Personal Growth

robert hoffer

Some of My Grandfather’s Traits I want to Emulate

I have been thinking a lot about my grandfather as the clock clicks towards Father’s Day. Here is a collection of his of his traits that I want to emulate:

I want to emulate my grandfather’s ability to not bring work home. I’d imagine that he did. No person in human history has not, to some extent, brought some of work’s challenges home. That said, my grandfather was always “on” with his grandchildren, and I don’t ever recall him being stressed about work (I’m sure my Aunt, Uncle, and Dad would have examples to the contrary). But my grandfather was present when it mattered to me, and the rest of the grandkids.

I want to emulate my grandfather’s energy to walk the floor at Hoffer Plastics and care for the people on our team. Yes, he pushed. The stories are legendary. But everyone knew he cared.

I want to emulate my grandfather’s love for my grandmother. He unapologetically left the office in time to be home for 5:30 p.m. dinner, and the company didn’t suffer for it. My last coherent conversation with him, December 24th 2006, he challenged me to bring my grandmother flowers while lying in his nursing home bed.

I want to emulate my grandfather’s love for plastics. His face would light up with the possibility around plastics. My cousin Betsy recalls Grandpa predicting the smartphone years before we were carrying one, and we can all recount his enthusiasm towards countless projects at “the plant.” I often get that same excitement today with our flexible packaging business because the future is so exciting.

I want to emulate my grandfather’s love of Purdue University. Because his father taught at Purdue, Grandpa grew up in West Lafayette. So, while I am appreciative of other schools (The University of Illinois and Miami of Ohio in particular), Purdue, for me, has always been home. And I miss it because being there reconnects me to my past.

I want to emulate Grandpa’s non-work hobbies. He worked his yard and garden relentlessly and meticulously. For many years he could be found with his running group. Not to mention that he played college golf at Purdue, and still played well into his 80s. And I would be remiss not to mention that I hope and pray that my kids get many of the same Elgin Country Club experiences with my dad as I had with Grandpa.

I want to emulate Grandpa’s generosity. Camp Edwards, various city of Elgin charities, Judson University (I miss the baseball team!), and his local church—he made time for these pursuits, and that deeply challenges me in this day and age of busyness.

Above all, I want to continue to emulate my grandfather’s devotion to his Creator and Savior. For in the end, I will go the way he went, and the point of this recollection is intentionally emulating someone worth following.

My grandfather was such.

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photos in hand with uncomplicate yourself written on top

Be Yourself

Recently, a direct report confronted me on items pertaining to my leadership since the beginning of the year. Ending 2018 with a 360 review of myself, and sort of the same thing for the company in general, I began 2019 with increased intensity.

“You are not being yourself,” this person said. They went on to say that while they appreciated me holding others more accountable, at times I was being too stern. “You’re being too much like me,” they went on. “Stop trying to please others, even family members, and just be your natural self. Be encouraging, complimentary, and continue to hold people accountable, just in a gentler way than I do.”

I thanked this person for having the courage to give me this feedback. What a blessing! I also love that our sales team is experienced and talented. Some of them have led companies before, so I probably learn more from them than the other way around. And this example is another one of those occurrences.

In digesting this feedback, I realized that this individual was 100 percent correct in their analysis. While ramping up the accountability was a good addition to my leadership repertoire, I was doing it in a way that was unnatural. In essence, I was “over-correcting” my weakness by trying to be somebody I am not. I’m better at building coalitions, encouraging team members, and leading with positivity than I am being the hard boss. So, I need to be myself rather than being someone I read about in a book, or even like the individual who gave me this feedback. While it is tempting to emulate styles that are effective, doing so, as I have discovered, comes at a detriment to my own effectiveness.

In retrospect, my intentions were good. I simply allowed my lack of confidence in myself, coupled with the stress of implementing all the suggestions the outside consulting firm made for our organization, to make me someone I am not. Fear (stress is always fear) has a way of doing that.

