Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080823 - Duncansville, PA
Plane, train or automobile: Matrix. This car sips gas - I got 37.3 mpg on this trip!
Mission: Management Training for 12 Store Managers.
The One with The Talker.
This was quite the talkative group. One manager liked to monopolize the conversation and say the same thing over and over. I was using all of my facilitator tricks to minimize his talk time without completely shutting him down, and this guy just kept talking! I spent the first break trying to figure out what else I could do, and was ready for my last ditch attempt when several participants came back early and said "Hey, we told XXXXX to cool it. He is wasting our time saying the same thing over and over and there is nothing that anybody here can do about it". Problem solved!
I had forgotten that groups will many times discipline themselves - I was glad that the correction came from them so that I could maintain his trust with me as a facilitator. In the end, it worked out well because he was great at summarizing the key talking points, which meant that one of their own was telling them how they could use the skills. Much more powerful that way!
Number of human interactions: 17. Had to include various waitresses, etc in the count.
State(s) visited: WV, MD (for about 100 yard), PA
City visited: Duncansville, PA
Interesting fact about this city: They have a Tijuana Flats! You may have figured out by now that I reeeeaaaaalllyy like burritos, and frequent Moes, Chipotle, etc. while on the road. Tijuana Flats is high on my list, and I thought that they were mainly in Central Florida. The founder is a UCF grad, so I have to support a fellow alum.
Halpert says: A little taste of Florida... in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania.
Mission: Management Training for 12 Store Managers.
The One with The Talker.
This was quite the talkative group. One manager liked to monopolize the conversation and say the same thing over and over. I was using all of my facilitator tricks to minimize his talk time without completely shutting him down, and this guy just kept talking! I spent the first break trying to figure out what else I could do, and was ready for my last ditch attempt when several participants came back early and said "Hey, we told XXXXX to cool it. He is wasting our time saying the same thing over and over and there is nothing that anybody here can do about it". Problem solved!
I had forgotten that groups will many times discipline themselves - I was glad that the correction came from them so that I could maintain his trust with me as a facilitator. In the end, it worked out well because he was great at summarizing the key talking points, which meant that one of their own was telling them how they could use the skills. Much more powerful that way!
Number of human interactions: 17. Had to include various waitresses, etc in the count.
State(s) visited: WV, MD (for about 100 yard), PA
City visited: Duncansville, PA
Interesting fact about this city: They have a Tijuana Flats! You may have figured out by now that I reeeeaaaaalllyy like burritos, and frequent Moes, Chipotle, etc. while on the road. Tijuana Flats is high on my list, and I thought that they were mainly in Central Florida. The founder is a UCF grad, so I have to support a fellow alum.
Halpert says: A little taste of Florida... in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
15 Years of Wedded Bliss
The Travel Wife and I celebrated 15 years of marriage on August 14th and decided to host a pool party / bbq with friends. We ended up with about 30 people hanging out on the back deck watching the Travel Kids and friends frolic in the pool while I worked the grill for about 3 hours straight. No one left hungry!
Travel Wife and I made it through 15 years for several reasons:
Travel Wife and I made it through 15 years for several reasons:
- I am good at starting something and she is good at finishing something. So I get us going and just about the time I am ready to call it quits, she pushes us to the finish.
- We both learned early on in our marriage that you should edify your spouse - especially to other people. When I worked in a store, the cashiers loved the fact that when my wife called I always said "Hi, Gorgeous". I still call her that to this day. Christmas time is a great time to work in my department because Travel Wife goes into "super baking mode" which means cookies and brownies almost daily for my coworkers. I tell people that my wife is like Michael Jordan (only not bald, or black, or particularly skilled at basketball) - just an all around awesome wife. I tell them that when in "super baking mode", she is like Michael Jordan in the playoffs - a seemingly impossible increase in greatness and ability.
- We enjoy the same TV shows, movies, books, etc. There is no "I want to watch my show..." fight - we just have to decide if we want to watch House, Chuck, Heroes, CSI, The Office, Sarah Connor Chronicles or Magic basketball.
- We share our money. None of this "my money pays for this, and your money pays for that" crap. Even though I have always supplied most of the income (and all of it for several years), we have always paid for everything out of one account. What's ours is ours.
- We don't use the D-word - divorce. We never use that as a threat to manipulate the other. It's not on the table.
- We have a strong faith. We study our faith and learn from each other all the time. I pray every day that God will help me be the husband she needs to follow His plan for her life.
- We just like being around each other. Some times, it's just sitting next to each other while we read and other times it takes a conscious effort to engage in that "hard" conversation about money or health or other life issues.
She has a blog where you can see actual photos from the ceremony. You will also learn more about my "Clark Kent" persona - who I am when I am not traveling the United States.
Now I have to get to work on the next 15 years....
