The Highway Doctor has invited his alter-ego, Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager at Anoka County (MN) to share his monthly newsletter articles that he provides for his Anoka County Transportation Division staff on this page for motivational and educational purposes. Enjoy!
Transportation Division Manager's Message - September 2019
Since we just finished another Transportation Division Annual Meeting and Summer Picnic, I thought I’d reiterate some of the points I made during my presentation while I still have those thoughts in my mind. This was our sixth summer meeting and picnic as a full Transportation Division and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.
My favorite part of the meeting is always the employee recognitions portion of the event. We have had quite the “musical chairs” going on since our last meeting in February due to retirements, transfers and promotions. We had seven new employees to introduce: Derek Maine, Engineering Tech (Construction); Andrew Valley, Senior Survey Crew Tech; Dillon Tews, Survey Crew Tech (Intern); Andrea Schmid, Traffic Engineering Tech; Jacob Couch, Equipment Operator; Chris Osterhus, Construction Engineering Supervisor (welcome back!); and Brian Denny, Sign Tech. Welcome to the team! I also announced the recent transfers within the Division: Dave Dahl from Signs to Maintenance, Cody Christianson from Signs to Maintenance, and Steve Snitker from Surveyor (field) to Surveyor (office).
I also recognized six employees for their recent promotions within the Division: Jorge Bernal to Engineer III (Design), Matt Euteneuer to Lead Mechanic, Brent Anderson to Lead Mechanic, Jim Plemon to Maintenance Superintendent, Jill Kent to Office Services Coordinator, and Paul Beese to Crew Leader. Congratulations to everyone!
My favorite part of these meetings is being able to recognize our employees for their contributions to the success of the Transportation Division and the County. Congratulations to Mark Lekson for receiving his Master Electrician’s license, Chris Osterhus for becoming a Professional Land Surveyor, and Jorge Bernal for receiving his Professional Engineer’s license. Well done!
Even though he isn’t technically a Transportation Division employee, a very special recognition was given to Jeff Fischer, Correctional Officer/Trustee Crew Leader for all his hard work and dedication to Anoka County as he retired the day of our meeting after 31 years with Anoka County. We wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous retirement! Ron Piecek is the new “Jeff” and we look forward to working with him in the future.
Hats off to the following years of service award winners:
Obviously, the employee news that I did NOT reveal at the meeting was my retirement from Anoka County. But it is official that I will be retiring from Anoka County after 25 years. My last day in the office will be October 10th. I will have more to say about this in the October edition of Centerline.
In general news, I reported that the 2020 budget has been prepared for all the departments within the division. Our budget target was to be “flat” as compared to 2019 so our budgets were prepared accordingly. Challenges with the budget included a significant increase in our salt budget due to the horrendous winter we just came out of and accommodating another huge construction, maintenance and traffic program. To accommodate this increased work load we are asking for four new positions – 2 equipment operators and 2 Engineers (construction and design). We are scheduling the replacement of all vehicles and equipment that are scheduled for replacement which is very good, but we are limiting the number of new/additional pieces of equipment. We will also be building off our Automated Traffic Management System and will be expanding our fiber connectivity, performing more Flashing Yellow Arrow conversions and updating several of our traffic signals to get more capacity out of our system.
The future looks bright for our Transportation Division. Because of the men and women of this division, we are fully capable of accomplishing the many great things that we do and overcoming the many obstacles that are in our way. For that, I thank you!
With conclusion of the “serious” part of the meeting, we also had some fun teambuilding events. You will read more about those elsewhere in this newsletter. Again, the weather was wonderful and it was great seeing everyone again at the meeting and picnic. Thank you to the Reach Committee for putting on another outstanding event. You all deserve it so much!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
My favorite part of the meeting is always the employee recognitions portion of the event. We have had quite the “musical chairs” going on since our last meeting in February due to retirements, transfers and promotions. We had seven new employees to introduce: Derek Maine, Engineering Tech (Construction); Andrew Valley, Senior Survey Crew Tech; Dillon Tews, Survey Crew Tech (Intern); Andrea Schmid, Traffic Engineering Tech; Jacob Couch, Equipment Operator; Chris Osterhus, Construction Engineering Supervisor (welcome back!); and Brian Denny, Sign Tech. Welcome to the team! I also announced the recent transfers within the Division: Dave Dahl from Signs to Maintenance, Cody Christianson from Signs to Maintenance, and Steve Snitker from Surveyor (field) to Surveyor (office).
I also recognized six employees for their recent promotions within the Division: Jorge Bernal to Engineer III (Design), Matt Euteneuer to Lead Mechanic, Brent Anderson to Lead Mechanic, Jim Plemon to Maintenance Superintendent, Jill Kent to Office Services Coordinator, and Paul Beese to Crew Leader. Congratulations to everyone!
My favorite part of these meetings is being able to recognize our employees for their contributions to the success of the Transportation Division and the County. Congratulations to Mark Lekson for receiving his Master Electrician’s license, Chris Osterhus for becoming a Professional Land Surveyor, and Jorge Bernal for receiving his Professional Engineer’s license. Well done!
Even though he isn’t technically a Transportation Division employee, a very special recognition was given to Jeff Fischer, Correctional Officer/Trustee Crew Leader for all his hard work and dedication to Anoka County as he retired the day of our meeting after 31 years with Anoka County. We wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous retirement! Ron Piecek is the new “Jeff” and we look forward to working with him in the future.
Hats off to the following years of service award winners:
- 5 Year Awards: Eric Johnson, Billy Binger, Paul Beese, Jorge Bernal, and Doug Armstrong.
- 15 Year Awards: Dave Hilton, Susan Anderson, Cindy Kriesel, Matt Euteneuer, John Slusarczyk and Chuck Gitzen.
- 20 Year Awards: Tim Schwab.
- 25 Year Awards: Richard Williams, Chuck Kiefer, Lorelei Stone, and me.
- 30 Year Awards: Tom Hornsby.
- 35 Year Awards: Kris Holzknecht.
Obviously, the employee news that I did NOT reveal at the meeting was my retirement from Anoka County. But it is official that I will be retiring from Anoka County after 25 years. My last day in the office will be October 10th. I will have more to say about this in the October edition of Centerline.
In general news, I reported that the 2020 budget has been prepared for all the departments within the division. Our budget target was to be “flat” as compared to 2019 so our budgets were prepared accordingly. Challenges with the budget included a significant increase in our salt budget due to the horrendous winter we just came out of and accommodating another huge construction, maintenance and traffic program. To accommodate this increased work load we are asking for four new positions – 2 equipment operators and 2 Engineers (construction and design). We are scheduling the replacement of all vehicles and equipment that are scheduled for replacement which is very good, but we are limiting the number of new/additional pieces of equipment. We will also be building off our Automated Traffic Management System and will be expanding our fiber connectivity, performing more Flashing Yellow Arrow conversions and updating several of our traffic signals to get more capacity out of our system.
The future looks bright for our Transportation Division. Because of the men and women of this division, we are fully capable of accomplishing the many great things that we do and overcoming the many obstacles that are in our way. For that, I thank you!
With conclusion of the “serious” part of the meeting, we also had some fun teambuilding events. You will read more about those elsewhere in this newsletter. Again, the weather was wonderful and it was great seeing everyone again at the meeting and picnic. Thank you to the Reach Committee for putting on another outstanding event. You all deserve it so much!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - July/August 2019
Last week the inaugural 3M Open golf tournament which was held here in Anoka County for the very first time. The way it ended made this event an instant classic! Matthew Wolff was waiting back in the 18th fairway on Sunday afternoon, as Bryson DeChambeau stood over an eagle putt that would give him the lead in the 3M Open. He saw the 7-footer drop and watched DeChambeau clench his fists and pose like the Incredible Hulk in celebration.
Then Wolff, who was playing in the day’s final group, had to compose himself and hit a shot across the 18th hole’s gaping lake to the same green. He needed a birdie to tie and an eagle to win. Wolff’s shot over the water settled against the collar off the green, and there was just 26 feet of real estate standing between him and what would be a life-changing victory. Wolff later admitted he was shaking a little as he surveyed the putt. Finally, he hit the ball and watched intently until it got about a foot from the hole. He knew it was in. Wolff stepped forward, pumped his fist and yelled “come on!” It was his time. The ball dropped into the hole and the 20-year old became a millionaire!
As exciting as the competition was at the finish and all week by all the players, I was especially interested in watching the eventual 2nd place finisher Bryson DeChambeau. Why? Maybe it’s the engineer in me but DeChambeau is very unique on the PGA Tour. The Oklahoma State University physics major has been nicknamed by many the “Mad Scientist”. He credits Homer Kelly's book, The Golfing Machine, for many of his swing principles and philosophies. One particular method that he utilizes which is unconventional is that all of his irons are the same length, 37 1/2 inches, which is the average length of a 7-iron shaft (his favorite club). Their lie and bounce angle are also the same; only the lofts are different. In addition to the single-length concept, his clubs are unusual for their extremely upright lie angle. DeChambeau keeps the club on the same plane throughout his swing and does not turn his wrists during his swing. And his putting stroke! It looks like he is wearing casts on both his arms when he puts! He also has the largest grips commercially available. The larger grips allow DeChambeau to hold the grips in his palms and not his fingers. He has also done analytics about when to leave the pin in the hole for various lengths of putts, figuring out what gives him the best odds to make the putt. Yes, he is a Mad Scientist!
Besides his scientific approach to golf using physics and analytics, he is also a little quirky too (as you might suspect from a mad scientist). He has names for all of his clubs, for example his 60-degree wedge is named "The King" after 1960 Masters champion Arnold Palmer and his 6-iron is named "Juniper" after the sixth hole at Augusta National. For fashion, DeChambeau wears a Ben Hogan-style cap during tournament rounds on the course.