I now feel free, even energized, as someone I deeply respect is inviting me to simply be myself. I don’t have to pretend, which may have never been my intent, but it is apparently what I was unconsciously doing. I can now simply be me. To be sure, this doesn’t mean I will avoid difficult conversations. It just means I will be myself when I do, looking for the good in the situation, and encouraging people along the way.

As this situation demonstrates, I am thankful to be part of a team that is easy to encourage!

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person holding iphone with screen visiible

3 reasons I am embracing a “Digital Declutter”

As I admitted in last week’s post, I am living a distracted life. The question then is what I am going to do about it? Before going further, I need to state that the most helpful resource on this subject matter has been Cal Newport’s, Digital Minimalism, that came out a few months ago. Between this book, and his previous Deep Work, I have been greatly challenged to rethink my plan and use of technology. I cannot recommend both of those books enough and believe they are mandatory reads for twenty-first century leaders.

A “digital declutter” is an idea that comes from Cal Newport. The process involves three quick steps: Put aside a thirty-day period where you take a break from optional technologies. Use this time to explore and rediscover non-digital activities and behaviors. Then, reintroduce optional technologies in your life at the end of the thirty days, determining the value each service provides for your life and how specifically you will use it to maximize this value. In chapter 3 of Digital Minimalism, Newport examines how to distinguish between “optional” and “not optional” technology, how to define your rules of technology use, and much more than I can effectively summarize here. This will help you as you prepare to “declutter,” so I encourage you to buy the book.

The question I want to deal with for the rest of this post is, “Why?” Why am I embracing a “digital declutter”? And why should you consider it, too?

The first reason is easily the deepest, that inside me is a craving to be liked, followed, and affirmed—but this craving is indicative of an unhealthy soul. Why this bothers me as it relates to social media is that social media simply will not deliver what my soul craves. It is akin to drinking motor oil the next time I have extreme thirst. Worst, social media exposes the vanity of my heart by tempting me to overshare everything going on in my life in pursuit of attaining virtual affirmation and fulfilling this deep desire.

Next, setting aside the spiritual element entirely, if I looked at the time I spend on my phone, and on social media in particular from a business sense and simply ran an ROI, I would soon discover that it is a poor investment of my time. This is the idea that always receives pushback. The skeptic says that more people are “connected” to me than ever before, more people now know about me, Hoffer Plastics, and Bald in Business, than if I wasn’t on social media. All this is true! But what is the return on “connection” and “networking.” What is really gained by digital connections? And more aptly, is it worth the time, energy, and cost of focus to obtain?

Finally, at the very practical level, what is the cost of the divided attention span that accompanies social media use? The cost of a divided attention is missed moments with family and friends, increased stress, and perhaps poorer decisions. What moments am I missing because I have my smartphone in hand? Is it “entertaining” me, or is it increasing my stress? These are questions that need to be considered because as good as I think I am at setting aside digital distractions the reality is that I too often reach for my phone at the slightest hint of boredom. This always comes at the cost of not paying attention to something else. When that something else is of less importance that is fine, but it is often Sarah, the kids, or work. And as a leader in the 2019 business world, I have to model what the proper use of digital communication is because everyone on the team is watching. If I am pulling my phone out and checking it, I have just rewritten our digital technology policy whether I intended to or not. How can I expect the organization, as a whole, to make good business decisions when it is often distracted?

The reasons above are not intended to be exhaustive, but they are my personal convictions leading me to seek a new path. Tomorrow begins my “declutter” journey. I am still discerning exactly what that looks like as it pertains to this blog. Likely you won’t be seeing as much from me on social feeds the next thirty days, just an occasional “new post” link. I have not decided on the proper cadence yet, but I will be continuing to write two posts per week because writing is one of the activities that I not only enjoy, but want to do more of with my extra time. If you want to receive every “new post” update, I encourage you to “subscribe” to Bald in Business. If anything I write is worth sharing with a friend, pick up the phone and talk about it. The last thing your friend needs is another digital ding (email, text, etc.) that distracts them. A real conversation, however, might be just what they are lacking. And if they never subscribe to this blog because they don’t have the link, or don’t hear from me on social feeds, I’ll be just fine.

