? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000205#00000205 Do you feel that you have the drive, courage and conviction required to be a truly effective leader?  Every one has the potential and you can become one if you make the choice to develop the characteristics required.  If you are aware of what you need to be like to lead, you can practice and learn to be a leader. Following are a few of the paramount qualities of being a leader, but there are many more. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000205#00000205">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industry blograndy mccormickconnectingdirectors Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:15:52 GMT Don't Be Late http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000204#00000204 From your first day in the funeral profession your education began and it always started with the lesson … NEVER BE LATE.   If anything, you were encouraged to arrive early enough to deal with unanticipated situations.  One of the most important skills you learn in this business is the skill of being early or at least arriving before you are expected. You not only benefit from this in your professional life but also in your daily life because once you have this basic skill mastered you begin to reduce stress and become more organized and productive. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000204#00000204">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryfuneral blograndy mccormickconnecting directors Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:09:08 GMT Toys in The Kid's Play Area http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000203#00000203 How proud we are of our inclusiveness.  “We encourage you to involve your children in the grief process.  Your children are welcome and we even have a special play area designed with them in mind.”  Well … now let’s add the rest of the story … <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000203#00000203">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:23:42 GMT Whats Right ... Whats Wrong? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000200#00000200 Sometimes we become so caught up in who's right and who's wrong that we forget WHAT’S right and what’s WRONG.  In everyday funeral home life the scenarios we encounter can be overwhelming.  Legal dilemmas manifest themselves at every fork in the road and we are often left to untangle ‘right from wrong’ situations.  How do YOU handle this onerous task? <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000200#00000200">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industry blogfuneral businessrandy mccormickconnecting directors Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:15:24 GMT Dust is Only Mud With The Juice Squeezed Out http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000199#00000199 It is so easy to miss a spot while dusting.  I was sitting in the waiting area of my doctor’s clinic last week waiting patiently for an appointment.  I usually avoid magazines because of where I am … the fact remains that some people can’t wash their hands between coughing fits and turning a page.  So … what’s left but the opportunity to visually check the place out?   The waiting room was well appointed and beautifully colour coordinated.  The cleaning staff had been fastidious in their scrubbing efforts because the floors gleamed, the counter shone and the windows sparkled.  The big clock on the wall must have been a family heirloom … but … that’s when I saw it … and was instantly transported from a place of comfort to a place of uneasiness. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000199#00000199">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryfuneral blograndy mccormickconnecting directors Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:48:52 GMT Smile When Picking Up The Phone... The Caller Will Hear It In Your Voice http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000197#00000197 Practise the following three telephone greetings aloud.  Have someone listen from outside the door as you read them … twice … once while smiling and once while frowning.   Then, ask them to identify the smile set. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000197#00000197">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industry blograndy mccormickcustomer serviceconnecting directors Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:27:31 GMT Don't Be Afraid Your Life Will End... Be Afraid It Will Never Begin http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000195#00000195 On the long pilgrimage though life we pass many signs.  Some warn of bumps and rocky terrain while others invite us to stop to enjoy the scenery.  The road has rest stops and speed traps, but the beautiful thing about being on the road is the trip itself.  Destinations change as we negotiate tricky intersections or get lost on one-way streets … but the destination is never as important as the journey. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000195#00000195">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industry blograndy mccormickconnectingdirectors.comconnecting directors Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:14:10 GMT When You Lose, Don't Lose The Lesson http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000192#00000192 For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  The opposite reaction to losing must be winning and therein lies the lesson.  Each time you set your foot on a path with a goal firmly in sight, you stride boldly into the future with hope.  Do you remember the last time that you pursued a ‘fortune changing’ dream?  What a feeling accompanies such a quest.  You can almost taste the excitement. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000192#00000192">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryrandy mccormickconnectingdirectorsfuneral industry blog Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:14:30 GMT 7 Days Without God Makes One Weak http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000189#00000189 From whence comes the strength of the funeral professional?  Does it come from working out at the gym?  Does it come from eating a balanced diet of healthy nutritional choices?  Does it come from a box or a package or a pill?  