So whether you are a sports fan or a science geek (or both), this year’s 3M Open is over and was a huge success. But lest I forget that a lot of this success was due in part by many persons from the Transportation Division that were very instrumental with this event including traffic management and signing, parking lot construction, making sure our highway corridors were patched and groomed, and other facets that go on behind the scenes that may go unnoticed because they worked so well no one paid any attention to them. But I know the extra work that we put forward for this event and I personally want to thank each and everyone of you that I appreciate your extra effort once again.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Then Wolff, who was playing in the day’s final group, had to compose himself and hit a shot across the 18th hole’s gaping lake to the same green. He needed a birdie to tie and an eagle to win. Wolff’s shot over the water settled against the collar off the green, and there was just 26 feet of real estate standing between him and what would be a life-changing victory. Wolff later admitted he was shaking a little as he surveyed the putt. Finally, he hit the ball and watched intently until it got about a foot from the hole. He knew it was in. Wolff stepped forward, pumped his fist and yelled “come on!” It was his time. The ball dropped into the hole and the 20-year old became a millionaire!
As exciting as the competition was at the finish and all week by all the players, I was especially interested in watching the eventual 2nd place finisher Bryson DeChambeau. Why? Maybe it’s the engineer in me but DeChambeau is very unique on the PGA Tour. The Oklahoma State University physics major has been nicknamed by many the “Mad Scientist”. He credits Homer Kelly's book, The Golfing Machine, for many of his swing principles and philosophies. One particular method that he utilizes which is unconventional is that all of his irons are the same length, 37 1/2 inches, which is the average length of a 7-iron shaft (his favorite club). Their lie and bounce angle are also the same; only the lofts are different. In addition to the single-length concept, his clubs are unusual for their extremely upright lie angle. DeChambeau keeps the club on the same plane throughout his swing and does not turn his wrists during his swing. And his putting stroke! It looks like he is wearing casts on both his arms when he puts! He also has the largest grips commercially available. The larger grips allow DeChambeau to hold the grips in his palms and not his fingers. He has also done analytics about when to leave the pin in the hole for various lengths of putts, figuring out what gives him the best odds to make the putt. Yes, he is a Mad Scientist!
Besides his scientific approach to golf using physics and analytics, he is also a little quirky too (as you might suspect from a mad scientist). He has names for all of his clubs, for example his 60-degree wedge is named "The King" after 1960 Masters champion Arnold Palmer and his 6-iron is named "Juniper" after the sixth hole at Augusta National. For fashion, DeChambeau wears a Ben Hogan-style cap during tournament rounds on the course.
So whether you are a sports fan or a science geek (or both), this year’s 3M Open is over and was a huge success. But lest I forget that a lot of this success was due in part by many persons from the Transportation Division that were very instrumental with this event including traffic management and signing, parking lot construction, making sure our highway corridors were patched and groomed, and other facets that go on behind the scenes that may go unnoticed because they worked so well no one paid any attention to them. But I know the extra work that we put forward for this event and I personally want to thank each and everyone of you that I appreciate your extra effort once again.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - June 2019
If you look around the Transportation Division lately you’ll see a lot of new faces. Of course, many of these new faces are those student workers that are supplementing are ranks during are very busy summer season. But we also have new faces belonging to full-time, permanent employees that have recently joined our ranks. To those new employees – welcome to the Transportation Division of Anoka County!
Over the past several months as we were going through our hiring processes, professional sports were conducting their player drafts. It got me thinking that wouldn’t it be great if we could “draft” our new employees? We are a professional team after all!
On April 25th the Arizona Cardinals selected Kyler Murray out of Oklahoma as the first pick in the NFL draft. June 3rd the Baltimore Orioles selected Adley Rutschman as the first pick in the MLB draft. June 20th the New Orleans Pelicans took Zion Williamson from Duke with the first pick in the NBA draft. Finally, on June 21 the New Jersey Devils took Jack Hayes Number 1 in the NHL draft.
Imagine this scenario if you will: “With the first pick in the first round of the 2019 Equipment Operator Draft, the Anoka County Highway Department selects…”
Aaaaahh…the thought of it all!
Needless to say this isn’t how it works. We don’t get to spend millions of dollars on research, running potential candidates through numerous physical and psychological testing, watching game films of their previous performance, etc. But what is truly amazing is that even when the professional sports organizations do all this, they still can get it wrong. It is amazing at the failure rate that many teams realize within the first two or three years with their first round picks. Or how they let “real talent” go unnoticed. Example bust: Johnny Manziel – first round pick by the Cleveland Browns. Example miss: Tom Brady – potentially the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.) quarterback for the New England Patriots who was picked in the 6th round after 198 other players were selected!
So how can we be sure that we get it right in our own hiring processes? There are several things that we can learn from professional sports that we can use. First of all, there is more to predicting success than a player’s stats, or in our case, the candidate’s resume. Education, experience and ability may get you an interview, but they can’t always be great predictors of future success. We must look for signs and indicators that reveal what may be more important – our shared values.
Values of cooperation, initiative, and teamwork & collaboration. These values should look familiar to you – they are on everyone’s “Interpersonal Ratings” form on your annual performance evaluations! We are looking for people that place high value on teamwork, integrity, effective communication skills, and problem solving. What good is an employee that is the most technically proficient person but is a real jerk? I think you know the answer to that!
Unlike the professional sports teams that draft players who have no other choice on where to play, our future employees do have a choice. In fact, our hiring process is as much as getting a candidate to pick us as much as it is about us picking them. This is where our reputation and culture is vitally important. I am very proud that our reputation is that of being one of the very best public works organizations in the state and our culture is one of putting the public ahead of our own personal interests, and a culture of working hard and having fun while doing it. In sports drafts, the worst teams get to pick first. In our hiring, I want the best (us) to get the best! Looking around the Division, I can say that we have and we will continue to do so!
Some of our staff have come to us with a full wealth of experience and some are just starting out in their careers. But whether you are a “First-Rounder” or a “Sixth-Rounder” (remember Tom Brady!), having the right set of values that matches our culture is the secret to a long and productive career. Perhaps you too can become the G.O.A.T. of what you do!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Over the past several months as we were going through our hiring processes, professional sports were conducting their player drafts. It got me thinking that wouldn’t it be great if we could “draft” our new employees? We are a professional team after all!
On April 25th the Arizona Cardinals selected Kyler Murray out of Oklahoma as the first pick in the NFL draft. June 3rd the Baltimore Orioles selected Adley Rutschman as the first pick in the MLB draft. June 20th the New Orleans Pelicans took Zion Williamson from Duke with the first pick in the NBA draft. Finally, on June 21 the New Jersey Devils took Jack Hayes Number 1 in the NHL draft.
Imagine this scenario if you will: “With the first pick in the first round of the 2019 Equipment Operator Draft, the Anoka County Highway Department selects…”
Aaaaahh…the thought of it all!
Needless to say this isn’t how it works. We don’t get to spend millions of dollars on research, running potential candidates through numerous physical and psychological testing, watching game films of their previous performance, etc. But what is truly amazing is that even when the professional sports organizations do all this, they still can get it wrong. It is amazing at the failure rate that many teams realize within the first two or three years with their first round picks. Or how they let “real talent” go unnoticed. Example bust: Johnny Manziel – first round pick by the Cleveland Browns. Example miss: Tom Brady – potentially the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.) quarterback for the New England Patriots who was picked in the 6th round after 198 other players were selected!
So how can we be sure that we get it right in our own hiring processes? There are several things that we can learn from professional sports that we can use. First of all, there is more to predicting success than a player’s stats, or in our case, the candidate’s resume. Education, experience and ability may get you an interview, but they can’t always be great predictors of future success. We must look for signs and indicators that reveal what may be more important – our shared values.
Values of cooperation, initiative, and teamwork & collaboration. These values should look familiar to you – they are on everyone’s “Interpersonal Ratings” form on your annual performance evaluations! We are looking for people that place high value on teamwork, integrity, effective communication skills, and problem solving. What good is an employee that is the most technically proficient person but is a real jerk? I think you know the answer to that!
Unlike the professional sports teams that draft players who have no other choice on where to play, our future employees do have a choice. In fact, our hiring process is as much as getting a candidate to pick us as much as it is about us picking them. This is where our reputation and culture is vitally important. I am very proud that our reputation is that of being one of the very best public works organizations in the state and our culture is one of putting the public ahead of our own personal interests, and a culture of working hard and having fun while doing it. In sports drafts, the worst teams get to pick first. In our hiring, I want the best (us) to get the best! Looking around the Division, I can say that we have and we will continue to do so!
Some of our staff have come to us with a full wealth of experience and some are just starting out in their careers. But whether you are a “First-Rounder” or a “Sixth-Rounder” (remember Tom Brady!), having the right set of values that matches our culture is the secret to a long and productive career. Perhaps you too can become the G.O.A.T. of what you do!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - May 2019
Last month, one of the greatest sports stories of all time unfolded right before our eyes. On Sunday, April 14, 2019 wearing his customary red Nike shirt for the occasion, Tiger Woods won his fifth green jacket and fifteenth major golf tournament by willing himself to win The Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia. It was one of sport’s most incredible moments. The hero was back, conquering a multitude of terrors that laid in his path for nearly a decade. You don’t even have to be a golf fan to be moved by the moment. And that moment taught us a few lessons.
Tiger Woods shot onto the scene of golf in 1997 like a cannon on the battlefield. The path seemed easy, at least for Woods. Fourteen majors were racked up in a short period. Nicklaus’s record of 18 majors was well within reach. After all, Woods was only 32 years-old at the time of his 14th win. He was fast, furious, and nothing was going to come in his way of scorching success.
Until it did.
Woods was alleged to have committed adultery. His marriage fell apart, and two kids were left to split their time between two households. He infamously hit a tree near his home except it wasn’t with a golf ball. It was with his vehicle. Woods was drifting into obscurity as “that guy who wasted the chance to beat the record of Nicklaus.” Ambien, Vicodin, booze; it was all adding up to a “what could have been” storyline.
Then, rather remarkably, the comeback came into focus. With his head screwed back on straight, Woods began the process of redemption. He worked with several coaches, psychologists, and aimed to right the wrong of his transgressions.