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080816 - Williamsport, PA
Plane, train or automobile: Matrix. This car is awesome - we went to get a small refrigerator for a party we had planned and ended buying several other items as well. We got out to the Matrix and realized that the back cargo area had some bottled water, a case of Mike's Hard Lemonade and some stuff for my upcoming work trip in it. Here is what we squeezed into the Matrix:
- Travel Man
- Travel Wife
- Travel Kids (2)
- A 2.7 cubic foot refrigerator
- Two boxes containing training manuals
- Case of water
- Case of Mike's Hard Lemonade
- Small bag of grass seed
- Large back of seed mulch to put over the grass seed
- A large cast iron skillet and pan combo
Also on this trip, I cashed in my Moe's Passport and am now the proud owner of my very own Moes T-Shirt!
Mission: Management Training in Williamsport, PA
Number of human interactions: 15! Finally, a decent sized class! I was getting worried after The One with Two People.
State(s) visited: PA
City visited: Williamsport, PA
Interesting fact about this city: Home of the Little League World Series. It started the day after I left, so I was going out as most people were coming in.
I stayed at a quaint, cozy hotel in downtown Williamsport - the Genetti Hotel. Let me put the description into common terms for you: quaint = hasn't been updated for 50 years; cozy = the smallest hotel room I have ever been in. I opened the door to my room and noticed that the door juuuussst cleared the bed. To my right was a bed, dresser and TV. I had to turn sideways to get between the dresser and bed to get to the window air conditioner. To my left was a desk, closet, armchair and bathroom. I could put one foot in the bathroom and touch my bed at the same time. I could sit in the armchair and put my feet up on the bed (or on the desk, or reach the sink). Now in fairness to the Genetti, I did book the cheapest room they had and the map on the door indicated that the other 30 or so rooms per floor were much larger. You get what you pay for.
I also had the opportunity to try a sticky bun from Mr. Sticky's. If you have never had one, I would suggest not eating for several days before trying one (Michael Phelps would have trouble eating one in a single sitting, and he eats 12,000 calories a day). This delicious concoction weighs about 2 pounds and makes a dent in the plate if you drop it. Serious sticky bun!
Halpert says: I am still trying to finish my sticky bun - it is bigger than me!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080809 - Minneapolis Part II
Plane, train or automobile: I spent the weekend prior to this workshop in South Dakota visiting my family, so there is a flight involved (just not on SkyHigh Airlines). My rental car was a very appliance like Kia Spectra - 4 wheels, 4 doors, a seat and a steering wheel.
Mission: Mangement Training. Boy, did I make an assumption that came back to bite me! When we had originally booked this class, it was going to be a combination of two divisions with half of each division going one month and the other half of each division going the following month (this class). I assumed that both divisions were sending all their managers. The division managers wanted to make a change and have each division attend as a group - no problem for me as I had already booked both trips. Last month in Minneapolis, I had one full division and was looking forward to working with the second group. The first day of class arrived and I was all set up and ready to go. I was chatting with a couple of management Team Members when the DM asked if I wanted to get started. Lo and behold, it was 9 a.m.!
Me: "Where is everyone?" I was looking at the two (2) people sitting in the room.
Him: "This is it."
Me: "There's only two."
Him: "Yep."
Me: "You remember how this works, right? I need at least 3 people to form one skill practice group..."
Him: "I'll sit in."
Me: "Are you sure you want to do this? We could save some meeting room expense, lodging expense and rental car expense and let these two get back to their stores."
Him: "They made the commitment. Let's do it"
So my previous low of 7 participants has been eclipsed by this class - hereafter known as "The One with Two People" (extra bonus points if you can tell me what popular TV show named each episode "The One...." (Travel Wife should let both of my other readers have a chance to answer first)).
I learned a lot adapting the course to two participants, and ended up having a successful session.
I also had the opportunity to have dinner with the attendees and a spouse, after which we went to Starbucks (the spouse who joined us works at Starbucks, so we got a really good discount!). The locals like to head down to Lake Front Park, so we spent some time down there walking around and people watching. Overall, a very pleasant evening!
Number of human interactions: 4
State(s) visited: MN, WI. Wisconsin always brings a smile to my face. It is the 48th state that I have visited. I used to spend my summers on my dad's moving van traveling all over the United States moving people. I had been in 47 states, with Wisconsin being the only state in the Lower 48 that I had missed. It took until 2005 for me to get to Wisconsin. I was with some coworkers and as our car neared the border, I stuck my arms and legs straight out in front of me (I was not driving) and started yelling "Finally! Finally!". I had to explain my outburst before they sent off for a drug test.
City visited: Hudson, WI.
Interesting fact about this city: A nice little town on the St. Croix river.
Halpert says: Ha, it only took me 8 months to get to Wisconsin!
Mission: Mangement Training. Boy, did I make an assumption that came back to bite me! When we had originally booked this class, it was going to be a combination of two divisions with half of each division going one month and the other half of each division going the following month (this class). I assumed that both divisions were sending all their managers. The division managers wanted to make a change and have each division attend as a group - no problem for me as I had already booked both trips. Last month in Minneapolis, I had one full division and was looking forward to working with the second group. The first day of class arrived and I was all set up and ready to go. I was chatting with a couple of management Team Members when the DM asked if I wanted to get started. Lo and behold, it was 9 a.m.!