With apologies to my editor, one more thing. If you decide to begin your own “digital declutter” experiment, let me know at alex@baldinbusiness.com. I’d love to know what you learn during the process, and would also be open to lending this space to a guest commentator to share their experience with the BIB audience after they complete the experiment.

I am excited to see where this journey takes us. If my taste of a phone-free life last Sunday was any indication, it’s going to be well worth our efforts.

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golf ball on turf grass

How the Masters Exposed My Distracted Life

The Masters golf tournament has always held a special place in my heart because my dad played in it as an amateur in 1984. Augusta National Golf Club is historic, beautiful, and arguably the most peaceful golfing landscape in the world – although Pine Valley would give it a run for its money! I’ve been a patron at 3 Masters, including Tiger Woods’ thrilling come-from-behind win earlier this week. But what stands out writing this post a few days later isn’t so much the most unbelievable sports accomplishment I have ever witnessed — and to be sure, seeing Tiger hit his tee shot to 3 feet on 16 was exactly that!

But as I reflect on my time at August on Sunday, what strikes me most is how alive and fully present I felt all day. This depressing reality sunk in just a few hours after the experience was over, as I had to admit to myself that I’m living a distracted life.

Let me explain further. As many know, Augusta National Golf Club does not allow patrons to have cell phones or any other digital devices on the grounds during the tournament. So as my friend and I strolled into line at 5:20 a.m., I began hearing sounds I have grown unaccustomed to hearing: birds chirping, conversations, and the sounds of lawn mower engines. The conversations around me were give and take, characterized by complete sentences, pauses, and responses. My friend and I joined in and talked about various topics ranging from his job, my church, and of course, the Chicago Cubs.

I think it was only around 6 a.m., as the sun was coming up, that I first reached into my pocket to snap a picture. With nothing but my car keys there, I wondered aloud to my friend how many times I would do this over the course of the day? Sadly, I lost count by 7 a.m.

The day to come was in many ways sensory overload. The smell of the damp mowed grass, the sounds of the quiet chatter of excited patrons anticipating what could happen later in the day, the sound of the trees as the wind brushed through the leaves making them sound like approaching rain drops. Without the weather app, Instagram, or text messages, I was aware of everything, even my vain desire to grow the number of my likes. As the hours passed, my hand returned regularly to the outside of my pocket as if to remind myself that none of this could be captured on a device. Even there I began wondering why this repetitive habit had such a grip on me? Why the desire to overshare everything?

The conventional advice is that I need social media for this blog, for Hoffer Plastics, and for keeping in touch with friends. But what’s the cost of all that? More aptly, what would have been the cost if my phone had been on me last Sunday at Augusta National? Would I have noticed the way Tiger walked towards his marked golf ball on 15 with a slight uptick of posture, exuding confidence, just moments after his competitor had sadly dumped his third shot into the lake in front of the 15th green? Would I have noticed the small turtle swimming in the 16th pond moments before Tiger would hit the most clutch golf shot I have ever witnessed in person? Would I have felt the extreme jubilation in my heart, my buddy’s left hand grabbing my shoulder, or seen the joy in the random stranger next to me, as Tiger walked to the 16th green?

Most assuredly, I would have missed some of those moments with the distraction of having my phone out trying to capture the moment for posterity.

Later in the day the extent of my distraction came further into focus. After witnessing Tiger putt in on 18, after hearing the most deafening roar I have ever heard, and after driving back to our Airbnb, my friend and I decided to relax with a glass of wine a few hundred feet from the beautiful Augusta river. No longer detached from our cell phones, there we were with them once again in our hands. As we talked about the day, I worked on a post that was attempting capture all that we had experienced that day. I can’t remember what exactly my friend was talking about, but before I could hit “post,” it finally dawned on me how much of a problem living a distracted life has become.

I don’t want to go on living a distracted life, so I am going to do something about it.

I invite you back on Monday when I share what that is. Until then, however, pay attention to how much attention you are giving digital inputs. Are they distracting you from what is in front of you? Is the cost worth it?

Only you can be the judge.

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bulldog with head on paw

Calm Down. It is only a bad day.