But just when he was getting his head together, his body started to fall apart on him. Unlucky as it was, health became the new bunker for Woods. Multiple back operations were needed not to play golf, but simply to walk without pain. Woods just wanted to pick up his kids, maybe give them a hug.
He last won a major—the US Open—in 2008. As his personal life careened off a cliff and his health deteriorated, the quest to beat Nicklaus’s record lost interest with the media and golf enthusiasts. There was a five-year period when he didn’t win a single tournament, let alone a major. This is Tiger Woods! He always wins.
His back troubles compounded year after year, and he consistently missed qualification for tournaments he was used to winning. After four more back surgeries in the next few years, Woods was arrested for driving under the influence in 2017, and he quickly checked himself into addiction rehab. If the majority of fans hadn't written off Woods' once-brilliant career as a total loss already, it was hard to find anyone who expected Woods to win another tournament period, let alone one as massive as the Masters.
Tiger Woods spent 11 years in the wilderness, both professionally and personally. And on one brilliant, sunny afternoon in Augusta, Georgia on April 14, 2019, he proved a lesson that should reverberate through homes and offices throughout the world.
The lesson: no matter how seemingly massive, every one of your setbacks is just a comeback in disguise. We all have our demons. It’s great to have another example through Woods of how to overcome them.
With his Masters win on Sunday Tiger now has 15 majors to trail only Jack Nicklaus. Tiger now has 81 PGA Tour wins to trail Sam Snead by one for the all-time lead in career victories. It was a great day for Tiger Woods.
At the same time, it is also important to remember that his victory was not about a moment. It about the grit and the grind and the determination and the strength of will of a man to get up after being knocked down. Tiger Woods is the example we can look to when we fail, where we can say think of what this man went through and came out on top.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Tiger Woods shot onto the scene of golf in 1997 like a cannon on the battlefield. The path seemed easy, at least for Woods. Fourteen majors were racked up in a short period. Nicklaus’s record of 18 majors was well within reach. After all, Woods was only 32 years-old at the time of his 14th win. He was fast, furious, and nothing was going to come in his way of scorching success.
Until it did.
Woods was alleged to have committed adultery. His marriage fell apart, and two kids were left to split their time between two households. He infamously hit a tree near his home except it wasn’t with a golf ball. It was with his vehicle. Woods was drifting into obscurity as “that guy who wasted the chance to beat the record of Nicklaus.” Ambien, Vicodin, booze; it was all adding up to a “what could have been” storyline.
Then, rather remarkably, the comeback came into focus. With his head screwed back on straight, Woods began the process of redemption. He worked with several coaches, psychologists, and aimed to right the wrong of his transgressions.
But just when he was getting his head together, his body started to fall apart on him. Unlucky as it was, health became the new bunker for Woods. Multiple back operations were needed not to play golf, but simply to walk without pain. Woods just wanted to pick up his kids, maybe give them a hug.
He last won a major—the US Open—in 2008. As his personal life careened off a cliff and his health deteriorated, the quest to beat Nicklaus’s record lost interest with the media and golf enthusiasts. There was a five-year period when he didn’t win a single tournament, let alone a major. This is Tiger Woods! He always wins.
His back troubles compounded year after year, and he consistently missed qualification for tournaments he was used to winning. After four more back surgeries in the next few years, Woods was arrested for driving under the influence in 2017, and he quickly checked himself into addiction rehab. If the majority of fans hadn't written off Woods' once-brilliant career as a total loss already, it was hard to find anyone who expected Woods to win another tournament period, let alone one as massive as the Masters.
Tiger Woods spent 11 years in the wilderness, both professionally and personally. And on one brilliant, sunny afternoon in Augusta, Georgia on April 14, 2019, he proved a lesson that should reverberate through homes and offices throughout the world.
The lesson: no matter how seemingly massive, every one of your setbacks is just a comeback in disguise. We all have our demons. It’s great to have another example through Woods of how to overcome them.
With his Masters win on Sunday Tiger now has 15 majors to trail only Jack Nicklaus. Tiger now has 81 PGA Tour wins to trail Sam Snead by one for the all-time lead in career victories. It was a great day for Tiger Woods.
At the same time, it is also important to remember that his victory was not about a moment. It about the grit and the grind and the determination and the strength of will of a man to get up after being knocked down. Tiger Woods is the example we can look to when we fail, where we can say think of what this man went through and came out on top.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - April 2019
The NCAA’s Men’s Basketball Championship’s Final Four just wrapped up last week in Minneapolis. It was the fourth time Minneapolis hosted this event (2019, 2001, 1992 & 1951). Thank goodness that the weather held off until the party was over! All 68 teams that started the tournament had the same goal – win the championship. But it was only the Virginia Cavaliers that met their goal and came out as champions. What about the other 67 teams? Failure. Or as Ricky Bobby said in Talladega Nights, “If you ain’t first, you’re last!” Ouch!
Failure, as much as it hurts, is an important part of life. In fact, failure is necessary. I have failed more times than I’d like to admit. And I’m not talking about small failures like my basketball bracket either; I’m talking about the kind of failures that rock your world, completely altering the landscape of your relationships, finances, and mental wellbeing.
And, if you’re anything like me, then you’ve also most likely failed many times over. I can’t say that I particularly enjoy failing, but failure, through its life-altering lessons, makes us into better persons.
In 2018, Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers suffered the most humiliating loss in NCAA tournament history – a loss to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County that will forever be remembered as the greatest upset in college basketball history. After the final buzzer sounded in that game last year, the Cavaliers became the first No. 1 seed ever to lose to a No. 16 seed, snapping a streak of 135 consecutive 1-over-16 NCAA tournament victories. The Cavaliers’ coaches and players had to know that they would always be linked with that failure. But they also knew that failure didn’t have to be the whole story. And one year and 23 days later they changed that story and were crowned national champions.
What were some lessons that the Cavaliers learned from their failure a year ago?
The first important lesson gained from failure is experience. The experience of failing at something is truly invaluable. It makes us reflect on the real nature of things and their importance in our lives, transforming and improving our future selves.
Failure brings with it important firsthand knowledge. When Thomas Edison famously failed nearly 10,000 times to create a commercially viable electric lightbulb, with each failure, he gained the knowledge of just one more avenue that didn’t work. It was the accumulated knowledge developed from nearly 10,000 failed attempts that ultimately led to his success.
Failing in life helps to build resilience. The more we fail, the more resilient we become. To achieve great success, we must know resilience. Because, if we think that we’re going to succeed on the first try, or even the first few tries, then we’re sure to set ourselves up for a far more painful failure.
If there were three attributes you could attribute to this year’s Virginia team it was that they were experienced, knowledgeable and resilient.
There are many ways to recover from failure. One of the best ways to recover from failure is to understand that it’s quite alright to fail. If you were to conduct any one of a number of searches on the Google, you would find countless stories about failure from the world’s most successful people. It’s okay to fail. But it’s not okay to give up. Pushing forward and not giving up is quite possibly one of the best ways to recover from failure. Remember, it’s not true failure unless you throw in that proverbial towel and wholeheartedly give up forever.
I’ve talked numerous times in these articles about the importance and power of goal setting. Want to recover from failure? Create a Massive Action Plan. Take your goals and lay out a plan as to how you’re going to achieve them. When we have a massive action plan, we have a systematic way of achieving the goals that we set for ourselves. Once we come to the realization that those goals won’t be simple to achieve, we can approach things with a more long-term frame-of-mind and implement the experience, knowledge and resilience of the past as we push past the stumbling blocks of life.
The Virginia Cavaliers truly set an example of dealing with failure and then overcoming it. So when events don’t seem to go our way, let’s learn from the Virginia Cavaliers and know that we can too.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Failure, as much as it hurts, is an important part of life. In fact, failure is necessary. I have failed more times than I’d like to admit. And I’m not talking about small failures like my basketball bracket either; I’m talking about the kind of failures that rock your world, completely altering the landscape of your relationships, finances, and mental wellbeing.
And, if you’re anything like me, then you’ve also most likely failed many times over. I can’t say that I particularly enjoy failing, but failure, through its life-altering lessons, makes us into better persons.
In 2018, Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers suffered the most humiliating loss in NCAA tournament history – a loss to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County that will forever be remembered as the greatest upset in college basketball history. After the final buzzer sounded in that game last year, the Cavaliers became the first No. 1 seed ever to lose to a No. 16 seed, snapping a streak of 135 consecutive 1-over-16 NCAA tournament victories. The Cavaliers’ coaches and players had to know that they would always be linked with that failure. But they also knew that failure didn’t have to be the whole story. And one year and 23 days later they changed that story and were crowned national champions.
What were some lessons that the Cavaliers learned from their failure a year ago?
The first important lesson gained from failure is experience. The experience of failing at something is truly invaluable. It makes us reflect on the real nature of things and their importance in our lives, transforming and improving our future selves.
Failure brings with it important firsthand knowledge. When Thomas Edison famously failed nearly 10,000 times to create a commercially viable electric lightbulb, with each failure, he gained the knowledge of just one more avenue that didn’t work. It was the accumulated knowledge developed from nearly 10,000 failed attempts that ultimately led to his success.
Failing in life helps to build resilience. The more we fail, the more resilient we become. To achieve great success, we must know resilience. Because, if we think that we’re going to succeed on the first try, or even the first few tries, then we’re sure to set ourselves up for a far more painful failure.
If there were three attributes you could attribute to this year’s Virginia team it was that they were experienced, knowledgeable and resilient.
There are many ways to recover from failure. One of the best ways to recover from failure is to understand that it’s quite alright to fail. If you were to conduct any one of a number of searches on the Google, you would find countless stories about failure from the world’s most successful people. It’s okay to fail. But it’s not okay to give up. Pushing forward and not giving up is quite possibly one of the best ways to recover from failure. Remember, it’s not true failure unless you throw in that proverbial towel and wholeheartedly give up forever.