Me: "Where is everyone?" I was looking at the two (2) people sitting in the room.
Him: "This is it."
Me: "There's only two."
Him: "Yep."
Me: "You remember how this works, right? I need at least 3 people to form one skill practice group..."
Him: "I'll sit in."
Me: "Are you sure you want to do this? We could save some meeting room expense, lodging expense and rental car expense and let these two get back to their stores."
Him: "They made the commitment. Let's do it"
So my previous low of 7 participants has been eclipsed by this class - hereafter known as "The One with Two People" (extra bonus points if you can tell me what popular TV show named each episode "The One...." (Travel Wife should let both of my other readers have a chance to answer first)).
I learned a lot adapting the course to two participants, and ended up having a successful session.
I also had the opportunity to have dinner with the attendees and a spouse, after which we went to Starbucks (the spouse who joined us works at Starbucks, so we got a really good discount!). The locals like to head down to Lake Front Park, so we spent some time down there walking around and people watching. Overall, a very pleasant evening!
Number of human interactions: 4
State(s) visited: MN, WI. Wisconsin always brings a smile to my face. It is the 48th state that I have visited. I used to spend my summers on my dad's moving van traveling all over the United States moving people. I had been in 47 states, with Wisconsin being the only state in the Lower 48 that I had missed. It took until 2005 for me to get to Wisconsin. I was with some coworkers and as our car neared the border, I stuck my arms and legs straight out in front of me (I was not driving) and started yelling "Finally! Finally!". I had to explain my outburst before they sent off for a drug test.
City visited: Hudson, WI.
Interesting fact about this city: A nice little town on the St. Croix river.
Halpert says: Ha, it only took me 8 months to get to Wisconsin!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080803 - South Dakota
Plane, train or automobile: Unfortunately, I did not get to fly SkyHigh Airlines (we really need to get them signed up as the corporate airline). I flew Delta back up to Minneapolis and spent some time with my mom, cousins and grandparents.
Mission: Visit the family. My mom remembers almost everything that people ever say and she remembered part of a comment I had made two years ago when I visited by myself. I mentioned that I didn't draw a big crowd without the Travel Kids back then, so she made sure that I had plenty of adoring fans on this trip. My aunt and uncle, two of my cousins and their husbands (and kids!) were at my mom's house for Friday Night Pizza - on Saturday night.
We then went to see my grandparents on Sunday - they are both over 90 years old and still feisty! They had gone to a wedding the day before, at which my grandfather claims to have gotten a bruise on his hand from fighting off the girls. I hope that I can have that much fun 50 years from now!
Speaking of family, Travel Wife and I decided not to attend her cousin's wedding in September; mainly because they don't want any children present at the wedding. Travel Wife got the invitation with hotel information for New York City - the nuptial location. The cheapest hotel was $279 a night! Contrast this with my family in South Dakota - as my mom was discussing visiting the grandparents, she said that we would leave the Springs about 3 p.m. and my uncle and cousins all said "You can have dinner at Ruby Tuesdays in Mitchell!". When we arrived at my grandparents, we confirmed our departure time and my grandmother exclaimed "You can have dinner at Ruby Tuesdays in Mitchell!" My family treated that restaurant the same way I would treat Disney World, the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon!
Number of human interactions: 11
State(s) visited: MN, SD
City visited: Yankton and Wessington Springs. My mom lives in Yankton and absolutely loves it there. My grandparents live in "the Springs". Check out the population on the Wessington Springs page
Interesting fact about this city: Anne Hathaway House and Shakespeare Gardens. My grandparents put a lot of time and effort as volunteers over the years making the Gardens what they are today. As recently as last year, my grandmother was still on the payroll.
Halpert says: Shakespeare... in South Dakota???
Mission: Visit the family. My mom remembers almost everything that people ever say and she remembered part of a comment I had made two years ago when I visited by myself. I mentioned that I didn't draw a big crowd without the Travel Kids back then, so she made sure that I had plenty of adoring fans on this trip. My aunt and uncle, two of my cousins and their husbands (and kids!) were at my mom's house for Friday Night Pizza - on Saturday night.
We then went to see my grandparents on Sunday - they are both over 90 years old and still feisty! They had gone to a wedding the day before, at which my grandfather claims to have gotten a bruise on his hand from fighting off the girls. I hope that I can have that much fun 50 years from now!
Speaking of family, Travel Wife and I decided not to attend her cousin's wedding in September; mainly because they don't want any children present at the wedding. Travel Wife got the invitation with hotel information for New York City - the nuptial location. The cheapest hotel was $279 a night! Contrast this with my family in South Dakota - as my mom was discussing visiting the grandparents, she said that we would leave the Springs about 3 p.m. and my uncle and cousins all said "You can have dinner at Ruby Tuesdays in Mitchell!". When we arrived at my grandparents, we confirmed our departure time and my grandmother exclaimed "You can have dinner at Ruby Tuesdays in Mitchell!" My family treated that restaurant the same way I would treat Disney World, the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon!
