From the Editor From the desk of Kevin Cole, Editor & Publisher, and ISFA Communications Director
Business Leaders Are Always on the Clock I began my journalism career as a reporter for a regional newspaper in Southern Illinois. Having moved to a new city, I had no knowledge of the local history, personages and politics, but it was my job to learn it all. I was fortunate to have the guidance of a great editor who had been born and raised in the area and was an old hand when it came to really understanding the city, its inhabitants and its history. The city was small, but it was the largest municipality in the region, and I was eager to learn. In small town America, especially before the internet boom, the local populace relied heavily on the newspaper to know what was going on, and I covered the three Cs: cops, courts and county government. In that time and at that place, being a newspaper reporter was still something of a prestigious position and one in which we were elevated to the status of minor local celebrities and the face of the newspaper. I quickly learned both the upside and downside of such a role. It’s nice to be recognized, greeted and treated well by the more prestigious people in the area. I had access to places and people the typical citizen did not. I could phone the mayor or the state’s attorney or chief of police out of the blue and they would take my call; heck, the local sheriff even played Santa Claus to my kids one Christmas! Of course, the same “fame” can also work against you. Being something of a public figure not only meant that important people might reach out to you, but also what my editor endearingly termed “crackpots.” Sometimes I’d be inundated by calls from strangers who’d rant about some conspiracy or want to tell me of their life’s troubles without reason. I might be stopped in a grocery store or a restaurant and offered some amateur sleuth’s idea on a particular unsolved crime or be subjected to a rant about how such and such politician was ruining the town. Once, a prisoner in court who had been caught after escaping custody began yelling and cussing at me because I’d written about the 14-year sentence he’d received the previous month.
Before I had even stepped away from the counter to wait for my order, he started to yell about not having his order taken yet and then when he found out about the wait, got even more irate and began swearing and carrying on. I thought to myself, “What a jerk,” and I wondered if he was treated that way where he worked. However, I chalked it up to the fact that some people are just not friendly and, after collecting my order, was out the door thankful to be away from the crackpot. Little did I know our paths would cross again. I went on my way and forgot about the guy until a few weeks later. A couple of months ago, my better half and I decided it was time for a new coat of paint and new carpet for our livingroom. We got the paint at the local hardware store and over the course of a week or so while we painted, I began to ask around and do research on the carpeting. My path eventually led me to a local carpet store, where I felt we would get what we wanted at the right price and I called and made an appointment to visit the showroom. The following Saturday morning, we visited the store and asked the receptionist for the person with whom we had the appointment. She told us to “hold on a minute” and disappeared through a door in the back. After a few minutes, she returned and told us someone would be right with us and we were welcome to browse the sample racks while we waited. After a considerable wait, we were joined by a man who introduced himself as the manager. He apologized and said the person we had the appointment with wasn’t available, but that he’d assist us. At first I couldn’t place him, but then it dawned on me that this was the jerk from the deli. How ironic, he was now in the position to be understaffed and under the gun.
Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of rants and unsolicited comments, I turned to my editor for advice. He told me, “Be kind, fair and reasonable to everyone you encounter. It’s a small world, and you never know who they really are, what they do or where they are going to turn up again.”
I was courteous, asked questions and let him go through his spiel about which carpet would be the best investment, and then I thanked him and we promptly went to another store to make our purchase. It cost me just a few dollars more, but I couldn’t bring myself to do business with someone that could treat people the way I personally saw him do.
Following his advice never really led me astray. Sure, it sometimes made for inordinately long and inconsequential conversations with people that had less than a solid grasp on reality. But it also led to numerous inside sources, important relationships and interesting articles.
The advice I received so many years ago still holds up, and if you are a business owner or business manager, you really are never off work. That’s true whether you are running a carpet business, a newspaper or a countertop shop.
Recently, I learned that the opposite of the advice is also true: If you are unkind, unfair or unreasonable with those you encounter, you’ll soon find out it’s a small world.
In the words of the late great showman Jimmy Durante, “Be kind to people on the way up; you’ll meet them again on your way down.”
Not too long ago I was in line at a local deli, picking up something for dinner, and the woman behind the counter was looking very overwhelmed. It was obvious the store was short-staffed. I placed my order and she apologetically explained that there was going to be a short wait because someone had not showed up to work that day. I was a bit perturbed, but I smiled and told her that I understood and tried to be sympathetic to her plight. However, the man in line behind me was not so kind. 6 • Vol. 6 / Issue 3 • International Surface Fabricators Association
As always, I look forward to your feedback, Sincerely,
Kevin Cole Editor & Publisher kevin@isfanow.org