I’ve talked numerous times in these articles about the importance and power of goal setting. Want to recover from failure? Create a Massive Action Plan. Take your goals and lay out a plan as to how you’re going to achieve them. When we have a massive action plan, we have a systematic way of achieving the goals that we set for ourselves. Once we come to the realization that those goals won’t be simple to achieve, we can approach things with a more long-term frame-of-mind and implement the experience, knowledge and resilience of the past as we push past the stumbling blocks of life.
The Virginia Cavaliers truly set an example of dealing with failure and then overcoming it. So when events don’t seem to go our way, let’s learn from the Virginia Cavaliers and know that we can too.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - March 2019
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” These are the opening lines of Charles Dickens' famous French Revolution novel, A Tale of Two Cities. It sets the stage for the highs and lows paralleled in the story to come. Or was he talking about the Winter of 2018-19?!
As I write this article on March 6th, we are still neck deep in snow (too much) and ankle deep in road salt (not enough). Hopefully by the time this newsletter is published we will have seen a break in the weather.
Did anyone see this horrendous winter coming? Last fall, the National Weather Service predicted the winter of 2018-19 to have warmer-than-normal temperatures due to a developing weak El Niño. Precipitation predictions called for equal chances of wetter, near normal, and drier conditions (way to go out on a limb on that one NWS!).
Obviously they got it wrong. So what did the 227th Edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac have to say? They predicted to see above-normal temperatures almost everywhere in the United States, except in the Southwest. As far as snow, they said we could expect to see below-normal levels of snowfall in areas that normally get snow, with the interior West and a small part of the nation’s midsection being the snowier-than-normal exceptions. We must be in the “small part of the nation’s midsection”.
Now these forecasts were done well in advance of this year’s winter season, so let’s look at someone who made a prediction on February 2nd of this year – Punxsutawney Phil and his famous Ground Hog’s Day prediction. Well this year, Phil did not see his shadow so that meant for an early spring! Wrong again!
But regardless of any prediction good or bad, I am very proud to say that the Anoka County Highway Department is, has been, and always will be prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws our way! We have the equipment. We have the chemicals. But more importantly we have the people and the know-how to get the job done no matter how strenuous and sustaining. We have shown our colors admirably all winter long.
I would like to thank everyone that has contributed in this effort for their extraordinary effort and dedication this winter. You can be very proud of what you do and the exceptional way you do it. No one does it better than we do. Period. End of story.
Now if we can only get an end to this winter…
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
As I write this article on March 6th, we are still neck deep in snow (too much) and ankle deep in road salt (not enough). Hopefully by the time this newsletter is published we will have seen a break in the weather.
Did anyone see this horrendous winter coming? Last fall, the National Weather Service predicted the winter of 2018-19 to have warmer-than-normal temperatures due to a developing weak El Niño. Precipitation predictions called for equal chances of wetter, near normal, and drier conditions (way to go out on a limb on that one NWS!).
Obviously they got it wrong. So what did the 227th Edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac have to say? They predicted to see above-normal temperatures almost everywhere in the United States, except in the Southwest. As far as snow, they said we could expect to see below-normal levels of snowfall in areas that normally get snow, with the interior West and a small part of the nation’s midsection being the snowier-than-normal exceptions. We must be in the “small part of the nation’s midsection”.
Now these forecasts were done well in advance of this year’s winter season, so let’s look at someone who made a prediction on February 2nd of this year – Punxsutawney Phil and his famous Ground Hog’s Day prediction. Well this year, Phil did not see his shadow so that meant for an early spring! Wrong again!
But regardless of any prediction good or bad, I am very proud to say that the Anoka County Highway Department is, has been, and always will be prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws our way! We have the equipment. We have the chemicals. But more importantly we have the people and the know-how to get the job done no matter how strenuous and sustaining. We have shown our colors admirably all winter long.
I would like to thank everyone that has contributed in this effort for their extraordinary effort and dedication this winter. You can be very proud of what you do and the exceptional way you do it. No one does it better than we do. Period. End of story.
Now if we can only get an end to this winter…
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - February 2019
So Super Bowl LIII (53) is in the books and it will go down with the New England Patriots winning their sixth championship over the Los Angeles Rams. The final score was 13 to 3, which by the way broke a Super Bowl record for the fewest points scored in a Super Bowl.
Some people thought that this Super Bowl was instead a Super Bore. Even the halftime show and most of the commercials were lame. But despite the lackluster performances on offense, the defenses shown brightly. As a former college football player, I appreciate a good defensive game. After all, like the adage goes, “Offense wins games, but defenses win championships!” The game was 0-0 after the first quarter and only 3-0 at halftime. It was 3-3 after three quarters: the lowest combined score after three quarters in Super Bowl history. The game’s single touchdown came with only 7 minutes left to play.
So what defensive player took home the MVP Award? New England Wide-Receiver Julian Edelman! Say what?! Who is this guy?
Ten years ago, Julian Edelman was a quarterback at Kent State, a school not exactly known as a football powerhouse. Head Coach Bill Belichick described how they went about finding Edelman in the first place. He was apparently on no one’s radar screen, but the Patriots scouting department somehow discovered him and found him to be intriguing. They decided to go and work him out and they liked him enough to schedule a second workout. Eventually they drafted him (Pick Number 232 in the 7th Round) after watching him play a game against Ohio State. Kent State was outmatched and down by several scores, but Edelman kept playing with all his heart and soul. The Patriots liked that a lot but they had a problem. They have a first ballot hall of fame quarterback named Tom Brady, so what were they going to do with this young draft choice?
They began by sitting him down and asking if he had ever returned punts. He said “no”. And, then they taught him how to return punts so well that he became a top NFL punt returner. Then, they asked if he had ever played wide receiver and he said “no”. So they taught him how to play wide receiver so well that he will eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. And, did I mention that he was the MVP of Super Bowl LIII?
So what can we learn from all of this? Edelman himself commented on what it takes to be on the Patriot’s squad. "They don't want distractions. They want guys that are versatile. They want mentally tough football players. That's what I've seen through my career being there. They want a smart, physical, tough football player. If you don't have that, you're probably not gonna be there. So I've been fortunate to have a bunch of teammates -- pretty much all the teammates I've had have been pretty good guys. You've got these young kids out here that have to learn, but you learn from the guys above you. I learned from the Kevin Faulks. I learned from the Toms, the Wes Welkers, the guys that worked hard that were there that were playing at a high level consistently. If you don't, they usually get rid of you."
Hmmm. Focused. Versatile. Mentally tough. Smart, physical, tough. Team player. Respect of mentors.
Edelman exemplifies these traits as an employee of the New England Patriots. These seem like good traits for employees of every organization – including ours. In the June 2017 Centerline, I mentioned that the Transportation Division would be embarking on a new initiative with regards to hiring new employees – hiring for attitude. I think that Herb Kelleher, Founder of Southwest Airlines, captured this concept best when he said, “If you don’t have a good attitude, we don’t want you, no matter how skilled you are. We can change skill levels through training. We can’t change attitude.”
Bill Belichick didn’t make Julian Edelman the focused, versatile, mentally tough, smart, team oriented, respectful player that he is today. But with a little coaching and mentoring he made him a Super Bowl MVP and potential Hall of Famer as well. I look forward to seeing MVP’s and Hall of Famers similarly grow in our Transportation Division!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Some people thought that this Super Bowl was instead a Super Bore. Even the halftime show and most of the commercials were lame. But despite the lackluster performances on offense, the defenses shown brightly. As a former college football player, I appreciate a good defensive game. After all, like the adage goes, “Offense wins games, but defenses win championships!” The game was 0-0 after the first quarter and only 3-0 at halftime. It was 3-3 after three quarters: the lowest combined score after three quarters in Super Bowl history. The game’s single touchdown came with only 7 minutes left to play.
So what defensive player took home the MVP Award? New England Wide-Receiver Julian Edelman! Say what?! Who is this guy?
Ten years ago, Julian Edelman was a quarterback at Kent State, a school not exactly known as a football powerhouse. Head Coach Bill Belichick described how they went about finding Edelman in the first place. He was apparently on no one’s radar screen, but the Patriots scouting department somehow discovered him and found him to be intriguing. They decided to go and work him out and they liked him enough to schedule a second workout. Eventually they drafted him (Pick Number 232 in the 7th Round) after watching him play a game against Ohio State. Kent State was outmatched and down by several scores, but Edelman kept playing with all his heart and soul. The Patriots liked that a lot but they had a problem. They have a first ballot hall of fame quarterback named Tom Brady, so what were they going to do with this young draft choice?
They began by sitting him down and asking if he had ever returned punts. He said “no”. And, then they taught him how to return punts so well that he became a top NFL punt returner. Then, they asked if he had ever played wide receiver and he said “no”. So they taught him how to play wide receiver so well that he will eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. And, did I mention that he was the MVP of Super Bowl LIII?
So what can we learn from all of this? Edelman himself commented on what it takes to be on the Patriot’s squad. "They don't want distractions. They want guys that are versatile. They want mentally tough football players. That's what I've seen through my career being there. They want a smart, physical, tough football player. If you don't have that, you're probably not gonna be there. So I've been fortunate to have a bunch of teammates -- pretty much all the teammates I've had have been pretty good guys. You've got these young kids out here that have to learn, but you learn from the guys above you. I learned from the Kevin Faulks. I learned from the Toms, the Wes Welkers, the guys that worked hard that were there that were playing at a high level consistently. If you don't, they usually get rid of you."
Hmmm. Focused. Versatile. Mentally tough. Smart, physical, tough. Team player. Respect of mentors.
Edelman exemplifies these traits as an employee of the New England Patriots. These seem like good traits for employees of every organization – including ours. In the June 2017 Centerline, I mentioned that the Transportation Division would be embarking on a new initiative with regards to hiring new employees – hiring for attitude. I think that Herb Kelleher, Founder of Southwest Airlines, captured this concept best when he said, “If you don’t have a good attitude, we don’t want you, no matter how skilled you are. We can change skill levels through training. We can’t change attitude.”
