Randy Parker's (randyparker) Blog

I remember the words from an old song that says, "It's a beautiful morning, I think I'll just go out and play."  My normal routine begins at 5:00 am, get my son up at 6:00, and out the door by 6:30 for his baseball workouts, and head on to the office to get my day together.  Last night temps drop...

My favorite movie ever is still "Jeremiah Johnson" starring Robert Redford.  There are so many great lines throughout the movie, and my son and I often find ourselves quoting them to each other.  Both of us love the outdoors and this past Saturday as we were entering the woods to hunt, way before...

Dealing with difficult people has never been one of my favorite hobbies.  There are a few people, as strange as it may seem, who actually enjoy confrontation and dealing with the "devil."  I assure you I don't fit into that category.  I enjoy smooth sailing, easy transactions, peaceful buyers and...

I was speaking with a long time friend yesterday and we were discussing the current economical situation.  This particular person is an astute business man, has a genuine concern for others, and is an amazing leader.  I personally know that in his business life he has gone through tremendously di...

Here is the third and last part of Conflict Management; although very abbreviated I hope it's been helpful.  Eight ways to approach conflict  •1.  Speak the truth in love •2.  Seek to understand the others point of view. •3.  Seek common ground •4.  Make expectations clear •5.  Stay focused on th...

Here is the continuation of Conflict Management.  I have abbreviated and condensed as much as I could and still hopefully make sense.  Here are five don'ts when dealing with conflict.  •1.  Don't deny the problem. •2.  Don't underestimate or exaggerate the problem. •3.  Don't hesitate to deal wit...

Wouldn't life be great if there was no conflict? Imagine going through a day without confrontations.  Imagine living a life where all is peace and everyone gets along.  Imagine having friends and relationships with no arguments and no disagreements.  Someone years ago wrote theses words, "to live...

One day there was a group of boys standing around a stray dog they had found at the park.  A minister walks up and asked "what are you boys doing?"  One of the boys said, "We're telling lies, and the one who tells the biggest lie gets the dog."  "Why boys" the minister said, "When I was your age ...

Have you ever heard the definition of insanity which says, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."   Every day I hear people bemoaning the difficulty of the present market, but rarely change the way they do business.  I use the following illustration in s...

What is it that separates those who just get by and those who go to the top?  What is the difference between acceptable and excellent?   How is it that the kid who wasn't a great athlete made it to the Major League?  How can the student that struggled through school now head up a major corporatio...