Number of human interactions: 11
State(s) visited: MN, SD
City visited: Yankton and Wessington Springs. My mom lives in Yankton and absolutely loves it there. My grandparents live in "the Springs". Check out the population on the Wessington Springs page
Interesting fact about this city: Anne Hathaway House and Shakespeare Gardens. My grandparents put a lot of time and effort as volunteers over the years making the Gardens what they are today. As recently as last year, my grandmother was still on the payroll.
Halpert says: Shakespeare... in South Dakota???
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080802 - Certfication Plan
Plane, train or automobile: Matrix - car of choice of superheroes everywhere!
Mission: A little personal development this time. I spent some time with our Commercial Sales Team to learn about our DIFM (Do It For Me - repair shops) Acceleration strategy. Time well spent!
Number of human interactions: 2 plus a lot of visits to repair shops!
State(s) visited: NC
City visited: Charlotte
Interesting fact about this city: Charlotte is the Queen City of the South. I usually see Charlotte from the air, and from the inside of the airport.
Halpert says: I didn't even know there was stuff outside the Charlotte Airport!
Mission: A little personal development this time. I spent some time with our Commercial Sales Team to learn about our DIFM (Do It For Me - repair shops) Acceleration strategy. Time well spent!
Number of human interactions: 2 plus a lot of visits to repair shops!
State(s) visited: NC
City visited: Charlotte
Interesting fact about this city: Charlotte is the Queen City of the South. I usually see Charlotte from the air, and from the inside of the airport.
Halpert says: I didn't even know there was stuff outside the Charlotte Airport!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080726
Plane, train or automobile: Matrix
Mission: Management Training. I was originally going to be an observer/coach for one of our newly certified Trainers, so I was looking forward to watching the workshop rather than facilitating the workshop.
One of the key learning moments in the workshop is when the managers coach another manager through the conversation we are practicing. You see so much more about the effect of your words and the flow of the conversation when you are not the one talking! I was really looking forward to this viewpoint so I could improve my facilitation!
Alas, the other trainer had something come up so I ended up facilitating the group myself. We still had a great time and one of the managers really took the training to heart. He started using some of the skills on the first night and emailed me on Friday to let me know how he had used the skills to get through to a Team Member that he had previously struggled with. WIN!
Number of human interactions: 7. That's about the smallest number I would like to have in a workshop - it's hard to work in small groups if you start out as a small group.
State(s) visited: NC
City visited: Durham
Interesting fact about this city: Home to the Durham Bulls. They are a farm team for the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays.
Halpert says: Rays??? Rays??? You know Travel Wife is a Yankees fan... why do you want to rile her up?
Mission: Management Training. I was originally going to be an observer/coach for one of our newly certified Trainers, so I was looking forward to watching the workshop rather than facilitating the workshop.
One of the key learning moments in the workshop is when the managers coach another manager through the conversation we are practicing. You see so much more about the effect of your words and the flow of the conversation when you are not the one talking! I was really looking forward to this viewpoint so I could improve my facilitation!
Alas, the other trainer had something come up so I ended up facilitating the group myself. We still had a great time and one of the managers really took the training to heart. He started using some of the skills on the first night and emailed me on Friday to let me know how he had used the skills to get through to a Team Member that he had previously struggled with. WIN!
Number of human interactions: 7. That's about the smallest number I would like to have in a workshop - it's hard to work in small groups if you start out as a small group.
State(s) visited: NC
City visited: Durham
Interesting fact about this city: Home to the Durham Bulls. They are a farm team for the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays.
Halpert says: Rays??? Rays??? You know Travel Wife is a Yankees fan... why do you want to rile her up?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080719
Plane, train or automobile: Jet City Woman by Queensryche is echoing through my head.
First time this year I have flown in back to back weeks. I flew on our preferred carrier, US Airways, which has recently changed their Dividend Miles program. I used to get a minimum of 500 miles for a Roanoke-Charlotte leg on a trip... but no more. Now I get actual mileage (155). So let's cut my miles earned by 2/3, cut out my in flight snack and start charging for the second bag. Give me less, charge me more - what a great business model!
SkyHigh Airlines still has the best frequent flyer program...
Mission: Management training for 14 store managers in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Number of human interactions: 23
State(s) visited: NC and AL
City visited: Tuscaloosa - Roll Tide! I am not an Alabama fan (sorry, Richie!), but I do know that it is one of the "name" schools that UCF has beaten in football. One good thing about college towns - they have Moe's!!!!
Interesting fact about this city: Other than Alabama football, I'm not sure.
Halpert says: What does "Roll Tide" have to do with elephants?
First time this year I have flown in back to back weeks. I flew on our preferred carrier, US Airways, which has recently changed their Dividend Miles program. I used to get a minimum of 500 miles for a Roanoke-Charlotte leg on a trip... but no more. Now I get actual mileage (155). So let's cut my miles earned by 2/3, cut out my in flight snack and start charging for the second bag. Give me less, charge me more - what a great business model!
SkyHigh Airlines still has the best frequent flyer program...