Bill Belichick didn’t make Julian Edelman the focused, versatile, mentally tough, smart, team oriented, respectful player that he is today. But with a little coaching and mentoring he made him a Super Bowl MVP and potential Hall of Famer as well. I look forward to seeing MVP’s and Hall of Famers similarly grow in our Transportation Division!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - January 2019
Next month I have the privilege of presenting at the county’s new supervisor training program and the topic that I will be talking about is leadership. As I was preparing for my remarks, it occurred to me how much leadership in the workplace has changed over the course of my career. When I first became a supervisor, there were essentially only two generations in the workplace: Traditionalists (born before 1946) and Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964). Now there can be up to FIVE generations in the workplace. Besides Traditionalists and Baby Boomers, there are now also Gen Xers (born between 1965 and 1976), Millennials (or Generation Y born between 1977 and 1997) and the newest group - Generation Z (born after 1997).
In my pursuit of continuous learning and improvement I’ve read countless books on leadership. From the classics (Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”) to the best-sellers (Stephen R. Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”) to the greatest leaders of the 20th century (Jack Welch, John C. Maxwell, Jim Collins, Vince Lombardi, and many others), I’ve studied them all. At a particular point in time, this learning was relevant and appropriate. But what I’m finding today is that much of what we’ve learned about leadership has changed. Who we lead and how we need to lead has radically changed.
Who are we leading today? First of all, the world is experiencing phenomenal rates of growth never seen before. In the year 837 A.D. the world’s population was estimated at 0.25 billion people. It took until 1543 (697 years) for the population to double to 0.5 billion. The next doubling took only 260 years (1 billion people in 1803). The next doubling only took 125 years (2 billion in 1928). The next doubling only took 47 years (4 billion in 1975). We are now on pace to have 8 billion people on the planet Earth by 2024 – yikes! So over the course of my professional career I will see 4 billion enter this world – and related to this article – our workplace.
There is no doubt that the workplace has become more diverse. Census data tell us that by 2050 there will be no racial or ethnic majority in the country. In addition, because the natural growth rate of current U.S. citizens cannot keep up with the demand for employees (birth rate is only moderately higher than the death rate), by 2050 new immigrants and their children will account for 83 percent of the growth in the working-age population.
Right now, Millennials are the largest group to enter the workforce and by 2020 (next year!!) will occupy ½ of the leadership positions in companies. The number of women in the workforce is for the first time, now exceeding the number of men in the workplace.
Has all of this changed how a person should lead their group? You bet it has! The old “Command and Control” methods of the past have given way to a more effective “Meaning and Purpose” style that is more collaborative and stresses human capital over financial capital, and emotional intelligence over rote skills.
But as much as many of the leadership methods of the past have changed, there is still one vital leadership trait that is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago: Leading by Example. By walking your talk, you become a person others want to follow. When leaders say one thing, but do another, they erode trust--a critical element of productive leadership.
And one final reminder: Just having a title does not make you a leader. True leaders are found at all levels of the organization regardless of title or position. And there are good leaders and bad leaders.
I am very fortunate to be part of the Transportation Division Team that has certainly changed over the years, but I firmly believe that this change in diversity (generational, racial, gender) has helped us become the very best county public works organization in the state of Minnesota and I would even dare to say the entire country. Let’s keep leading the way!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
In my pursuit of continuous learning and improvement I’ve read countless books on leadership. From the classics (Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”) to the best-sellers (Stephen R. Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”) to the greatest leaders of the 20th century (Jack Welch, John C. Maxwell, Jim Collins, Vince Lombardi, and many others), I’ve studied them all. At a particular point in time, this learning was relevant and appropriate. But what I’m finding today is that much of what we’ve learned about leadership has changed. Who we lead and how we need to lead has radically changed.
Who are we leading today? First of all, the world is experiencing phenomenal rates of growth never seen before. In the year 837 A.D. the world’s population was estimated at 0.25 billion people. It took until 1543 (697 years) for the population to double to 0.5 billion. The next doubling took only 260 years (1 billion people in 1803). The next doubling only took 125 years (2 billion in 1928). The next doubling only took 47 years (4 billion in 1975). We are now on pace to have 8 billion people on the planet Earth by 2024 – yikes! So over the course of my professional career I will see 4 billion enter this world – and related to this article – our workplace.
There is no doubt that the workplace has become more diverse. Census data tell us that by 2050 there will be no racial or ethnic majority in the country. In addition, because the natural growth rate of current U.S. citizens cannot keep up with the demand for employees (birth rate is only moderately higher than the death rate), by 2050 new immigrants and their children will account for 83 percent of the growth in the working-age population.
Right now, Millennials are the largest group to enter the workforce and by 2020 (next year!!) will occupy ½ of the leadership positions in companies. The number of women in the workforce is for the first time, now exceeding the number of men in the workplace.
Has all of this changed how a person should lead their group? You bet it has! The old “Command and Control” methods of the past have given way to a more effective “Meaning and Purpose” style that is more collaborative and stresses human capital over financial capital, and emotional intelligence over rote skills.
But as much as many of the leadership methods of the past have changed, there is still one vital leadership trait that is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago: Leading by Example. By walking your talk, you become a person others want to follow. When leaders say one thing, but do another, they erode trust--a critical element of productive leadership.
And one final reminder: Just having a title does not make you a leader. True leaders are found at all levels of the organization regardless of title or position. And there are good leaders and bad leaders.
I am very fortunate to be part of the Transportation Division Team that has certainly changed over the years, but I firmly believe that this change in diversity (generational, racial, gender) has helped us become the very best county public works organization in the state of Minnesota and I would even dare to say the entire country. Let’s keep leading the way!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - December 2018
I was making my annual Christmas list the other day and I was trying to think of what to get my 3-year old granddaughter. I don’t buy clothes and this girl has far too many toys already. What to do?! But then it hit me. I love to read and she loves attention, so why not buy her a collection of Dr. Seuss books that I can read to her! Genius! (At least in my own mind.)
As a kid, I loved Dr. Seuss books for the rhyming, illustrations and the overall silliness of them. But as an adult, I can reflect upon them for some deeper messaging that Theodor Seuss Geisel told in his storytelling. You don’t think that How the Grinch Stole Christmas! wasn’t a criticism of commercialism? And that was 1957 – what would he think today?!
What are some of the other lifehacks we can take away from Dr. Seuss?
"Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is youer than you!" – Happy Birthday to You! Individuality is important to be aware of. We are all unique and different and that is OK! Be yourself.
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." – Oh, the Places You’ll Go! This one motivates us to do whatever we want in life. As long as we have brains and feet we really can do whatever our heart desires, anything is possible.
“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so get on your way!” - Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Get out and pursue your goals, the only person stopping you is yourself.
“You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may!” – Green Eggs and Ham! This is probably my favorite of all his books and I’ve really tried to live my life exploring new things and trying things out. Don't knock it until you try it, and if you haven't tried something then you can't know for sure.
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." – The Lorax. Originally referring to our care for the environment, but this quote can be interpreted into whatever your passion is. If something is not right, and no one cares, things will never change, so it is up to you and me—well, to us—to be the difference the world needs.
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." – I Can Read with My Eyes Shut. This is what I’ll be doing with my granddaughter! The more educated you become the more opportunities arise for you early in life and throughout.
Dr. Seuss died in 1991 but his books, quotes and ideas will live forever if we continue to pass them on to future generations. As with all these articles, "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant." – Horton Hatches the Egg!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
As a kid, I loved Dr. Seuss books for the rhyming, illustrations and the overall silliness of them. But as an adult, I can reflect upon them for some deeper messaging that Theodor Seuss Geisel told in his storytelling. You don’t think that How the Grinch Stole Christmas! wasn’t a criticism of commercialism? And that was 1957 – what would he think today?!
What are some of the other lifehacks we can take away from Dr. Seuss?
"Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is youer than you!" – Happy Birthday to You! Individuality is important to be aware of. We are all unique and different and that is OK! Be yourself.
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." – Oh, the Places You’ll Go! This one motivates us to do whatever we want in life. As long as we have brains and feet we really can do whatever our heart desires, anything is possible.
“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so get on your way!” - Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Get out and pursue your goals, the only person stopping you is yourself.
“You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may!” – Green Eggs and Ham! This is probably my favorite of all his books and I’ve really tried to live my life exploring new things and trying things out. Don't knock it until you try it, and if you haven't tried something then you can't know for sure.
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." – The Lorax. Originally referring to our care for the environment, but this quote can be interpreted into whatever your passion is. If something is not right, and no one cares, things will never change, so it is up to you and me—well, to us—to be the difference the world needs.
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." – I Can Read with My Eyes Shut. This is what I’ll be doing with my granddaughter! The more educated you become the more opportunities arise for you early in life and throughout.
Dr. Seuss died in 1991 but his books, quotes and ideas will live forever if we continue to pass them on to future generations. As with all these articles, "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant." – Horton Hatches the Egg!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - November 2018
Do you know what the one primary responsibility of your brain is? To keep you alive. Besides operating your basic functions of keeping your heart beating and making you breathe, it is on the constant lookout for danger and attack warnings. In fact, it is programmed to seek out the negative.
But isn’t it also responsible for bringing us happiness, prosperity, and joy? Because my engineer brain couldn’t come up with an answer, I collaborated with my close colleague The Highway Doctor whose brain seems to function a little more abstract than my Neanderthal one.
The first thing that The Highway Doctor told me is, “Where your attention goes, energy flows.” So, if we let our minds resort to its basic mode, it will focus on the negative and actually stew on it.
So how can we find happiness, prosperity, and joy if all we focus on are the “negatives” in our lives. We can’t. So how can we fix this? The simple answer: by developing an attitude of gratitude.
November is the month we celebrate the Thanksgiving Day holiday so this is a perfect time of year to develop a grateful mind. How do we do this? Think of an area of your life you are having difficulty and/or want to improve. This could be with a co-worker, your job, a personal relationship, financial problems, etc. Then write down something about that situation that you appreciate. Co-worker annoys you? Write down that they covered for you when you needed time off. Job burning you out? Write down that the paycheck paid for your family vacation last year. Spouse nagging you again? Write down how he/she took care of you when you were sick. You get the point.
