     
A Message From:
Dan Dvorak President, IWCA I speak and listen closely to many people throughout the year. Some are in the window-cleaning industry, some are in other lines of business and some are friends. While I respect and admire each one’s drive and ambition, I’ve paid more attention lately to how these individuals plan to achieve their goals and, in turn, work their plans. It’s a fun exercise to listen to others describe their methods. Some are simple and short, while others are quite detailed. I typically learn a good idea or technique from asking about them. Sometimes, I simply gain extra motivation from hearing their success stories. A close friend of mine, for example, set a goal of buying a second home last year. He worked his plan and did just that, closing on the home in early December.
As window cleaners, we’re always planning ahead. Our Safety Director Stefan Bright teaches about planning ahead at our jobsites: Plan ahead for safety, making sure the working environment is as safe as it should be and have the proper equipment. As parents, we plan ahead for our kids’ games, education or the ol’ Father-Son/Mother-Daughter talks. Professionally, we should be planning ahead, too, whether for our business, our workers or our responsibilities. Some 400+ professionals planned ahead last month and experienced a great convention week with the IWCA.
One of the better analogies I heard at the show about planning was regarding airline flights. Every flight has a plan to follow a projected pathway to its destination—its goal. Once the plane takes off, it’s not always exactly on the projected path. Pilots continually check the path along the way. When they are a little far to the left, they bring it back right. If they are a little to the right, they bring it back left. They check regularly and make necessary adjustments. Sometimes, the adjustment is for unexpected turbulence. I’m sure we all hit business turbulence at times. Calm, cool and collected, the pilots check their plans and make those adjustments. In the end, they reach their destinations—their goals.
I was sworn in as president of the IWCA a month ago and have been working my IWCA plan ever since. My goal—my destination—will make for a stronger, more influential association that benefits our members. There may be a few bumps, but that’s okay; we’ll adjust.
If you have your business plan in place, check it regularly and are confident that it’s aligned with your personal goals, I congratulate you. If you don’t, it’s never too late to get started. Write down your goals. Share them with your team and your family. Ask for help if needed. Maybe your goals include things like reaching a new safety record, increasing your revenue, hiring a manager or even making time for a round of golf each month. I hope one of your goals will be to attend our 2012 convention in New Orleans. Whatever your ”destinations” are, write them down, plan how you can achieve them and make sure you are checking along the way. It would be great to see you in New Orleans!
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