Mission: Management training for 14 store managers in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Number of human interactions: 23
State(s) visited: NC and AL
City visited: Tuscaloosa - Roll Tide! I am not an Alabama fan (sorry, Richie!), but I do know that it is one of the "name" schools that UCF has beaten in football. One good thing about college towns - they have Moe's!!!!
Interesting fact about this city: Other than Alabama football, I'm not sure.
Halpert says: What does "Roll Tide" have to do with elephants?
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080712 - Minneapolis Part I
Plane, train or automobile: Back in the air at last! I flew Delta airlines to Minneapolis and then hitched a ride with the Division Manager to the hotel. Our workshop was at the hotel, so I really didn't need to go anywhere. Why spend money on a car that is going to sit in the parking lot for two days?
Maybe next time I can travel on SkyHigh Airlines...
Mission: Management training for 11 store managers. This was a good group and I had the opportunity to spend a little extra time bonding with them - the Division Manager took us all out to dinner at the restaurant next door after the first day's session. When your division covers western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, you take advantage of times when your Team is together.
Number of human interactions: 13. There was this absolutely delightful lady working in the hotel restaurant every morning. Extremely friendly, customer focused and wanted to make sure that everything was going smoothly for our group. One of the best hotel experiences I have had this year. I stayed here.
State(s) visited: OH (really KY since the Cincinnati Airport is in Kentucky) and MN.
City visited: Minneapolis and Elk River.
Interesting fact about this city: One interesting fact - the Mall of America. I didn't get a chance to visit this time, but I have a return trip coming up in a few weeks and will have some time to visit MOA.
So the Mall of America and... two interesting facts!
The Minnesota Vikings. I was a fan while Daunte Culpepper was the QB - us UCF boys have to stick together. We drove right by their practice facility and I saw many Vikings stickers, license plates, shirts, etc. while I was in town.
So the Mall of America, the Minnesota Vikings and... three interesting facts!
In Advance Auto Parts news, our new CEO Darren Jackson got the Roanoke media all fired up when he decided to continue living in Minneapolis. Darren was the CFO for Best Buy and has a lot of business ties to the community. Originally, we were supposed to have a small office for about 10 executives in Minnesota and everyone else would remain in Roanoke. While on this trip, AAP announced that the Front Room merchandising Team would be based in Minneapolis. As you can imagine, the local media in Roanoke is having a conniption!
Halpert says: The water slide was totally awesome! I wish Travel Kids had come along!
Maybe next time I can travel on SkyHigh Airlines...
Mission: Management training for 11 store managers. This was a good group and I had the opportunity to spend a little extra time bonding with them - the Division Manager took us all out to dinner at the restaurant next door after the first day's session. When your division covers western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, you take advantage of times when your Team is together.
Number of human interactions: 13. There was this absolutely delightful lady working in the hotel restaurant every morning. Extremely friendly, customer focused and wanted to make sure that everything was going smoothly for our group. One of the best hotel experiences I have had this year. I stayed here.
State(s) visited: OH (really KY since the Cincinnati Airport is in Kentucky) and MN.
City visited: Minneapolis and Elk River.
Interesting fact about this city: One interesting fact - the Mall of America. I didn't get a chance to visit this time, but I have a return trip coming up in a few weeks and will have some time to visit MOA.
So the Mall of America and... two interesting facts!
The Minnesota Vikings. I was a fan while Daunte Culpepper was the QB - us UCF boys have to stick together. We drove right by their practice facility and I saw many Vikings stickers, license plates, shirts, etc. while I was in town.
So the Mall of America, the Minnesota Vikings and... three interesting facts!
In Advance Auto Parts news, our new CEO Darren Jackson got the Roanoke media all fired up when he decided to continue living in Minneapolis. Darren was the CFO for Best Buy and has a lot of business ties to the community. Originally, we were supposed to have a small office for about 10 executives in Minnesota and everyone else would remain in Roanoke. While on this trip, AAP announced that the Front Room merchandising Team would be based in Minneapolis. As you can imagine, the local media in Roanoke is having a conniption!
Halpert says: The water slide was totally awesome! I wish Travel Kids had come along!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080704 HAPPY 4TH!!
Plane, train or automobile: Matrix.
Mission: Slightly different this week. I am working through a company certification program for my own development and because our Team will most likely begin running this program soon, I need to be familiar with how it works. I met with one of our HR managers and one of our Division Managers of the Year to review business related topics. Both did a great job of covering the material - I learned some things that will help me in the classroom and I learned how the process is used by the real-word facilitators. In between, I met our Operations Training Manager at a new store that he had opened the week before. This store was rocking and rolling - selling more parts and having more fun - and the manager had been through one of my workshops back in June. I'd like to say that his being in my class led to the strong sales, and I know that there are MANY factors that contribute to on the job performace - but I can dream, right?
Number of human interactions: 10
State(s) visited: NC.
City visited: Lexington / Durham
Interesting fact about this city: Lexington, NC is the barbecue capital of the world. And what did I do for lunch there???? I made myself a ham sandwich at the Regional Office - the Admin Assistant there keeps the fridge stocked so the staff doesn't have to leave the building. I am SO checking out the BBQ next time I visit!