If we start changing our focus from the negative to the positive, the situation, or at least our perception of it, seems to change for the better. Or as The Highway Doctor said, “What you think about comes about!”
So, as we approach this holiday season I hope that you will join me in seeking out the positives and recognize and physically write down all that you are grateful for and develop an attitude of gratitude. My wish for all of you then would be for you to not only to survive but to thrive during the holidays. It’s up to you!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
But isn’t it also responsible for bringing us happiness, prosperity, and joy? Because my engineer brain couldn’t come up with an answer, I collaborated with my close colleague The Highway Doctor whose brain seems to function a little more abstract than my Neanderthal one.
The first thing that The Highway Doctor told me is, “Where your attention goes, energy flows.” So, if we let our minds resort to its basic mode, it will focus on the negative and actually stew on it.
So how can we find happiness, prosperity, and joy if all we focus on are the “negatives” in our lives. We can’t. So how can we fix this? The simple answer: by developing an attitude of gratitude.
November is the month we celebrate the Thanksgiving Day holiday so this is a perfect time of year to develop a grateful mind. How do we do this? Think of an area of your life you are having difficulty and/or want to improve. This could be with a co-worker, your job, a personal relationship, financial problems, etc. Then write down something about that situation that you appreciate. Co-worker annoys you? Write down that they covered for you when you needed time off. Job burning you out? Write down that the paycheck paid for your family vacation last year. Spouse nagging you again? Write down how he/she took care of you when you were sick. You get the point.
If we start changing our focus from the negative to the positive, the situation, or at least our perception of it, seems to change for the better. Or as The Highway Doctor said, “What you think about comes about!”
So, as we approach this holiday season I hope that you will join me in seeking out the positives and recognize and physically write down all that you are grateful for and develop an attitude of gratitude. My wish for all of you then would be for you to not only to survive but to thrive during the holidays. It’s up to you!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - October 2018
October is one of my favorite months of the year. Football is in full swing, the weather is getting crisper and nature’s splendor is radiantly displayed in the red, gold and orange colors from our trees and shrubbery. October is also special for many people because of the most popular adult holiday of the year: Halloween.
For me though, Halloween has had its ups and downs. I used to really enjoy going out and collecting a pillow case full of treats with my siblings and friends. Until IT happened. As a pre-teen growing up in the steel-belt (now rust-belt) part of northeast Ohio, a group of us boys would canvas our brick pavered streets in search of the mother lode of candy. In one particular year, all was going great and we were getting ready to head back home to indulge ourselves in our riches. But as we were walking up one side of the block, we saw a bunch of older boys on the other side walking along the street in unison with us. They weren’t just dressed up as teenage hoodlums, they were teenage hoodlums!
So we started walking faster on our side of the street. They did too. We started jogging. They did too. We started running. They did too and now they were crossing the street to our side of the road! Now we were in full sprint mode to get away from this gang. Unfortunately, my best friend Jimmy got jumped. While my brother and I were able to eventually fight them off of him, his sack of candy was gone forever! So where am I going with this story? How about some leadership lessons I learned that night from Halloween!
Lesson Number 1: Be aware of your surroundings. We were so caught up in the collection of goodies that we forgot to be aware the danger lurking across the street. The work we do in the Transportation Division can be very dangerous. Whether we are working in live traffic, at the bottom of a deep trench or on top of a bridge beam, we must respect the conditions that we are in and be ever careful and vigilant not to make a wrong move.
Lesson Number 2: People are watching you. I’m not sure how long that gang was following us before we noticed them, but obviously they were watching us. Our work puts us in the public eye whether we are on the road, in a public forum, our emails, phone interactions, website information and many other ways. Some people will try and take advantage of our mistakes and faults – so let’s not give them something to complain about!
Lesson Number 3: Don’t be the rear of the pack. If Jimmy was a just a little faster we could have prevented the sad end to our story! Are you the “rear” of your “pack”? Do people want you on their team, project, or work assignment? Strive to be the one people want, not the one they don’t.
Lesson Number 4: Stuff happens. Did we deserve what happened to us that night a long time ago? No. Did we survive it? Yes. When we got back to Jimmy’s house we divided our loot up so that everyone still had a sizable share of our work. Less than what it would have been but still plenty to go around for everyone. There’s probably a lesson about sharing in here too, but I’ll just leave it at these four.
I hope everyone has a fa-boo-lous Halloween!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
For me though, Halloween has had its ups and downs. I used to really enjoy going out and collecting a pillow case full of treats with my siblings and friends. Until IT happened. As a pre-teen growing up in the steel-belt (now rust-belt) part of northeast Ohio, a group of us boys would canvas our brick pavered streets in search of the mother lode of candy. In one particular year, all was going great and we were getting ready to head back home to indulge ourselves in our riches. But as we were walking up one side of the block, we saw a bunch of older boys on the other side walking along the street in unison with us. They weren’t just dressed up as teenage hoodlums, they were teenage hoodlums!
So we started walking faster on our side of the street. They did too. We started jogging. They did too. We started running. They did too and now they were crossing the street to our side of the road! Now we were in full sprint mode to get away from this gang. Unfortunately, my best friend Jimmy got jumped. While my brother and I were able to eventually fight them off of him, his sack of candy was gone forever! So where am I going with this story? How about some leadership lessons I learned that night from Halloween!
Lesson Number 1: Be aware of your surroundings. We were so caught up in the collection of goodies that we forgot to be aware the danger lurking across the street. The work we do in the Transportation Division can be very dangerous. Whether we are working in live traffic, at the bottom of a deep trench or on top of a bridge beam, we must respect the conditions that we are in and be ever careful and vigilant not to make a wrong move.
Lesson Number 2: People are watching you. I’m not sure how long that gang was following us before we noticed them, but obviously they were watching us. Our work puts us in the public eye whether we are on the road, in a public forum, our emails, phone interactions, website information and many other ways. Some people will try and take advantage of our mistakes and faults – so let’s not give them something to complain about!
Lesson Number 3: Don’t be the rear of the pack. If Jimmy was a just a little faster we could have prevented the sad end to our story! Are you the “rear” of your “pack”? Do people want you on their team, project, or work assignment? Strive to be the one people want, not the one they don’t.
Lesson Number 4: Stuff happens. Did we deserve what happened to us that night a long time ago? No. Did we survive it? Yes. When we got back to Jimmy’s house we divided our loot up so that everyone still had a sizable share of our work. Less than what it would have been but still plenty to go around for everyone. There’s probably a lesson about sharing in here too, but I’ll just leave it at these four.
I hope everyone has a fa-boo-lous Halloween!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - September 2018
As you have probably deduced by now, sports have been a major factor in my physical, mental and emotional development over my entire lifetime. That is why so many of these articles that I write are tied to sports or in some part linked back to them. Well, this issue is no exception.
So being the “September” issue you probably expect this issue to relate to football somehow. But not this time. Earlier this month there was another major sporting event going on that struck a chord with me: The U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Tennis really?!
OK, no it wasn’t the tennis tournament itself. Or the Serena Williams embarrassing meltdown in the championship match. Or the fact that Novak Djokovic won the men’s division for the third time and upped his total Grand Slam titles to an amazing 14 championships.
What caught my attention this month was the man who the main stadium in the U.S. Open Tennis complex is named after: Arthur Ashe.
Fifty years ago this September, Arthur Ashe won the first U.S. Open. This was 1968—the year violent civil rights protests rocked cities across America and the year Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. And a man who had grown up prohibited from playing on his local courts because he was black won America’s highest honor. Ashe went on to win Wimbledon and the Australian Open, in a career that placed him 20th on Tennis magazine’s list of the greatest male players of the Open Era. He remains the only black man aside from Yannick Noah—whom Ashe “discovered” at a clinic in Cameroon—to win a Grand Slam.
Beyond his groundbreaking tennis, Ashe, who died in 1993, is celebrated as a vocal champion for black rights for having marched against South African apartheid and the mistreatment of Haitian refugees, among other causes. Sports Illustrated named him “Sportsman of the Year” in 1992—13 years after he had played his last set of professional tennis. Earlier this month, in the New York Times, writer William C. Rhoden compared Ashe to Jackie Robinson for having “embraced the role of pioneer and resolved to use his new platform to join the fight that had been swirling around him.”
But unlike many of today’s athletes and celebrities that try to make a “statement” using controversial and disrespectful methods - aka Colin Kaepernick - (ok, there’s my football reference after all), Ashe offered a model for activism based on intelligent discourse, patient consideration and nuanced debate, undergirded with respect. A half-century after his U.S. Open win, the quiet fire of the words he spoke and the work he did still burns, effectively and brightly, set apart from the hashtag discourse du jour.
One of my favorite quotes from Ashe goes, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” And in the model of Arthur Ashe, do it with respect and dignity.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
So being the “September” issue you probably expect this issue to relate to football somehow. But not this time. Earlier this month there was another major sporting event going on that struck a chord with me: The U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Tennis really?!
OK, no it wasn’t the tennis tournament itself. Or the Serena Williams embarrassing meltdown in the championship match. Or the fact that Novak Djokovic won the men’s division for the third time and upped his total Grand Slam titles to an amazing 14 championships.
What caught my attention this month was the man who the main stadium in the U.S. Open Tennis complex is named after: Arthur Ashe.
Fifty years ago this September, Arthur Ashe won the first U.S. Open. This was 1968—the year violent civil rights protests rocked cities across America and the year Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. And a man who had grown up prohibited from playing on his local courts because he was black won America’s highest honor. Ashe went on to win Wimbledon and the Australian Open, in a career that placed him 20th on Tennis magazine’s list of the greatest male players of the Open Era. He remains the only black man aside from Yannick Noah—whom Ashe “discovered” at a clinic in Cameroon—to win a Grand Slam.
