Margie Larson has been at Willmar Electric for over 20 years. She has held several positions and is currently working in our accounting department focusing most of her time on payroll. She has been a great asset to Willmar Electric.
But when Margie first interviewed at Willmar Electric we decided not to hire her. We hired another person but shortly after that decision we realized we had made a mistake by not hiring Margie and went back to her and offered her a job. Fortunately Margie didn’t hold it against us and she came to work alongside us.
I can’t even tell you the name of the person that was our first choice. I don’t need to because we have Margie now and that is what matter to us.
Every time I have ever been part of a hiring decision and it comes down to two people I wonder “which one of these two people is ‘Margie?’” I don’t want the best candidate to come in second.
At Willmar Electric we are currently under taking an initiative to reduce the time it takes to install conduit on our projects. It is the focus of everything we do. If we are successful we will be a much more competitive contractor and in turn we will get more work. The process is very exciting to think about.
Margie does payroll and you are likely what our Payroll Clerk has to do with reducing conduit installation time. As you might have guessed, Margie doesn’t install conduit. She doesn’t order conduit. She doesn’t estimate our projects or how long it will take to install conduit.
So what is the point of this blog? Why am I writing this blog that highlights two completely different subject matters (Margie Larson and conduit installations)?
Because first thing this morning I got an e-mail from Margie that gave a super suggestion on how we can make our conduit installations not only more productive but higher quality.
Thank you Margie.
It was a great example of what a great teammate she is. Margie is looking out for the interest of the entire company. She wants to see her co-workers reach their goals.
Looking for cost saving ideas in all areas is modeling Thrifty. One of our four core values. Today and everyday Margie is a great model of that core value. Margie is thrifty.
(In the interest of full disclosure I must tell you that time some of Margie’s coworkers can become very annoyed with her. Margie loves to snowmobile and that means that starting about this time of year and running until April she “thinks snow.” She is cheering for snow all fall, winter and spring. We tend to overlook this flaw because otherwise she is awesome. And she signs our pay checks!!!)
Friday, October 25, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Who is Beth Moore?
In Christian circles the Beth Moore is a big deal. She has written many books and speaks to large crowds across the nation. Just the mention of the name Beth Moore draws attention.
At Willmar Electric Beth Moore means something else. She is our Controller. She hasn’t written a book but we would take her over the other Beth Moore any day. (Our Beth Moore is also a wonderful and Godly person.)
Our Beth Moore is unique. (In a good way.) She has told me on many occasions that one of her favorite parts of her job is collections. You read that correctly, Beth claims to love making collection calls. As a company this is a very important role and it is extremely valuable to have people that are willing and able to handle the task.
The last time she gave me an update on collections and a reminder of how much she enjoys the task I couldn’t help but think of the “Parable of the Talents.”
The story commonly called the “Parable of the Talents” appears twice in the Bible both the Book of Matthew (Chapter 25:14-30) and the Book of Luke (19:12-28). The story appears in Matthew as follows.
14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five [a]talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his [b]master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your [c]master.’
22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money [d]in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I am not going to go into a long sermon or explanation of the story for you. But what I can tell you is that Our Beth Moore is an example of somebody that takes what she is given in both talents and tasks and multiplies them both at work and away from the office.
She is a great example of our core value of being thrifty and I have always considered the parable above to be the perfect example of being thrifty.
(The parable may also relate to the other Beth Moore but I have never met her. For all I know she is just as wonderful as Ours.)
At Willmar Electric Beth Moore means something else. She is our Controller. She hasn’t written a book but we would take her over the other Beth Moore any day. (Our Beth Moore is also a wonderful and Godly person.)
Our Beth Moore is unique. (In a good way.) She has told me on many occasions that one of her favorite parts of her job is collections. You read that correctly, Beth claims to love making collection calls. As a company this is a very important role and it is extremely valuable to have people that are willing and able to handle the task.
The last time she gave me an update on collections and a reminder of how much she enjoys the task I couldn’t help but think of the “Parable of the Talents.”
The story commonly called the “Parable of the Talents” appears twice in the Bible both the Book of Matthew (Chapter 25:14-30) and the Book of Luke (19:12-28). The story appears in Matthew as follows.
14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five [a]talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his [b]master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your [c]master.’
22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money [d]in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I am not going to go into a long sermon or explanation of the story for you. But what I can tell you is that Our Beth Moore is an example of somebody that takes what she is given in both talents and tasks and multiplies them both at work and away from the office.
She is a great example of our core value of being thrifty and I have always considered the parable above to be the perfect example of being thrifty.
(The parable may also relate to the other Beth Moore but I have never met her. For all I know she is just as wonderful as Ours.)
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Skippity Do Da
I few days ago I heard the song “The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.” by Donna Fargo. Unlike most country music songs it paints a very happy picture of life in general and marriage in particular. The subject of the song (I will call her Mrs. Fargo) is so happy she enjoys making her husband’s lunch while at the same time he is making hers.
It seems like every day in their lives is a “skippity do da day!” Clearly they “love waking up next to each other.” “She makes the coffee, he makes the bed.”
As Phil Robertson would say, they seem truly “happy, happy, happy.”
But Mr. and Mrs. Fargo don’t get this way by accident. The song clearly paints a picture of a couple that puts the other persons wants and desires (happiness) ahead of their own wants and desires.
At Willmar Electric we would call it Meeting the Customer Needs and Treating Others the Way We want to be Treated. The Fargos are getting their happiness in part from making others happy.
Skippity do da indeed.
It seems like every day in their lives is a “skippity do da day!” Clearly they “love waking up next to each other.” “She makes the coffee, he makes the bed.”
As Phil Robertson would say, they seem truly “happy, happy, happy.”
But Mr. and Mrs. Fargo don’t get this way by accident. The song clearly paints a picture of a couple that puts the other persons wants and desires (happiness) ahead of their own wants and desires.
At Willmar Electric we would call it Meeting the Customer Needs and Treating Others the Way We want to be Treated. The Fargos are getting their happiness in part from making others happy.
Skippity do da indeed.
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