It's the little things that count: Plus, change is good>you go first!

Happy New Year:  To start the year I would like to share a true story.  One year ago I retired from Michigan Department of Transportation vacating the Southwest Region Fleet Manager position.  I was fortunate in initiating several positive changes with the assistance and support of several "like minded" and talented co-workers.  How did this opportunity to affect change come about?  Like most things in life, there are several different situations that arise offering the window of opportunity but the one action I attribute to give me the most opportunity is this;   MDOT underwent transition in the early to mid-90's including a reorganization that converted the old "Districts' to Regions with some being combined.  District 7 became Southwest Region although structurely remained the same.  Along with the new name came a new head engineer (Region Engineer).  District 7, especially the maintenance division, had became "stagnant" and was in need of some "new blood".  Michigan DOT is rather unique, as most state trunkline maintenance is contracted to county road commissions with the major exception being District 7 (Southwest Region) where MDOT forces maintain the state trunkline.  One would think with this amount of direct involvement by MDOT forces new equipment and operational innovations would abound.   But, alas, that just wasn't the case.  Things were about too change.  As I stated previously, along with our new name, Southwest Region, came a new leader.  Tom Maki was appointed the new Southwest Region engineer with the task to redesign and renergize Southwest Region.  Now, finally, you have enough background information to hear my story.  In those days, MDOT, participated in APWA Snowplow Roadeo and held their own in-house roadeos to select particpants for the APWA Roadeo.  I first met Tom Maki at one of these in-house snowplow roadeos at the Plainwell MDOT Maintenance Garage.  Tom made a point of introducing himself to me and requested a locking gas cap for his state provided automobile as a preventative measure once he began instituting change.  To me, his request was "no big deal" and rather than risk my forgetting to fulfill his request, I asked a Plainwell employee, (Robin Sutton who later became my wife) to run down to the parts store and pick up the gas cap.  Within about twenty minutes I handed the gas cap to Tom.  Imagine my surprise when he stopped the proceedings to point out the gas cap to everyone in attendance and announce that in his "over twenty years in state employment, this was the quickest service he had ever received".  That one small action on my part proved to Tom Maki that I was a "go to" person and opened many doors and opportunities.  I will share all those opportunities and changes with you in an upcoming post.  For now, my goal is for everyone to take notice of the seemingly small things that can have a huge pay back.  Tom did make many changes in Southwest Region which did not always make him popular.  There are those who were required to change their processes in the name of efficiency and increased productivity who have some very strong opinions concerning Tom Maki and Mark Lester, and not all positive.  Like I said "Change is good> you go first".