Beyond his groundbreaking tennis, Ashe, who died in 1993, is celebrated as a vocal champion for black rights for having marched against South African apartheid and the mistreatment of Haitian refugees, among other causes. Sports Illustrated named him “Sportsman of the Year” in 1992—13 years after he had played his last set of professional tennis. Earlier this month, in the New York Times, writer William C. Rhoden compared Ashe to Jackie Robinson for having “embraced the role of pioneer and resolved to use his new platform to join the fight that had been swirling around him.”
But unlike many of today’s athletes and celebrities that try to make a “statement” using controversial and disrespectful methods - aka Colin Kaepernick - (ok, there’s my football reference after all), Ashe offered a model for activism based on intelligent discourse, patient consideration and nuanced debate, undergirded with respect. A half-century after his U.S. Open win, the quiet fire of the words he spoke and the work he did still burns, effectively and brightly, set apart from the hashtag discourse du jour.
One of my favorite quotes from Ashe goes, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” And in the model of Arthur Ashe, do it with respect and dignity.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - August 2018
The signs that the summer is ending are happening all around us right now. Daylight is shorter, kids are heading back to college, the State Fair is upon us, leaves are starting to turn…
Hopefully you made this past summer a great one for you and your family. Some of the best memories I have growing up are the family vacations we used to go on. Vacations are a time where we can put aside the daily stresses we have and enjoy our families and this great country, and be grateful for the abundance in our lives. Personally, I took several vacations this year. Two were fishing trips with my buddies which were AWESOME. But more recently I took a trip that was more of a pilgrimage than a vacation. I went to Titletown, USA. Yes, Lambeau Field – home of the Green Bay Packers.
But before my beloved Vikings faithful disown me, please allow me to explain. Growing up in Canton, Ohio (Home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame) I had two idols in my youth: Woody Hayes (legendary coach of The Ohio State Buckeyes) and Vince Lombardi (legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers). So, my trip wasn’t necessarily a “Packers” trip but more of a “Lombardi” trip.
Vince Lombardi is well known for many of his famous sayings including, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing!”, but he was more complex and transcendental than that simple quote. His was the quintessential story of the son of an Italian immigrant who rose to the top shaped by the trinity of family, faith and sports. He was deeply influenced by his Jesuit teachers and priests who taught him the philosophy he later used with his players: subordinating individual desires to a larger, team focused, cause. Instead of him being the small-town boy that made it big in the city, he was the opposite. Born and raised in New York City, he did not achieve fame until he took a job in remote Green Bay, Wisconsin. Before that he toiled anonymously for twenty years as a high school coach, college coach and finally as an assistant with the New York Giants. He was 46 years old when he was finally hired to coach the hapless Packers in 1959, leading
them in the most storied period in NFL history, winning five world championships in nine seasons.
Lombardi has become a mythic character to most people, a creature of the past but not relevant to today’s norms. Not to me. I still turn to his characteristics that made him great. Old-fashioned values of discipline, obedience, loyalty, character and teamwork. Virtues that should never go out of style.
Yes, my trip this summer was an emotional one for me and one that I’ll never forget. I even brought a little reminder home with me – a plaque with the inspirational message, “If you’ll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Hopefully you made this past summer a great one for you and your family. Some of the best memories I have growing up are the family vacations we used to go on. Vacations are a time where we can put aside the daily stresses we have and enjoy our families and this great country, and be grateful for the abundance in our lives. Personally, I took several vacations this year. Two were fishing trips with my buddies which were AWESOME. But more recently I took a trip that was more of a pilgrimage than a vacation. I went to Titletown, USA. Yes, Lambeau Field – home of the Green Bay Packers.
But before my beloved Vikings faithful disown me, please allow me to explain. Growing up in Canton, Ohio (Home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame) I had two idols in my youth: Woody Hayes (legendary coach of The Ohio State Buckeyes) and Vince Lombardi (legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers). So, my trip wasn’t necessarily a “Packers” trip but more of a “Lombardi” trip.
Vince Lombardi is well known for many of his famous sayings including, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing!”, but he was more complex and transcendental than that simple quote. His was the quintessential story of the son of an Italian immigrant who rose to the top shaped by the trinity of family, faith and sports. He was deeply influenced by his Jesuit teachers and priests who taught him the philosophy he later used with his players: subordinating individual desires to a larger, team focused, cause. Instead of him being the small-town boy that made it big in the city, he was the opposite. Born and raised in New York City, he did not achieve fame until he took a job in remote Green Bay, Wisconsin. Before that he toiled anonymously for twenty years as a high school coach, college coach and finally as an assistant with the New York Giants. He was 46 years old when he was finally hired to coach the hapless Packers in 1959, leading
them in the most storied period in NFL history, winning five world championships in nine seasons.
Lombardi has become a mythic character to most people, a creature of the past but not relevant to today’s norms. Not to me. I still turn to his characteristics that made him great. Old-fashioned values of discipline, obedience, loyalty, character and teamwork. Virtues that should never go out of style.
Yes, my trip this summer was an emotional one for me and one that I’ll never forget. I even brought a little reminder home with me – a plaque with the inspirational message, “If you’ll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
P.S. Of course, I also had to get some Nueske’s Applewood
Smoked Bacon in Wittenberg on my way back home!
Smoked Bacon in Wittenberg on my way back home!
Transportation Division Manager's Message - July 2018
Yesterday was the final round of sports oldest, and perhaps, most storied championship – The Open. No need to call it the British Open or that it is a golf tournament. It just goes by the simple title, “The Open”. And the trophy, the “Claret Jug” does not say something mundane like “Tournament Winner” on it. It has the much grander label, “Champion Golfer of the Year”.
With such a prestigious history it was not surprising that the greatest golfers in the world were competing for this honor at the Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland this past week, and the leaderboard heading into Sunday’s final round was the “who’s who” of today’s golfing elite: Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and a resurging Tiger Woods. And the Champion Golfer of the Year and the Claret Jug goes to…
Fransesco Molinari. Say what? Who?
While mostly unknown to the casual golf observer, Francesco Molinari is known and respected amongst today’s players. He is a 35-year old Italian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Molinari is a six-time winner on the European Tour, including the 2018 BMW PGA Championship, and in July 2018, he won his first PGA Tour event at the Quicken Loans National. Not bad, but com’ on man!
So what lessons can we learn from this stunning performance where the no-name beats out the so-called prima donnas? Here’s three.
So, in the course of our work, we can use these three tips to perform at the top of our game. It doesn’t take a heroic action or spectacular effort to win at our work, on our projects, or with our constituents. As long as we: 1.) Strive to be error free; 2.) Know that things won’t always go our way; and 3.) Admit our mistakes when they do occur, we too can be the “Championship (fill in the blank) of the Year” too.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
With such a prestigious history it was not surprising that the greatest golfers in the world were competing for this honor at the Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland this past week, and the leaderboard heading into Sunday’s final round was the “who’s who” of today’s golfing elite: Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and a resurging Tiger Woods. And the Champion Golfer of the Year and the Claret Jug goes to…
Fransesco Molinari. Say what? Who?
While mostly unknown to the casual golf observer, Francesco Molinari is known and respected amongst today’s players. He is a 35-year old Italian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Molinari is a six-time winner on the European Tour, including the 2018 BMW PGA Championship, and in July 2018, he won his first PGA Tour event at the Quicken Loans National. Not bad, but com’ on man!
So what lessons can we learn from this stunning performance where the no-name beats out the so-called prima donnas? Here’s three.
- Stay out of the bunkers. Carnoustie Golf Links is known for its deep, steep pot bunkers scattered throughout the course. 112 of them to be exact. Molinari may not have done anything spectacular over the weekend, but he didn’t make many mistakes either. In fact, he was bogey free the last 37 holes of the tournament. Never has anyone done that at The Open in its 147-year history. McIlroy had 3 bogeys on Sunday; Woods had a bogey and a double bogey; and Spieth had 3 bogeys. If any of these players eliminated their “mistakes” they would have won.
- Embrace the (bad) conditions. British opens are known for their cold, wet and windy conditions which can wreak havoc on any player’s game. Carnoustie is known as the toughest golf course on The Open’s rotation when the weather is bad. Oh, and when the weather is good too according to some pros. While Sunday’s weather was blue skies, the wind has swirling away at 20 miles per hour. Add in 112 bunkers, the Barry Burn (creek running through the course), tough pin placements and you have a recipe that can bring the best golfers to their knees. But Molinari didn’t pout about the conditions nor was he surprised by them. This is what The Open is and he was prepared for it. No surprises. No whining. It was the same course for all of the players. He had a plan and mental attitude to deal with it and he did.
- Take your medicine. In every tournament, a player is going to make mistakes. But instead of trying to make the “hero” shot to get out of a bad situation, sometimes you just have to accept the fact that a mistake was made and play smart the rest of the hole instead of compounding your mistake into further mistakes. You never know, you just might get lucky on your recovery shot or sink that monster putt to save par. Molinari had some clutch putts even when he was playing out of trouble that kept him bogey free all weekend.
So, in the course of our work, we can use these three tips to perform at the top of our game. It doesn’t take a heroic action or spectacular effort to win at our work, on our projects, or with our constituents. As long as we: 1.) Strive to be error free; 2.) Know that things won’t always go our way; and 3.) Admit our mistakes when they do occur, we too can be the “Championship (fill in the blank) of the Year” too.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - June 2018
What kind of “goat” do you want to be? Over the past week I heard the term goat used while in church and while watching the NBA finals. So, let me clarify this a little further for you in the context of what I heard in each of these circumstances. Do you want to be a scapegoat or a G.O.A.T. Please allow me to explain. First some definitions:
Scapegoat
1. a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency.
2. a goat sent into the wilderness after the Jewish chief priest had symbolically laid the sins of the people upon it. (This is what I heard in my priest’s homily last Sunday.)
G.O.A.T.
Greatest of All Time! (Being from NE Ohio the answer in the NBA is LeBron James of course!)