Sometimes I use this blog to journal and put challenging days into perspective. The following is an example from a couple months ago.

Yesterday was a doozy. It felt like one of those days where everyone pointed out everything wrong with Hoffer Plastics, without offering much in terms of solutions. To be fair, I write these words at the end of February after countless days of cold and clouds. While that shouldn’t play into people’s moods, I have come to discover that it does.

More importantly, people are working hard here. Effort is not, and has never been, the issue. In fact, I think one of the reasons people are frustrated is because they recently tasted success with one of the largest revenue months in the history of the company. The feeling since, however, can be characterized by a cloudy February day in Chicago: While it beats a snow storm, enough cloudy days together tempts one to wonder whether the sun and warmth are ever going to return.

As I drove home, my head pounded. I wasn’t scheduled to workout but I probably should have as I use physical exercise as an outlet. It dawned on me that I should have prayed during the day. I write posts about prayer after all. But in the dudgeon of my self-centeredness, praying was not what came to mind. Sulking was.

After mumbling how bad the day was to Sarah, I went upstairs to my closet to change out of my work clothes. Inside our walk-in closet is the chair where I do my morning Bible reading. Seeing it convicted me, and reminded me that I needed to pray.

I think the prayer began something like this: “Lord, I don’t know what I am doing. I feel like a terrible leader. Our team cares deeply, but we are bickering. I pray for your wisdom. Guide me, and the company, in the direction we should go. Help us seek YOUR will, not our own. Help me seek Your will, not my own. And help us be more graceful to one another.”

As I have shared before, prayer is not about getting the words right. It is about being real, surrendering to God, and seeking His will and ways above your own. As John Ortberg says, “prayer is more about changing you than it is about changing your circumstances.”

This prayer reminded me to text my accountability partner, John. I owned up to all the emotions, my negative self-talk, and the frustrations of the day. I then asked for his prayers too. He immediately responded, “I’m on it!” This reminded me that I am not alone in my struggles.

Then, and only then, was I ready to go downstairs and transition into husband/dad Alex. Sadie knew what to do. She immediately made me laugh by saying my name in a way that only two-and-a-half-year-old little girl can do. If there is any better sound, I have not heard it!

Meanwhile, the boys were being their playful selves. All they cared was getting dinner over so we could move to the basement and play hockey. Yet to be sure, playing hockey, or playing ANYTHING with them, always helps improve my spirits because recreation always re-creates.

And then there is Sarah. She was her usual, delightful, tender-hearted, self. I suspect she will just roll her eyes when she edits this, but her ability to give me space, and let me process the day’s events, always brings me back to reality faster than having to explain why I am not in the best of moods. In this regard she has wisdom that I aim to model with direct-reports. For sometimes it is better to just let people have their space.

I once heard Colin Powell say during a Global Leadership Summit speech that “everything looks different in the morning.” And to be sure, by the following morning things looked different back at Hoffer Plastics. But it was nothing I did. Rather, it was the answer to prayers prayed, support from a friend, and the reminder of the blessings of family coupled with their support.

The next time things are spinning out of control for you, calm down. Remember your blessings. It is only one bad day.

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worn leather catching mitt

4 Spring Sports Rules for the Field…and the Office

This winter, Will’s baseball coach held extra indoor hitting practices to get the team prepared for spring ball. Admittedly, I was always a little skittish for him to be practicing in the winter. But he was having fun and demanding to go.

But at the last session a few weeks ago, Will was struggling. He was taking what looked like half-swings. His coach noticed, too, and asked me if he was playing golf.

“I wish,” was my response. But even as the words came out of my mouth, I realized what was going on. Will, Ben, and I had played countless hours of hockey in our basement all through the fall and winter, and now Will was swinging the baseball bat like a hockey stick. So, desiring to be the next hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs AND an “all-star dad,” I informed Will why he was struggling on our drive home from practice.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it. But I soon realized my parenting misstep.

