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January 2005 Newsletter
Have Fun - A Competitive Advantage for Your Business
This is my last article in a six part series as the 2004 Chairman of the Auburn Hills Chamber Board. You can view all of the articles by clicking on the "Chairman Articles" link at www.auburnhillschamber.com. I hope you have found value in these articles covering the fundamentals of business success.
This final article is all about having fun. You will see by my Chairman in Action photo that one of my pastimes is snowboarding in Colorado. You may remember I have 13 and 15-year-old sons so you could call this, "Dad trying to keep up with his boys". I also mountain bike with my sons. My inspiration for getting my sons involved was from a fellow Chamber Board member and the 2005 Chamber Chairman of the Board, Jeff Love, President of Baker College for the Auburn Hills Campus. Jeff and his son have been biking together for years and I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to continue bonding with my sons (especially in their teenage years). It works just the same in business - keep lines of communication open and have fun with your team and your job.
The more you know about your business colleagues, the more opportunity you have to further those relationships. Open up and express your interests to others, and learn about what makes them tick. This applies to your coworkers, employees, fellow Board and Committee members, business partners and your customers. These casual encounters can build much stronger relationships than just sticking to discussions about business.
As an example, our new office facility is located close to a bowling alley. A number of our staff now has a regular Friday routine where they call in their lunch orders ahead of time, eat lunch and bowl two games all within one hour. My business partner and I also attend every chance we get. This simple activity builds teamwork, provides casual business fun on a weekly basis, inspires a common interest as we all work and support each other, and our bowling averages are rising. You bet these enhanced relationships spill over into our day-to-day
business world.
Whatever your role in the company, make the most of it. Look for opportunities for casual conversation to better understand team member interests. If you enjoy what you do and are having fun, this will show to your customers and others. I very much enjoy my chamber involvement and look forward to more "business" fun in the future. Thank you all for being part of that fun.
Best Wishes for a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2005,
Brad Frederick
2004 Auburn Hills Chamber Chairman
President, Media Genesis
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