Halpert says: Does Moes have a BBQ burrito?
Mission: Slightly different this week. I am working through a company certification program for my own development and because our Team will most likely begin running this program soon, I need to be familiar with how it works. I met with one of our HR managers and one of our Division Managers of the Year to review business related topics. Both did a great job of covering the material - I learned some things that will help me in the classroom and I learned how the process is used by the real-word facilitators. In between, I met our Operations Training Manager at a new store that he had opened the week before. This store was rocking and rolling - selling more parts and having more fun - and the manager had been through one of my workshops back in June. I'd like to say that his being in my class led to the strong sales, and I know that there are MANY factors that contribute to on the job performace - but I can dream, right?
Number of human interactions: 10
State(s) visited: NC.
City visited: Lexington / Durham
Interesting fact about this city: Lexington, NC is the barbecue capital of the world. And what did I do for lunch there???? I made myself a ham sandwich at the Regional Office - the Admin Assistant there keeps the fridge stocked so the staff doesn't have to leave the building. I am SO checking out the BBQ next time I visit!
Halpert says: Does Moes have a BBQ burrito?
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080628
Plane, train or automobile: Matrix. The iPod jack is the best feature in this car - you can drive for hours and never have to touch the radio.
Mission: Management Training, plus required participation for two of our Trainers who just became certified to teach the course I teach. They took lots of notes so they could facilitate this workshop in the future. There is always a little extra pressure when other Trainers are observing - we can be so critical of classroom management!
I also spent a day visiting stores with one of our Regional Vice Presidents. I learn so much from seeing the store through their eyes, plus we get some windshield time between stores.
Mission: Management Training, plus required participation for two of our Trainers who just became certified to teach the course I teach. They took lots of notes so they could facilitate this workshop in the future. There is always a little extra pressure when other Trainers are observing - we can be so critical of classroom management!
I also spent a day visiting stores with one of our Regional Vice Presidents. I learn so much from seeing the store through their eyes, plus we get some windshield time between stores.
I stayed at the same hotel on both visits, but I won't be staying there again. I got back to my room the last night about 8 p.m. and no one had touched my room all day. Bed unmade, towel hanging in the same place, you get the picture. Isn't that one of the benefits of staying in a hotel room - someone else does all the housework? The front desk gave me a reduced rate for the trouble, but I won't be going back. They are now dead to me. They bypassed being on notice.
Number of human interactions: 12
State(s) visited: WV, MD and PA
City visited: Back to Norristown, PA, near the King of Prussia Mall. And a Moes in Shippensburg, PA.
Interesting fact about this city: I took the other Trainers to the Mall with me, and I think it grew some more! This place is gigantic - we had to stop for a snack on our way to a restaurant for dinner, and then stop again for dessert on the way out.
Halpert says: If only I was a service dog, then I could have gone in the mall, too.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080621
Plane, train or automobile: Matrix. This car seems to be developing hidden capabilities. The running joke with one of my coworkers is that the Matrix can do anything - need to tow a 27 foot travel trailer? Matrix. Need to haul 3 3-drawer lateral file cabinets home? Matrix. This car rocks.
Mission: Our department is expermenting with "Work From Home" days. We want to see if we can maintain productivity and reduce travel costs by 20%. I have a company car, so I don't think the 30 miles that I didn't drive saved us much ($4 for 1 gallon), but I know that several people with longer commutes saved about $10 and still got everything done. I tried this on Wednesday and it worked out well. We can forward our desk phones to a land/cell number - I did this and was able to converse with an out of town colleague without them knowing I wasn't at my desk.
Number of human interactions: 57. The four days I was in the office reminded me of how friendly our Team Members are - you can't walk down the hall without being greeted or chatted with.
State(s) visited: VA
City visited: My kitchen on "Work From Home Day"
Interesting fact about this city: I got all the free coffee I wanted all day long!
Halpert says: Dude, this is two weeks in a row at home! I need to stretch my legs!
Mission: Our department is expermenting with "Work From Home" days. We want to see if we can maintain productivity and reduce travel costs by 20%. I have a company car, so I don't think the 30 miles that I didn't drive saved us much ($4 for 1 gallon), but I know that several people with longer commutes saved about $10 and still got everything done. I tried this on Wednesday and it worked out well. We can forward our desk phones to a land/cell number - I did this and was able to converse with an out of town colleague without them knowing I wasn't at my desk.
Number of human interactions: 57. The four days I was in the office reminded me of how friendly our Team Members are - you can't walk down the hall without being greeted or chatted with.
State(s) visited: VA
City visited: My kitchen on "Work From Home Day"
Interesting fact about this city: I got all the free coffee I wanted all day long!
Halpert says: Dude, this is two weeks in a row at home! I need to stretch my legs!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080614
Plane, train or automobile: Matrix. This one was easy - it was right here in town. I could sleep in my own bed, eat dinner with my own family and relax in my own recliner!