Being the parent-pleaser he is, that very night, instead of asking to play hockey as had been our daily tradition for months, Will asked to hit nerf baseballs in the basement to get “ready for the season” (Alex Jr. in training). Fast forward three weeks later, and we still haven’t played a hockey game. While discussing the upcoming NHL playoffs one morning as I was on my way off to work, I asked Will why we weren’t playing hockey anymore? “Because I don’t want to ruin my baseball swing,” he said.

This crushed me.

I wish the Chicago Cubs took baseball this seriously.

These kinds of situations take precedence over work, so I put my bag down and sat at the kitchen table with the boys. I then proceeded to explain to them the 3 Spring Sports Rules for the Hoffer house:

Have Fun. Stay Safe. Try your best.

Will added a 4th: To have good sportsmanship. All right then. 4 Spring Sports Rules.

I reminded Will that I don’t care how well he hits the ball so long as he is having fun, staying safe, and trying his best. Further, if he is smart enough to explain the difference between a hockey and baseball swing – and he is –I don’t think he has anything to worry about with regards to playing floor hockey! To this, he smiled and said, “thanks dad.”

Our 1980s sitcom moment aside, as I transitioned from my role as dad to my bald in business personae on my commute to Hoffer Plastics, I quickly realized that those rules–have fun, stay safe, and try your best–are directly applicable to what I do every day at work. Throw in Will’s fourth rule, good sportsmanship, and you’re on your way from “Good to Great.” After all, you cannot be a level 5 leader without being someone others respect, and who respects a bad sport?

I share this little story to encourage you to simplify your approach to life and leadership. Yes, we need to “confront the brutal facts,” “put in our 10,000 hours,” and do whatever the current business book advice of the day is.

But we also need to have fun, stay safe, and do our best.

As Ben reminded me as I gathered my work bag that morning, “you cannot make it a great day unless you try your best, dad.”

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vintage clock

Why it is important to show up!

I begin this post with the reality that I haven’t felt well the last few days. Multiple canker sores, a cold, and sinus issues had me tempted to rest and “work from home” today. But we had a 30th anniversary for one of our Plant Managers, so this was not really an option.

I decided to show up.

Here is what I discovered:

While I don’t want to bash “working from home,” its benefits are limited. Of course, you can get various tasks completed from home. Some argue that they are even more “productive” working from home. I think task-wise this is absolutely true, unless like me, you have a cute 2.5-year-old interrupting you!

Leading from home is a different story however.

Leadership is still about influence. Influence is earned face-to-face, listening, caring, and showing-up! Sending in a congratulatory email to our Plant Manager today would have sufficed if I had the Flu. But, when you have a cold, and some annoying oral pain, it is best to show up!

Showing up also leads to unexpected moments. Today, for instance, I found myself in the office of another Plant Manager shortly after the anniversary party. My role in this situation was to listen to some of the issues he was facing. We touched on various topics: scheduling, mold-changes, short-runs, etc., and I gained insight from our 30-minute conversation. This knowledge will help me become better at my job overseeing operations. In fact, I have actionable items from our time spent together.

This would not be so if I had been home today.

So, I am thankful I showed up today.

Grandpa would not have let a few minor health issues keep him from coming-in. So, neither should I.

Leaders, we need to suck-it-up and show up when we don’t feel well (unless we are really sick, and we all know the difference).

It is our job to set the example!

Why it is important to show up! Read More »

young person looking at latop

The Problem Wasn’t Stress

I was in the middle of one of those projects that feels like it is the most important project ever. The irony is that I cannot even remember which one of those “most important projects” this one was in retrospect. Still, I was stressed out.

The gym is where I often go to sweat the stress out. And this always works, at least for a few hours. So, I was getting after it. My heart was pumping, the sweat was pouring, and it felt great. In an attempt to double my productivity, I was listening to the Tim Ferriss podcast while getting my sweat on. He was interviewing Tony Robbins, and I about dropped my barbell when I heard this:

“What stops us from moving forward? FEAR. If you’re an achiever, you probably call it stress. Stress IS fear.” (emphasis mine).

My problem wasn’t stress.

And no amount of working out was going to resolve my real problem.

