Dress Up Thursday Club

I'm not Old Fashioned. Not even close.

I am Old School. Particularly when it comes to the clothes I wear to work. Specifically, I wear a dress shirt and tie every day. I prefer to wear a suit with the dress shirt and tie but these Carolina summer days make that impossible.

It totally shocks me the way that American businessmen dress Monday thru Friday (we'll get to weekend dress another time; i.e., flip flops). It pains me to see that the short sleeved golf shirt has become a staple of the businessman's wardrobe. Add a pair of cheap cotton pants and some loafters and you have the modern-day nine to fiver.

I'm not here to change the sartorial preferences of my peers, at least not all at once. I would, however, like to introduce the concept of Dress Up Thursday for those that may want to reinvent their work style in baby steps. We'll have our own club that distinguishes itself from AVERAGE by wearing old school busines attire each and every Thursday. This includes: dress shirt (preferably French cuffs), neck tie (bow ties don't count), dress slacks (not khakis) and dress shoes (lace-up). Three-piece suit for bonus points.

I'm not endorsing we attend major league ballgames in fedoras and seersuckers. I'm not Old Fashioned.

I am inviting you to join the Dress Up Thursday Club. Old School.

What if Your Passion is Your Passion

I'm a passionate guy.

Not in that sense. At least, that's none of your business.

But, I have a lot of passions. I'm passionate about my country, my real estate business, the game of golf, stylish clothes, World War II veterans, sales theory, downtempo music, fitness, conservatism (not in the green sense, in the money sense) and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I am passionate about my family. I am passionate about learning.

I am passionate about a lot of things and that's my point. Many of us were taught to follow our passion. None of us were taught to follow all of them.

There are 24 hours in the day. How many are you using?

Getting Back to the Basics

Maybe it takes a Great Recession to relearn the fundamentals needed to succeed. Maybe this is all about getting back to the basics.

Two years ago, my business was more about Paperwork than Peoplework. I think about the mindboggling number of hours spent studying reports and financial statements and cash flow diagrams and employee evaluations. I think about the amount in time spent in MEETINGS!

No more. At least it won't be as much.

Recently, I've been spending more time away from the office and in the field - in the trenches. I've been meeting with homeowners, touring the home sites with prospective buyers, inspecting homes with warranty claims - taking a more personal approach to the business. It all reminds me of how I started in the business 10 years ago. More Peoplework and less Paperwork.

And it's working.

My company just finished its best July sales performance EVER. As far as I'm concerned we've already started a trend. Some will argue that a month does not a year make. And they would be correct. But don't bet against me.

In closing, how much time are you spending on Paperwork versus time spent on Peoplework? If it's the former, how's that working for you?