No.  The strength of a funeral professional comes from the well within. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000189#00000189">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral industryfuneral industry blograndy mccormick Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:09:12 GMT "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000188#00000188 It was TWENTY YEARS ago and our accounts receivable were under $100,000.000.  Wow!  We celebrated!  That was just like money in the bank.  Then someone started noticing that Sears didn’t let us walk out of their store with a pair of shoes or a new shirt without paying.  The sad thing was this … no one expected that of Sears … but the Funeral Home was supposed to offer at least 90 days to get the estate in order before asking for payment and there would NEVER be a thought of adding interest.  If it was added, it was always written off as a gesture of goodwill when the bill was paid five years later …. After all … we wanted to serve the family again. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000188#00000188">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:07:18 GMT The Wheel is Turning, But The Hamster's Dead http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000187#00000187 One of the saddest things I have ever observed is the funeral director/owner who doesn’t know when to step aside.  I have seen good staff leave because an old founder wouldn’t relent on a simple issue claiming ‘he was too old to change’. I have watched companies literally dissected by the competition because the owner claimed … ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000187#00000187">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:01:23 GMT The Compassionate Friends http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000186#00000186 I was honoured to be asked to speak at a large gathering of ‘The Compassionate Friends’ yesterday.  Following is the text of the reflection I offered which began and ended with a reflective poem. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000186#00000186">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:53:43 GMT Don't Judge People By Their Relatives http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000185#00000185 Remember the cliché expression … ‘Some people come into our lives… and leave footprints on our hearts’ … Well … let me offer another version.    “Some families come into our lives … just to test us.”  Thank God that the times we encounter good and thankful customers far out number the times we have to deal with difficult ones. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000185#00000185">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral blograndy mccormickfuneral networking Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:44:27 GMT Let Me Put That Data in a Suppository For You... http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000183#00000183 When did you attend your last pointless meeting?  It seems for me that, like bad luck, pointless meetings come in threes.  I sometimes wonder why I bother since retirement dictates that my attendance is NOT mandatory anyway. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000183#00000183">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:15:35 GMT Silence Can't Be Misquoted http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000182#00000182 Due to the nature of our business, funeral professionals are destined to be the final ‘authority’ on many subjects, but we must be aware of our limitations.  Many people lump funeral planning in with estate planning and will preparation.  They ask if it is best to appoint a ‘power of attorney’ or a ‘committee’ (pronounced com-a-tee) instead of an executor.  They assume an executor is a conservator and guardian.  The questions are asked in innocence but answers are seized upon as if they came from a lawyer.  It feeds our egos when we know ‘a little about a lot’ and thus it strokes us to be able to have the last word. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000182#00000182">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:11:35 GMT If Your Dog is Fat, You Aren't Getting Enough Exercise http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000181#00000181 Funeral professionals must be among the world’s top procrastinators when it comes to keeping in shape.  Most of our days are spent either at a desk or behind the wheel of a car.  When we are walking we do so slowly and deliberately as decorum dictates and when we are standing we do so with rigid purpose. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000181#00000181">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> randy mccormickfuneralfuneral blogfuneral network Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:01:54 GMT Tomorrow – Today’s Greatest Labour Saving Device? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000180#00000180 So … I answer the call.  The lady is five minutes away and wants to sign release forms.  After talking to all the funeral homes in the area she had narrowed it down to two … but I am closer … and the other one had the nerve to tell her they were already closed for the day … she’ll come back tomorrow to complete the rest of the paper work … and asks casually if I can get a bronze casket in by Thursday? <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000180#00000180">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral blograndymccormickrandy mccormick Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:17:50 GMT Joseph of Arimathea - Funeral Director? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000178#00000178 Imagine … you have a deep admiration for a man who is considered an eccentric.  Regardless of what people think of him, you like what he says and the way he says it … you admire his communication skills.  There is simplicity in his words and common sense in his wisdom.    He is a compelling speaker and there is ‘something’ about him that makes you hope his handlers are aware of his following and steer him into politics. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000178#00000178">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:10:38 GMT And You Think You Are Carrying A Heavy Load http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000177#00000177 It was 4:00 pm.  