This is no way to run a train!

Guest Blogger, Ed Becher, Owner/Director of Training, MI Security Training


Can you imagine being the CEO of a train company, never knowing from one day to the next if you would have passengers or freight to haul? Never knowing how many cars you would need to add to the train. Not being able to tell the track people where you were going or when.

As a member of the SSBI Board of Advisors this is how we feel sometimes, never knowing if we will fill the cars we have on the track or if we are going to cancel the trip. We all live very active lives, with work, school, children, spouse or significant other, other networking groups; myself included in this; finding time for one more activity can be hard. But each of us has made a commitment that we wish to see our businesses grow and prosper. That is where SSBI comes in. We are the tracks and each of you is a rail car, full of experience, desires and expectations.

Now each of you is going‘Where the h*!@ is he going with this?’ SSBI has a variety of activities to choose from: Tuesday morning BANG, Thursday Biz Development, Round Tables, TGIF’s, Book Club and others. These are the stops along our railroad tracks to success. But here is where the scheduling comes in; we do not know how many cars are going to be on those tracks because no one lets us know. We have had to cancel many events lately; the Book Club this week, TGIF for October; because we have no idea who is going to be there or if it is something you desire or not. Much hard work goes into developing each of these events, from booking a room to setting up a guest speaker. Not all of the guest speakers are local; some have come from Detroit and other locations. For them to make the trip here on a Wednesday evening and have three people show after 12 have said “See you there” makes it hard for us to get quality speakers.

The average net user spends approximately 13 hours on the internet per week. For some of us that’s in one day. SSBI both sends out a calendar of events and has them available in hard copy at many events. Our Newsletter and web site show upcoming events, events for you to choose from and hopefully schedule to attend. To help the Board of Advisors and Nancy make things better for you, we ask two things: 1) Come to as many events as your schedule allows; 2) Let us know you’re coming. This makes it easier for us to plan and it adds it to your calendar.

Sometimes things happen that make it impossible for you to attend an event that you have sent an RSVP for, we understand that, but we would like to know that you are coming, not able to make it or even a “Sorry, something just came up and I have to cancel”. You would not know how many times Nancy has uttered to me, “I wonder where ________ is they said they were coming tonight, hope everything is OK” Yes she worries about each and every one of you.

So please help keep those trains rolling down the tracks to business success. Email Nancy and let her know you’re coming to an event and follow through, stop and succeed. I have sent out a challenge also -- $75.00 night out on me to the SSBI member who between now and January 1st attends the most events. Oh and Nancy and I are not eligible to win. SO come on, get on the tracks and grab that $75.00 off the mail pole at the next station.