"Walk ". - Poetry

I wake up from a nightmare,

I wake up in an unknown place.

Can things be worst?

I am unsure.

I choose,

To walk; I walk from that terrible place,

I walk back into your arms

I walk back into my dreams.

----------

I am lost out at sea,

I am lost without a compass.

Can things be worst? 

I am unsure.

I choose,

To walk; I walk from that terrible place,

I walk back into your arms

I walk back into my dreams.

----

I fall from a mountain top into the valley,

I fall without a rope.

Can things be worst?

I am unsure.

I choose,

To walk; I walk back up the mountain,

I walk with you at my side,

I walk out of my dreams to reality.

I am sure things will be fine!

CARE for someone

The Talent Pool

Has fall is now officially here, we all think about how the summer slipped away too fast!!!

I don't, lol, On the drive to the office on a Sunday Morning at 5 am; I am thinking of the past 10 years within the construction industry and the talent pool situation. --- 

I reflex back on my years up north in the NWT, NU and Yukon, it seemed we never had an issue. Whenever I made calls for crews / key guys; it seemed people were just there!!!

We executed projects all over northern Canada, in remote places that may have been attractive to many of the guys I called upon. They liked the fact that they could leave for 4 to 7 months and then be done, return to the small communities where we were from and enjoy the rest of the year hunting, trapping and fishing. These remote projects certainly had its challenges, but it seemed the people and their character fit the region and visa verses.
As for management, again it always seemed easy, many people wanted that northern Canadian experience. Furthermore our engagement with the diamond industry was very appealing.
Key industry professionals certainly wanted to have these projects on their resume.
Now that I reflect back on the diamond mines, I also would push much of the credit to the clients. They believed in developing a best in class work environment, accommodation and overall awareness of what drives the trade worker and professional. They also were abreast of any indirect conflicts or inconsistency of manpower treatment. Meaning any conflicts and or "viruses" were dealt with promptly.

Once I left the north I went to Fort McMurray in the Oil sands. What do I say about Fort Mac!!!!

With that said, my experience was different from what I heard from many projects / companies.
We went out of our way to secure people that were liked minded and formed a family atmosphere.
I had a few philosophies when recruiting my project team, that I still believe into today; whole heartily.
---- Look for the right Attitude, Character and Skill to fill the team "glass", when in doubt on the individual; hire for their Attitude and Train for lacking skill. If Attitude, Character and Skill come together, hire that individual at all cost. 
Because they are like finding a Panda Bear in the wild, may not see one again for awhile......-- lol

Furthermore, I had the good fortune to work for; probably the best  group / construction company at the time - JV Driver. The President and Owner (Bill Elkington) was by far the best leader I ever come across to that point and yet today for that matter.
This experienced and engagement provided many lessons for how I would led for the rest of my career. He had a very unique and personal way of leading, the trouble with these unique management values, is that they are very hard to support within a group that don't share them. I come to learn it is great if you own the company but trying to bring that fresh and "caring" (truly people focused) management style to a conventional company is nearly impossible.

Over the years I have attracted a great group of key people that have followed me wherever I have asked and now that I have branched out on my own, they are my rock. With that said to grow a company you need to keep attracting key people, but it seems the preverbal "talent pool" is pretty much empty these days. Especially in the West where the industrial / pipeline groups and related clients, consultants and contractors can seemly pay whatever it takes.
The pay (in many cases) certainly does not parallel the level of skills.  I could only assume the Attitudes must have gotten a great deal better???? -- lol


CARE!

"Too Funny". - joke

A guy brings his buddy home for dinner.

His Wife screams; "You asshole! My hair and makeup aren't done, the house is a mess, the dishes aren't done. I am still in my pajamas and I can't be bothered with cooking tonight!!!!! Why the FRIG did you bring him home?"

"Cause he's thinking of getting married."

---- Sorry , not much of a blog but too good, not to Share!---

I've been TOLD - I am not a REAL blogger.... what?

Hi Folks,

For those of you who enjoy my blogs, Thanks, my audience source has jumped in recent months, even though I haven't written that much. "Outside of my joke stories that I send to readers digest, that never get published"..:-). Regardless, I think they're funny? lol.

Anyhow the topic at hand. I was out for dinner on Friday with Deanna and one of my Project Managers' and his GF from Toronto. First time we met her and she was lovely (wow I am getting old, using the word "lovely"...... where is grandma when you need to steal a word, right. geeeeeeeeeeeee).
It should be noted; She is from Toronto they are opinionated.. lol.. kidding..

Over dinner we enjoyed great conversation, which led to, for some reason or another , my GF brought up my blog. I didn't realize blogs were such a source of reading these days, people read blogs on everything for anything. When I told her what mine was about, (simple way for me to release thoughts and express some beliefs and or opinions).

"She explained how that wasn't a blog and I wasn't a blogger"

Jokingly of course, (I think???).

Her opinion was that personal blogs were more of an everyday type of thing, either for blogging personal happenings and for news, celebrities, etc, etc.
I knew information sources, group chatters, news groups and other such sources did use blogging for that; for me it seems with tweeter, Facebook and even bbm, people can get an update on everyday happenings fairly easy.

With that said, I did start blogging to also get my writing "juices" back (for lack of a better word). It has done that, however with career and other commitments I have not published as many blogs on topics that I would have liked. So maybe I will start using Blogging to form a dairy of sorts. Or maybe not!!!

In this day and age, everything that makes the internet (Cyber world) seems to have a long shelf life. Blogging such things would probably be interesting for family and friends after one has left for Heaven or Hell. (by the way still no clear winner).



CARE

Happy New Year 2013

Wow… I look back at my last post and it was on my birthday in March 2012. Wow

Can’t believe the remainder of 2012 went by so quickly.

I am saddened by the fact; I wasn’t able to write throughout the year. I guess I was able, just didn’t carve out time to do so.

I will commit to doing better this season. With that said; I look back on some of my writing and it seems I needed to unlock / let out some emotional feelings and thoughts that were obviously bottled up. I could easily past off my none writing to the fact that I got these emotion / feelings behind me and writing like always was the final step for me to release.

Let’s say that certainly played a factor, I also had a very busy, and proud to say, successful year. Took time again to really focus on my career goals associated directly back into my construction field and also with my consulting and leadership program.

On the personal front I devoted this year to regaining my personal health and mental well-being. Maybe actually finding it for the first time. lol. And most importantly this year was a year of reconnecting with my children and becoming a dad they could be proud off. (More to come on the kidlets, will provide a blog devoted to them in the weeks to come).  Lastly I was able to find love again in 2012, something I thought was a century or 2 away still… lol..

Anyways, I just wanted to drop in, say hi, and wish you and wonderful New Year.

Promise that I will be more consistent in 2013, focus on some leadership blogs, poetry and ofcourse I will dip back into my emotional and mental obsess. (Just for your entertainment value if nothing else.)

Choose to Care....