As we left the office, the kind old man simply responded to my question, “Tell me you need to do before the service.  Perhaps I can help…”  I assumed that he would be making a few phone calls, arranging the collage of photos for the reception, picking up his special CD of 20’s music or finalizing the flowers. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000177#00000177">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:49:12 GMT Confucius Say: Man Who Run Behind Car Get Exhausted http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000175#00000175 There are some common-sense issues that are part of our ‘cellular’ knowledge.  We are hard-wired with certain things from birth.  We are born with a sense of right from wrong.  We just ‘know’ that kindness is important. We all have a sense of a greater power in our lives.  We all know that it is never too late to run away to join the circus … oops … wrong blog (sorry Ryan).   Seriously, some things are second nature and we do ourselves disservice if we race after every new idea that pops up. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000175#00000175">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:07:19 GMT Did Michelangelo paint the Sistine floor? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000174#00000174 Everyday of our lives we are called to risk something.  If our personal relationships are to thrive we must risk and open ourselves to new understandings of love.  The hi-tech world we live in reminds us that we are not the same people today that we were yesterday.  In an instant a news flash can change the way we perceive the world.  If we are to maintain healthy personal relationships we must be ready to risk the fall from the ceiling.  Remaining safe is harder and harder in our world. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000174#00000174">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:29:37 GMT I Didn't Know That? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000172#00000172 Here is your shot of St. Patrick’s Day trivia.  Use it well to stump someone in the office today or impress your buddies over a green beer.  If any of you celebrated it on the 14th or the 15th – A Happy belated St. Paddy’s Day to you. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000172#00000172">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> funeral Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:30:59 GMT Do It Right - They'll Come Back and Bring Their Friends http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000171#00000171 Now put your business under the microscope.  Are you seen as the hit-and-run salesman or the one with the stick-to-it dedicated attitude?  A dedicated funeral home personifies company policy and, by inference, convinces the public that service will be top notch.  There are companies that have built a reputation on the credibility of their staff and the quality of their service … as much as the product they sell.   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000171#00000171">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:56:29 GMT Spread The Word http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000170#00000170 With many small businesses, there is a tendency to be reactive. If sales slow down, you decide to advertise to address the situation. When work picks up, advertising is stopped.   This is the biggest mistake that a funeral home can make.  When budgeting to get your word out, settle on a number that can remain consistent month after month – not one that is hinged to profits.  The result of haphazard advertising produces haphazard results.  Instead of one broad objective of ‘getting more sales’, strategies can be developed in three areas. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000170#00000170">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:21:05 GMT Your Website Looks Abandoned http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000168#00000168 If your goals are not clearly defined it is easy to become the hamster on the treadmill. You can expend a lot of effort going nowhere. All you are doing is reacting to the pressures that business creates.  Consider creating a blog where you can ‘toot your own horn’ and ‘ring your own bell’.  Invite people to interact on your website and give them a reason to return.  Make it interesting enough that they feel they are missing something important if they do not log in.   How many of us would log onto THIS site regularly if Ryan didn’t strive to offer something different for us to digest on a regular basis? <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000168#00000168">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:30:08 GMT Take Charge of Your Reality http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000166#00000166 You can't always control every situation but there are two things you can control: your attitude and your skills.  Attitude is primary because it, above all else, is the easiest to deal with.  If you know your business and feel good about yourself, there is nothing that can stand in your way on your journey to success.  You may encounter failure along the way, but with a healthy attitude you will soon realize that failure is just the opportunity to begin again – this time with the gift of more experience. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000166#00000166">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:26:21 GMT Do You Want Fries With That? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000165#00000165 “Good morning – I hope you folks are being treated well – we always put our families to the top of our priority list… Have you thought about our cemetery for burial of your loved one’s ashes – as a matter of fact – we have a special discount on family plots that runs till the end of the month … I will just check to make sure that those plots are available – do you mind if Allan stops in for a moment to say hi …?” <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000165#00000165">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:50:34 GMT This I Believe http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000163#00000163 The glimpse that I retain as a Funeral Director is one of the most beautiful gifts that can be given.  