Mission: Management Training for 18 store managers. If you have been following AAP news (and who doesn't???), you'll see that we have some new Senior Vice Presidents. I had a chance to meet one of them, and I must tell you that I was impressed. He met this group of managers for the first time and spent about 30 minutes telling them who he was and why he was looking forward to the challenge of leading them. He was very humble and very Team focused - might be his Starbucks upbringing!
Number of human interactions: 21, plus my family!
State(s) visited: 1
City visited: Roanoke, VA
Interesting fact about this city: Home to the Texas Tavern. Any restaurant that only seats 10 people has to be interesting, right?
Halpert says: I got to play with the Travel Kids for a few days. Wow, do they have energy!!
Mission: Management Training for 18 store managers. If you have been following AAP news (and who doesn't???), you'll see that we have some new Senior Vice Presidents. I had a chance to meet one of them, and I must tell you that I was impressed. He met this group of managers for the first time and spent about 30 minutes telling them who he was and why he was looking forward to the challenge of leading them. He was very humble and very Team focused - might be his Starbucks upbringing!
Number of human interactions: 21, plus my family!
State(s) visited: 1
City visited: Roanoke, VA
Interesting fact about this city: Home to the Texas Tavern. Any restaurant that only seats 10 people has to be interesting, right?
Halpert says: I got to play with the Travel Kids for a few days. Wow, do they have energy!!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080607
Plane, train or automobile: The Matrix - what other type of transportation is there?
Mission: Management Training
Number of human interactions: 17
State(s) visited: WV, MD and PA
City visited: King of Prussia, PA
Interesting fact about this city: The King of Prussia Mall. This mall is enormous - there are 18 restaurants in / around the mall PLUS 3 different Food Courts!!
The Regional Office where I conducted the training is in Norristown,PA. Lot's of gorgeous old homes - Travel Wife would love to see the architecture.
Halpert says: I never knew that a mall could be that big. It looks like a mall that ate another mall (plus a shopping center)...
Mission: Management Training
Number of human interactions: 17
State(s) visited: WV, MD and PA
City visited: King of Prussia, PA
Interesting fact about this city: The King of Prussia Mall. This mall is enormous - there are 18 restaurants in / around the mall PLUS 3 different Food Courts!!
The Regional Office where I conducted the training is in Norristown,PA. Lot's of gorgeous old homes - Travel Wife would love to see the architecture.
Halpert says: I never knew that a mall could be that big. It looks like a mall that ate another mall (plus a shopping center)...
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080531
Plane, train or automobile: Matrix!!! This car is great for traveling - sips gas, rides well, carries stuff and it has an iPod jack - no more changing CDs or seeking good radio stations!
Little Girl had a dance recital today. She is in ballet and tap, so she appeared in two numbers. Her favorite role was in the ballet group - they danced to a song about chocolate chip cookies out of reach on a shelf. She was picked to exit the stage last, which means she got to run back and grab the cookies at the end of the number. She was so excited! She is so beautiful when she dances and you can tell that she truly loves dancing.
Mission: Management Training in Atlanta
Number of human interactions: 16
State(s) visited: NC, SC and GA
City visited: Buford, GA
Interesting fact about this city: It has a huge mall and a Firestone (the Matrix got it's first oil change at the ripe old age of 3 weeks!)
Halpert says: There was a Moe's next to the Firestone - does it get any better than this??
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080524
Plane, train or automobile: None
Mission: Function as a Subject Matter Expert for the eLearning system we are implementing.
Number of human interactions: Many
State(s) visited: None
City visited: Roanoke
Interesting fact about this city: See earlier post
Halpert says: It's nice to have a week at home after that LOOOOOONG Texas trip.
Mission: Function as a Subject Matter Expert for the eLearning system we are implementing.
Number of human interactions: Many
State(s) visited: None
City visited: Roanoke
Interesting fact about this city: See earlier post
Halpert says: It's nice to have a week at home after that LOOOOOONG Texas trip.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Eight states, seven nights, seven beds... one woman.
Plane, train or automobile: The maiden voyage for the Matrix was a doozy. We had a death in the family, and we were off to Texas. Here is the timeline for the trip:
Tuesday 05/13 - Travel Man is teaching a management workshop in Columbus, OH. The BoysenBerry alerts me to a message from Mrs. Travel Man at lunch time that her aunt has passed (we were expecting this after a 10 month battle with cancer). Travel Man arranges for a substitute to conduct the workshop for the next two days. He and I meet in Charleston, WV for dinner and head in opposite directions. Arrive home at 11pm and help Mrs. Travel Man pack and get ready for the trip. Bed = my home. Miles = 300.
Wednesday 05/14 - Travel Family (there are two Travel Kids... more on them later) drives to Jackson, MS. Arrive at the hotel @ 10 p.m. Bed = Sleep Inn, Jackson, MS. Miles = 750.
City visited: See list above!
Interesting fact about this city: Too many to mention!
Halpert says: I spent more time in the Matrix in a week than I did in a month in the Exploder.
