As a young pre-school child our summer vacations were spent in Margate, NJ, not far from Atlantic City. My parents had friends who owned a summer house there and we rented the top floor. Bill was a street car motorman and Sweea, his wife, was a school teacher. The thing that I remember about both of them was how kind and patient they were with me.
Summers in Margate were amazing. There were daily trips to the ocean which was only a few blocks from the house. There was the required vacation purchase of a Mr. Potato Head and a Slinky. And I had to have a Submarine sandwich which was something not found yet in my hometown of Pittsburgh.
Margate was a wondrous place filled with interesting things that I could ask a million questions about. For instance: Why were the mosquitoes so big?!
The ocean was kind of bewildering to me at that young age. I thought it was like a big bathtub and every night someone pulled the plug and drained it; then the next morning someone filled it up again! When I told my parents my theory about the ocean they just laughed.
Since the summers in Margate, I have always been interested in the why and the how of things. That inquisitive interest only led me in one direction: to the world of business. I have no interest in how cars work or are repaired, in how to fix something around the house or even to mow the lawn.
But the questions you can ask about business are endless and interesting. Such as: How can I make the business better? How best to motivate employees? How to provide better customer service? How best to bring employees into the process and feel part of a team?
And just as there are many questions in business there can be many varied answers that all work and are effective.
As a business person, you can significantly increase your success if you consistently fill your day with questions that need answers for your business. Contemplate the solutions and put those solutions in action.
Business is about thoughts and actions. Take time every single business day and really think about what you want to accomplish today and in the future. Write it down and make it happen. Dream big and always have goals to reach for. And keep asking questions.
Then the next time someone asks you how your summer was, you can reply: Great!