I literally took a knee inside the gym. I knew I looked like one of those crazy gym guys, but whatever. I hit pause on the podcast, and just stopped everything.

Pulling out my iPhone, I started a new note listing what I was fearful of in relation to the project. Hear are some of the things I listed:

Not measuring up. Letting the customer down. Not delivering on time. Disappointing my teammates, suppliers, partners, even my family. Of being found out as someone who isn’t as “good” as they claim to be. Or worse, being found lacking in any regard. For example, someone finding out some of the stupid things I did in high school, or finding examples that I am not who I supposedly claim to be. (And I thought this was about a project at work???)

The list could on and on.

While the count differs per Bible translation, “fear not” is mentioned anywhere from 442 times in KJV to 684 times in the ESV. Maybe the repetition is there for us to remember that we, as humans, have a fear problem?

I’d imagine most people reading this are, to one degree or another, “stressed.” I challenge you to ask yourself: What are you afraid of?

Whatever it is, write it down either on your phone or a piece of paper.

Get it all out.

Your circumstances won’t change by doing this.

As I learned, the power of your fear will dissipate however. It won’t all go away, and you will have to return to the list a lot, but you will have begun working on the real problem.

Stress, after all, was never the problem in the first place.

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man sitting on wood pile with bible in his hand

Thank God My Blog Is Not That Popular Yet

I have an ego.

I want to be liked.

So, while I tried not to pay attention to how many people read the re-launch Bald in Business post, the temptation eventually won out.

The answer was humbling.

At the time I am writing this, only about 50 people read that post.

To be clear, I am not looking for a pat on the back, or encouragement. While I crave that kind of stuff just like everyone reading this does, that’s not the point here.

The point is that writing a blog has uncovered a deep-seated desire to be liked inside my soul. And I could be wrong, but I’d imagine that I am not alone in feeling this way.

Lying in bed a few weeks ago – where I often think about this stuff – I came to the conclusion that it is probably best that I don’t have 500, or 1,000, people reading each post. As cool as that might be, it probably wouldn’t be healthy for me at this stage of my writing journey.

And it’s humbling admitting this for all to see.

While I don’t think I seek approval in my leadership, or parenting, the ugly reality is that I do there as well.

This experience has me re-evaluating how much I do. How many of my decisions are based on what others will think instead of what I know is right and best?

What about you?

All 50 of you. =)

This is uncomfortable, so it is easy to ignore.

Don’t.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Examine your own leadership and become aware of where you are seeking the approval of others.

(By the way, this experience helped me clarify two reasons why I write this blog. First, I enjoy writing. Second, I like helping people. So, if this helps one person, and only 3 people read it, mission achieved! I just have to keep remembering this lesson. I haven’t learned it yet by any means).

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passion led us here on sidewalk

Embrace Bald, Stay Bold

Growing up, I feared losing my hair.

Combine the constant advertisements about hair replacement with the internal self-doubts about my own appearance, and I was convinced that I would never be accepted.

As I have grown, I have come to realize that living “bald” is perhaps even more frightening than being “bald.” Living “bald” means being uncovered, barren, or exposed. It means being vulnerable, and bold, about who you are.

Like the first time shaving my head, this is scary. Will people accept me?

But boldly persisting, anyway, is what this blog is about.

Nothing is more important to my identify than my faith in Jesus. Thus, I cannot be bald in business without exploring that reality in my daily business walk. Still, and important to note, this blog will forever be a safe place of exploration.

It is simply a place for all people, and all faiths.

I learn from you, and I hope you can learn from me.

Together, I hope we develop the courage to embrace bald, and stay bold.

So, what’s to come?

Each Monday, I will post about leadership or personal growth.

Most Tuesdays will be the #TuesdayT: “challenging truths for life and leadership.”

And every Thursday will be #TheoThursday: “Theological thoughts about the workplace.”

In short, I intend to explore how my faith is changing, and hopefully improving, my personal leadership, all the while encouraging, and challenging, the reader to improve theirs.

Each post will be 300 words or less.

Your time is valuable, and life is better lived.

So, live it boldly.

Embrace bald, and stay bold.

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