I have the chance to look into the mirror of other lives and see humanity stripped bare.  I have become the sum of the total of all of their philosophies. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000163#00000163">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:19:59 GMT Portrait of A Lady http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000162#00000162 Yesterday, I implored you to utilize Connecting Directors as a forum for getting things off your mind. Today I take my own advice. Thank you, Ryan for your vision. Let the healing begin. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000162#00000162">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:27:38 GMT Sorrows Keep You Human http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000159#00000159 When we hear the story of parents having suffered the tragedy of three full-term pregnancies … all ending in stillbirth … we think of ourselves, our friends and our relatives. It is next to impossible for me to imagine the pain of such a scenario. It might rival that of having an arm torn off without anaesthetic, but if that were to happen – the bleeding stump would be evidence for the world to see. Everyone would know why I was hurting so badly. With the tragic loss of a child, no one walking past me in the mall would be able to see the wound because it is a soul wound. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000159#00000159">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:02:21 GMT Trials Keep you Strong http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000156#00000156 The time we spend wringing our hands over problems is often wasted in hindsight. Is it possible that trials make us stronger? Tribulation is part of life. No one can avoid it. Difficult times can be good times. They can make us better and make us stronger; they can quicken the senses and discipline the mind. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000156#00000156">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:22:53 GMT Anything is Possible When The Speaker is Boring http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000154#00000154 My business life was going well so that didn’t warrant much thought – except – maybe … the new apprentice with the ‘me first’ attitude … Who does she think she is? I suppose I should make an attempt to understand her reasons for seeing the world as she does … I have never put myself in the shoes of a 21 year old woman before … I wonder … hmmmmmmm – maybe the substantial gap in our ages means that I am not understanding the place where her thinking originates …yes, that’s it … the ‘two L’s’ are needed here - lunch and a good listen. In the break after this seminar I will call her and set it up. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000154#00000154">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:01:42 GMT To Write With a Broken Pencil is Pointless http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000153#00000153 If you are communicating with your public through advertising you must keep the story simple and make it interesting. Don’t try to touch on too many points in one ad. Just like the preacher with the sermon that is too long, you risk putting your public to sleep. Don’t feel you have to weed the whole garden in one day. Tend to the corn now and leave the carrots and beets for another day. Focus on Preplanning today - Reasonable Cremation Costs can be featured tomorrow. If you approach your ads in a simple manner you will see better results. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000153#00000153">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:30:29 GMT Dash on Stone http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000152#00000152 For all that is really marked as we travel on life’s journey is the date that we were ……………………BORN....................... ……………and then, the date we……… ……………………...DIE........................ And never are remembered the dates that WE hold important... <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000152#00000152">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:31:21 GMT If Opportunity Doesn't Knock, Build a Door http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000150#00000150 We have all experienced the quiet times for which there is no explanation. Professionals who have been around the block should know better, but we still sweat and torture ourselves with ‘what if this continues’ thoughts. Last time it happened to me I decided to break the hand-wringing pattern, but I fell off the wagon after six days. The next week, all hell broke loose. I had twenty calls in as many days. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000150#00000150">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:11:39 GMT My Ignorance on This Subject is Advanced http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000148#00000148 We have all met this person in the arrangement office. You know - the fellow or the gal who proceeds to explain to their mother-sister-brother-father about cremation being a fifteen minute process – the embalmed body lasting a minimum of one hundred years – caskets being marked up 888 percent cause that is a secret good luck number – the hearse and seven limos always provided – minister’s services for free since they are already paid by their congregations - the gold in the teeth that are always removed before cremation … and so on … and so on … and so on ….. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000148#00000148">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:54:51 GMT Retired - Will Think For Money http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000146#00000146 It has been ten years for me but I still number myself within those ranks so let me tell you - it is not as frightening as you may think. If you have made good investments you will the one who travels and tours until he never wants to see another famous landmark. I have spoken to many that long for quiet time or a moment for creative thinking and napping whenever the mood strikes. Tours can be endurance tests – but that is fodder for a future blog … <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000146#00000146">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:07:14 GMT Didn't You Get My Email? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000141#00000141 The old joke about having to use the telephone to confirm that someone received your email is no longer funny. More and more of our customers are using email to connect with the funeral director after the first call. We have to respond to their emails promptly despite the fact that we have arrangements to finalize, bodies to embalm and services to conduct. There are several things a funeral home can do to alleviate the potential impatience/anxiety of customers who await a response to their emails: <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000141#00000141">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:58:06 GMT The Most Important Things In Your Home Are The People http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000140#00000140 The people who surround at work you are the people that you need to thank every chance you get - but please don’t make thanking people exclusive to the funeral home - bring the habit home with you … thank the checkout clerk … the milkman … the gal who takes you ticket at the theatre … the neighbour who cleaned up his dog’s mess … the paperboy … heck, thank your mother-in-law (I’m sure you can find something). <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000140#00000140">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:05:14 GMT Behold The Turtle: He Only Makes Progress When He Sticks Out His Neck http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000139#00000139 Have you ever listened to the lament of a professional bemoaning the realities of a decline in his business? I am sure we have all shared that experience and perhaps have even been the person chanting the lament. There comes a time when every business person has that ‘quiet’ day, or a series of them, when they wonder if they are doing something wrong. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000139#00000139">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:52:55 GMT The Spiritual Life of The Hills http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000138#00000138 You never learn the spiritual life of the hills unless you go up to them and stay there. In peace and quietness you hear all the noises … the rushes ... you camp close by a creek. At night time the creek rushes down and it’s almost like a song … and you hear … early in the morning … you hear the birds singing and you know … that’s the Spiritual Nature of being up in the hills – in the forest – and you know it is a peaceful life. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000138#00000138">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:46:29 GMT He Who Dies With The Most Toys Is Still Dead http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000137#00000137 As we make our way down the path that becomes our personal life journey, we accumulate many things. They range from the most to the least important, but as we gather them to us, our priorities often become distorted. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000137#00000137">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:22:59 GMT A Sad Day http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000135#00000135 Is there a funeral profession out there who hasn’t had a ‘Red Letter’ day that they would rather forget? We are party to personal tragedies every day of the year but special days resonate more clearly in memory. Christmas sadness ranks high on the memory list but highest for me is a Valentine’s Day reflection. It haunts me each year. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000135#00000135">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:49:05 GMT A Will is a Dead Giveaway http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000132#00000132 How many funeral directors have their house in order? How many funeral directors have actually put pen to paper and recorded their prearrangement information? … talking about your plans doesn’t count … How many funeral directors have a will? Do you? I know colleagues that still procrastinate about their personal prearrangements. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000132#00000132">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:57:24 GMT God Wants Spiritaul Fruit, Not Religious Nuts http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000131#00000131 As a funeral director - if you live long enough – you can count on eventually being exposed to almost every belief and variation thereof that surrounds you. A GOOD funeral director acknowledges that in the ‘global village’ there are ideological differences between faith groups. The GREAT funeral director surfs the net and finds all she can about those faith groups. The BEST funeral director makes notes as she surfs and compiles a binder marked: Jehovah’s’ Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist, Mormon, Sikh, Buddhist etc. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000131#00000131">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:01:25 GMT Be Still So He Can Untangle The Knot http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000130#00000130 There are times that a funeral director is asked to be all things to all people. Statistics say that very few of today’s 30–45 population have a faith home and even fewer are able to identify with an emotional support group. Most commonly this is the group we meet as they make arrangements for their parents. When the time of need is upon them they look to us to identify and direct them down a healing path. Some directors ‘jump on their horse and madly rush off in all directions’, hoping that somehow those in need find at least one solution that sticks. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000130#00000130">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:49:15 GMT Sit on Your Pity Pot If You Have To - Just be Sure to Flush When You Are Done http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000129#00000129 Oh, poor me. My apprentice has got the flu bug and I have to miss my Kiwanis meeting. Someone (me?) made a typo on the memorial cards and the family is all over me. The cheque that the last family gave me seems to be bouncing all over town. Someone splashed the hearse with mud on the way to the church. Even the dog is laughing at my new haircut. I tore the ass end out of my new funeral pants. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000129#00000129">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:58:10 GMT A Closed Mouth Gathers No Feet http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000128#00000128 If you're unsure whether you're a good listener or not, simply take the following test. In your next meeting or conversation, make a mental note or, even better, jot down on a piece of paper the number of times you interrupt. The fewer marks there are on your paper, the better listener you are! This seems like a silly test, but you may be surprised by the quantity of marks on your paper. After all, the worst listeners usually aren't aware that their listening skills need some attention or improvement. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000128#00000128">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Fri, 08 Feb 2008 05:40:44 GMT Blessed are the Flexible, for They Shall Not be Bent Out of Shape http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000127#00000127 How do you handle them? There are situations that have soft solutions and there are situations that have hard solutions. Be flexible. Some funeral directors I know sweat buckets and appear almost bent in two as they approach the family to offer explanations … as if they have done something wrong … but think of it – to be blindsided is not wrong – you only need to exhibit your flexibility and approach the solution properly. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000127#00000127">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:35:56 GMT God's Real Estate http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000126#00000126 ‘Tis He who really owns this plot, though they have paid a sum... and thought that those who made that green receipt had owned it first... with deeds complete. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000126#00000126">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:12:33 GMT There is a Big Difference Between Being Smart and Being Wise http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000125#00000125 I am amazed by the insight of the young people who leave comments on this website. Connecting Directors provides a wonderful forum - allowing members to identify themselves as actual or aspiring funeral professionals. It allows everyone the opportunity to affirm the unique gifts he or she brings to the workplace while allowing non funeral director members an opportunity to look into the mirror of our experiences with death care. Across the world, the everyday traffic in and out of funeral homes provides the ultimate opportunity to gather wisdom. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000125#00000125">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:13:22 GMT As soon as you have 2 people you have organization problems http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000124#00000124 Your funeral home has been asked to serve the family of a politician who has died in office. It is up to your firm to plan the public event to be held one week hence. It promises to be the largest funeral that your community has ever seen. You have been asked to work with the Governor’s Office, the staff at City Hall and the Masonic Lodge. Your firm has conducted many funerals but this is the first of any magnitude and your slightly envious competition is just waiting for you to screw up. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000124#00000124">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:47:42 GMT I Have Not Yet Begun to Ignore Your Request http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000122#00000122 It is so easy to forget a customer request. We call it forgetting. They see it as ignoring. The first call to Happy Harry’s was to have an urn delivered to a church my noon. Happy Harry forgot to tell Gladys and now his funeral home’s reputation is on the line. Two hundred people witnessed a mourning family having a melt down because dad’s ashes weren’t at his service. Poor old Happy Harry. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000122#00000122">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:32:37 GMT Happiness is Not Having What You Want But Wanting What You Have http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000120#00000120 One morning I was slated to do two arrangements. 9:00 arrangement A - for a local judge, respected and known for his success and philanthropic contributions. 11:30 arrangement B – for a fellow who had attended many services at our chapel and was known as being a bit of a’ character’ fixture in the community. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000120#00000120">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:22:10 GMT Farewell to Uncle Joe http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000118#00000118 I feel compelled to share my loss here on ‘Connecting Directors’ with my fellow funeral professionals because my family history began in Princeton, Indiana. I know most of the members of this group are American Funeral Directors who will understand the pride our family has in our American roots. If anyone in Indiana reads this blog, let me know if you recognize any of the names that follow. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000118#00000118">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:27:50 GMT If Work Was Fun We'd Still be Plowing Fields With Sticks http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000116#00000116 In my working years, each time I approached a mundane housekeeping task around the funeral home I wished that someone would invent a machine to do the job. Preferably a machine that would operate itself so I could tend to more pressing matters. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000116#00000116">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:30:31 GMT Can You go Back to The Next Chart? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000114#00000114 Have you ever attended one of THOSE meetings? I think you know the ones I am referring to. Facts, figures, targets, goals, sales, service … zzzzz … I must say that I was guilty of conducting one back in the eighties. That experience taught me a lesson I never forgot. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000114#00000114">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:50:36 GMT Leave the Rest to God http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000112#00000112 How can we hope to cover all the bases in our daily lives if we have no concept of what we believe? How can we possibly understand the reasons that our life unfolds unless we are aware of what we don’t believe? There are those who can’t possibly fathom the concept that the things ‘we believe’ and those ‘we do not believe’ are intrinsically connected. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000112#00000112">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:29:41 GMT I Miss Being A Customer http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000110#00000110 The customer is always right. That has always been the golden rule of service professions. Even when the customer is wrong he is still right. Does this make a lot of sense? Let’s talk about it. There are times when a simple misunderstanding between individuals makes the above statement very difficult to live with. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000110#00000110">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:29:01 GMT We Don't Need Your Help. We're Good Enough to Develop Our Own Problems http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000107#00000107 Have you ever had a frustrating conversation like this with one of the ‘old guard’? It never ceases to amaze me that some funeral directors are afraid to try something a little different or explore new ways of looking at old issues. Often the reaction to an alternative approach is one of historical negativity <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000107#00000107">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:11:05 GMT Not to kick a dead horse down the road...but http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000105#00000105 How many times have you observed public respect extended to a funeral cortege?  It seems in these days of rush and more rush, common courtesies are abandoned in favor of getting from A to B with the least amount of delay.  I would be very interested to hear from funeral professionals across North America on this issue.  Perhaps we can glean from each other and seize upon solutions that are working for others.   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000105#00000105">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:23:32 GMT Transferring Work to Someone Else is Not Work http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000103#00000103 A good manager makes the staff aware of her ‘Public Relations’ lunch schedule a week in advance.  A great manager looks at the daily service board and prioritizes – deciding if a call to reschedule lunch with a supplier isn’t wiser than abandoning staff to cope with the second walk-in family that morning.   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000103#00000103">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:36:59 GMT In Response to "Remember to Laugh" http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000102#00000102 "I was met by stern, and cold-faced people, and shown very cold chapels, and casket viewing rooms. What sold me, on the other side of the world, was a smiling, beaming face, at the door, and a human being, willing to be human, and also a pastel shade, but warm chapel. Without even looking at the casket room, the human, and natural person, was given the job immediately."  <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000102#00000102">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:54:46 GMT Your lips say "No" but your business card says ‘Sales" http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000100#00000100 What constitutes pressure sales? I am sure that the answer has as many takes as there are individuals in the Connecting Directors network.  Whether we like it or not we are all in ‘sales’ to one degree or another.     <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000100#00000100">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:19:21 GMT The Bruised Reed - We Must Not Break http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000099#00000099 We care for people as they come through our doors from every walk of life and in every stage of grief.  They are hurting whether they choose to acknowledge that fact or not.   Their vulnerability may be unknown to them, but they place themselves in our hands for guidance.  As caregivers, how do we wear the mantle of power we assume?    <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000099#00000099">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:54:30 GMT Knees Touch - But Not Our Lives http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000098#00000098  Does this sound familiar?  I think we all experience this momentary angst before the plane taxis down the runway but as funeral directors we possess all the trump cards.   (Beware of the backfire though)   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000098#00000098">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:09:11 GMT Has Your Business Plan Reached the End of Its Lifecycle? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000097#00000097 The most important thing that we can do as a funeral director is take the pulse of our business plan.  If you don’t have a business plan I suggest you think seriously about making one.     <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000097#00000097">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:08:24 GMT Remember To Laugh http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000096#00000096 On my first day as a funeral director it took me all of an hour to learn to laugh.  Roger and Denise Winnicky, the couple who owned the funeral home I was working for, each possessed an incredible sense of humor and it was infectious.  They taught me the value of putting a positive spin on as many of the daily situations I encountered as possible. <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000096#00000096">Read More »</a>Visit <a href="/">www.connectingdirectors.com</a> Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:23:51 GMT Reacting To The "Stares" http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000072+00000095#00000095 Do you remember my observation  - the funeral profession is a series of events that change as they re