Tuesday 05/13 - Travel Man is teaching a management workshop in Columbus, OH. The BoysenBerry alerts me to a message from Mrs. Travel Man at lunch time that her aunt has passed (we were expecting this after a 10 month battle with cancer). Travel Man arranges for a substitute to conduct the workshop for the next two days. He and I meet in Charleston, WV for dinner and head in opposite directions. Arrive home at 11pm and help Mrs. Travel Man pack and get ready for the trip. Bed = my home. Miles = 300.
Wednesday 05/14 - Travel Family (there are two Travel Kids... more on them later) drives to Jackson, MS. Arrive at the hotel @ 10 p.m. Bed = Sleep Inn, Jackson, MS. Miles = 750.
Thursday 05/15 - We roll into Bryan, TX at 5 p.m. We check in, change clothes and get to the viewing just in time for the 6:30 Rosary. Eat dinner with family and back to the hotel @ 10:30 p.m. Bed = Quality Inn, College Station, TX. Miles = 450
Friday 05/16 - Visit family at uncle's house. Bigger Travel Kid is roughed up by the family dog, which means we have to go look for a new outfit for her since her skirt bore the brunt of the attack (and a small wound on her leg... "merely a flesh wound!") Funeral Mass @ 2:00, burial at 3:30, reception at church at 4:30 and then on the road. We arrive in Shreveport, LA about 11:00 p.m. Bed = Comfort Suites, Shreveport, LA. Miles = 250 (with a start time of 6 p.m.)Saturday 05/17 - This is a long day. We have to drop the kids off in Edisto Island, SC for their annual Grandma and PaPa vacation, we head east. We end our day in Madison, GA. at about 11:00 p.m. Bed = Comfort Inn, Madison, GA. Miles = 650.
Sunday 05/18 - Off to Mass in a mission parish by Lake Oconee, and then to Edisto Island, SC. My in-laws are owners with Wyndham Resorts and reserved a gorgeous 4 bedroom unit a few blocks from the beach. We met up with them about 6 p.m. Bed = Edisto Island, SC. Miles = 250.
Monday 05/19 - Back home for Mrs. Travel Man and me. Brief stop in Charlotte, NC for my wife's business and home for dinner. Bed = my own!! Miles = 410.
All told, we put about 2800 miles on the Matrix during the trip (not counting the mileage to get back home on Tuesday) with an average fuel economy of about 34 miles per gallon. I cashed in LOTS of hotel points (one benefit of being Travel Man) and supported my wife and family in a time of mourning (isn't that what being a super hero is all about?) Travel Kids (girls ages 9 and 6) were great - no complaints, no messes. They watched movies, read books, colored, played the alphabet game and even got into a cow counting contest (first one to 1,000 wins!)
State(s) visited: TN, GA, AL, MS, LA, TX, SC, NC.City visited: See list above!
Interesting fact about this city: Too many to mention!
Halpert says: I spent more time in the Matrix in a week than I did in a month in the Exploder.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Travel Log - Star date 20080510
Plane, train or automobile: The final trip for the trusty Exploder - the new Matrix is here! This is almost exactly what my car looks like:
I don't have the cool nav system (I got to select the colors, other than that we get the base version + power package + cruise control).
Mission: Managment Training for select store managers in one of our Regions. The Division Manager for the area attended as well and was so impressed with the workshop and the participant's reactions that he scheduled two more workshop immediately and plans to schedule several more later in the year. I also visited a store with 3 new management team members to cover our in store training program. We have a commercial specialist at this store that generates a lot of business and I spent part of my time watching/interviewing him. He works at about 100 mph, with gusts to 150! He never lost track of where his drivers were or where they be going. He yelled "Focus, focus, focus!!!" if the phone lines had overwhelmed him for a few minutes, but he always recovered and didn't miss a beat the hour and a half I spent with him.
Number of human interactions: 15 - 9 in class and 6 at the store.
State(s) visited: North Carolina
City visited: Durham, NC
Interesting fact about this city: Home to Duke University, the Durham Bulls and very close to the Flying Burrito. Unfortunately, the Flying Burrito was closed when I got there, so I found a Moe's to satisfy my burrito craving.
Halpert says: How come I never get an Alpo burrito??
I don't have the cool nav system (I got to select the colors, other than that we get the base version + power package + cruise control).
Mission: Managment Training for select store managers in one of our Regions. The Division Manager for the area attended as well and was so impressed with the workshop and the participant's reactions that he scheduled two more workshop immediately and plans to schedule several more later in the year. I also visited a store with 3 new management team members to cover our in store training program. We have a commercial specialist at this store that generates a lot of business and I spent part of my time watching/interviewing him. He works at about 100 mph, with gusts to 150! He never lost track of where his drivers were or where they be going. He yelled "Focus, focus, focus!!!" if the phone lines had overwhelmed him for a few minutes, but he always recovered and didn't miss a beat the hour and a half I spent with him.
Number of human interactions: 15 - 9 in class and 6 at the store.
State(s) visited: North Carolina
City visited: Durham, NC
Interesting fact about this city: Home to Duke University, the Durham Bulls and very close to the Flying Burrito. Unfortunately, the Flying Burrito was closed when I got there, so I found a Moe's to satisfy my burrito craving.
Halpert says: How come I never get an Alpo burrito??
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