I’ll just get to the conclusion that nobody wants to be a scapegoat (whipping boy, fall guy, patsy) and instead talk about how we all can become G.O.A.T.’s instead.
Whether you want to the best equipment operator, surveyor, admin professional or any of the many other roles and responsibilities we have here in the Transportation Division, I think that there is one common method for attaining that goal. Being a Stephen R. Covey wonk, I will direct you to his exhaustive research that led to his ground-breaking 1989 book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Through his work, I believe we all have the recipe to becoming the G.O.A.T. of our professions.
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Being proactive means recognizing our responsibility to make things happen. The people who
end up with the good jobs are those who seize the initiative to do whatever is necessary, consistent with correct principles, to get the job done.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
This habit means to know where you’re going to understand where you are now, and take your next step in the right direction.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
This habit involves self-leadership and self-management: putting first things first. Here you learn to focus on your true priorities. Leadership decides what the “first things” are, and management is the discipline of carrying out your program.
Habit 4: Seek to Understand, Then Be Understood
An important word to know in mastering this habit is “listen.” Listen to your colleagues,
family, friends, customers - but not with intent to reply, to convince, to manipulate. Listen
simply to understand, to see how the other party sees things.
Habit 5: Think “Win/Win”
“Think win/win” entails making an important deposit in another person’s Emotional Bank Account: finding a way both of you can benefit by your interaction. All the other possibilities - win/lose (I win, you lose), lose/win (I lose, you win), and lose/lose – are ineffective, either in the short term or the long term.
Habit 6: Synergize
Properly understood, synergy is the highest activity of life. Through it, we create new, untapped alternatives - things that didn’t yet exist. We unleash people’s greatest powers. We make a whole greater than the sum of its parts. The basis of synergy is that two people can disagree, and both can be right!
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
To sharpen the saw means renewing ourselves, in all four aspects of our natures:
• Physical - exercise, nutrition, stress management;
• Mental - reading, visualizing, planning, writing;
• Social/Emotional - service, empathy, synergy, security;
• Spiritual - spiritual reading, study, and meditation;
For me personally, I focus mostly on Habit 3 (focusing on Quadrant II activities!) and Habit 7 (need to wear my oxygen mask before I can help others!), but all of them to a certain extent. I have several copies of Mr. Covey’s book and a CD series for your car ride home on my bookshelf and would be very happy to share it with you at your asking. Has this made me the G.O.A.T. County Engineer? Probably not, but since I’m equipped with these very effective tools it doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying. I hope you will too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Scapegoat
1. a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency.
2. a goat sent into the wilderness after the Jewish chief priest had symbolically laid the sins of the people upon it. (This is what I heard in my priest’s homily last Sunday.)
G.O.A.T.
Greatest of All Time! (Being from NE Ohio the answer in the NBA is LeBron James of course!)
I’ll just get to the conclusion that nobody wants to be a scapegoat (whipping boy, fall guy, patsy) and instead talk about how we all can become G.O.A.T.’s instead.
Whether you want to the best equipment operator, surveyor, admin professional or any of the many other roles and responsibilities we have here in the Transportation Division, I think that there is one common method for attaining that goal. Being a Stephen R. Covey wonk, I will direct you to his exhaustive research that led to his ground-breaking 1989 book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Through his work, I believe we all have the recipe to becoming the G.O.A.T. of our professions.
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Being proactive means recognizing our responsibility to make things happen. The people who
end up with the good jobs are those who seize the initiative to do whatever is necessary, consistent with correct principles, to get the job done.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
This habit means to know where you’re going to understand where you are now, and take your next step in the right direction.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
This habit involves self-leadership and self-management: putting first things first. Here you learn to focus on your true priorities. Leadership decides what the “first things” are, and management is the discipline of carrying out your program.
Habit 4: Seek to Understand, Then Be Understood
An important word to know in mastering this habit is “listen.” Listen to your colleagues,
family, friends, customers - but not with intent to reply, to convince, to manipulate. Listen
simply to understand, to see how the other party sees things.
Habit 5: Think “Win/Win”
“Think win/win” entails making an important deposit in another person’s Emotional Bank Account: finding a way both of you can benefit by your interaction. All the other possibilities - win/lose (I win, you lose), lose/win (I lose, you win), and lose/lose – are ineffective, either in the short term or the long term.
Habit 6: Synergize
Properly understood, synergy is the highest activity of life. Through it, we create new, untapped alternatives - things that didn’t yet exist. We unleash people’s greatest powers. We make a whole greater than the sum of its parts. The basis of synergy is that two people can disagree, and both can be right!
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
To sharpen the saw means renewing ourselves, in all four aspects of our natures:
• Physical - exercise, nutrition, stress management;
• Mental - reading, visualizing, planning, writing;
• Social/Emotional - service, empathy, synergy, security;
• Spiritual - spiritual reading, study, and meditation;
For me personally, I focus mostly on Habit 3 (focusing on Quadrant II activities!) and Habit 7 (need to wear my oxygen mask before I can help others!), but all of them to a certain extent. I have several copies of Mr. Covey’s book and a CD series for your car ride home on my bookshelf and would be very happy to share it with you at your asking. Has this made me the G.O.A.T. County Engineer? Probably not, but since I’m equipped with these very effective tools it doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying. I hope you will too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - May 2018
You know it’s been a long winter when my May newsletter article is going to be about snow, but here it goes anyway! The average annual snowfall in Minnesota varies from 36 inches in the southwest to more than 70 inches along the Lake Superior "snow belt." The National Weather Service says the 14.9 inches of snow that fell on Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport between Friday morning April 13th through Sunday, April 15th evening set a record for largest April snowstorm in the Twin Cities. In Anoka County, Fridley recorded 20 inches and Blaine had 19 inches. The all-time leader is, of course, the 1991 Halloween storm, which brought a total of 28.4 inches of snow to the area.
How did the Anoka County Highway Department fare during this blizzard? Exceptionally!
Most agencies deploy a single shift of snowplowing but if the storm lasts longer than the 12 to 16 hours that an operator can drive they have to pull trucks in and the snow continues to build up on the highways and streets. Anoka County is different in that we have a method of splitting our work crews into two, 12-hour shifts so we have round the clock service. I believe we were the only agency that did NOT pull trucks off the road in Anoka County (including MnDOT). This meant that we were on call to assist police, fire and ambulance anywhere that they needed. Thankfully we did not have to respond to any emergencies. But we were able to continue to plow around the clock until we were bare edge to edge of pavement.
Our operators, sign and signal techs, mechanics and maintenance superintendents were awesome! Even though they were rightfully concerned about their own families and property, they showed up for duty flawlessly! To punctuate how bad this storm was, we had to make the rare move of giving some of the guys 4-wheel pickups so they could make it back to their own families at the end of their shift (and then back for their next shift). One operator even drove his snow mobile to the shop to make sure he made his shift!
We started the storm with only 1,500 ton of salt and we burned through most of that during that latest storm. Salting during the storm was essential to prevent hardback from developing. For the 2017-18 winter season we went through over 21,000 tons of salt! But it really isn’t due to how MUCH it snowed, but by how OFTEN it snowed. Four 20-inch snowfalls equal 80-inches of snow as does twenty 4-inch snowfalls, but it’s the latter than will consume the most salt.
So I would like to just thank all of the Highway Department staff for your dedication and professionalism you displayed during this winter ending event. You handled it much better than I was, that’s for sure. I’ll admit I was very frustrated both from a business and a personal perspective. But now that the storm (and winter) is finally over, I suppose we can look back on the whole season and joke about it.
Q: What’s it called when a snowman has a temper tantrum?
A: A meltdown.
Thank goodness our Highway Department staff aren’t snowmen!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
How did the Anoka County Highway Department fare during this blizzard? Exceptionally!
Most agencies deploy a single shift of snowplowing but if the storm lasts longer than the 12 to 16 hours that an operator can drive they have to pull trucks in and the snow continues to build up on the highways and streets. Anoka County is different in that we have a method of splitting our work crews into two, 12-hour shifts so we have round the clock service. I believe we were the only agency that did NOT pull trucks off the road in Anoka County (including MnDOT). This meant that we were on call to assist police, fire and ambulance anywhere that they needed. Thankfully we did not have to respond to any emergencies. But we were able to continue to plow around the clock until we were bare edge to edge of pavement.
Our operators, sign and signal techs, mechanics and maintenance superintendents were awesome! Even though they were rightfully concerned about their own families and property, they showed up for duty flawlessly! To punctuate how bad this storm was, we had to make the rare move of giving some of the guys 4-wheel pickups so they could make it back to their own families at the end of their shift (and then back for their next shift). One operator even drove his snow mobile to the shop to make sure he made his shift!
We started the storm with only 1,500 ton of salt and we burned through most of that during that latest storm. Salting during the storm was essential to prevent hardback from developing. For the 2017-18 winter season we went through over 21,000 tons of salt! But it really isn’t due to how MUCH it snowed, but by how OFTEN it snowed. Four 20-inch snowfalls equal 80-inches of snow as does twenty 4-inch snowfalls, but it’s the latter than will consume the most salt.
So I would like to just thank all of the Highway Department staff for your dedication and professionalism you displayed during this winter ending event. You handled it much better than I was, that’s for sure. I’ll admit I was very frustrated both from a business and a personal perspective. But now that the storm (and winter) is finally over, I suppose we can look back on the whole season and joke about it.
Q: What’s it called when a snowman has a temper tantrum?
A: A meltdown.
Thank goodness our Highway Department staff aren’t snowmen!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - March/April 2018
March was a very significant month for the Anoka County Transportation Division in that we had eight retirements in the division. These individuals (and their years of service) are as follows: Chuck Hollenback (34), Larry Hoium (31), Jack Stevenson (31), Randy Bettinger (29), Tim Kirchoff (28), Brian Klemz (28), Chuck Stone (24), and Marv Werlinger (19). I would like to personally thank each and every one of them for their outstanding service to Anoka County!
If you add up all the years of service for these retirees, you get a whopping 227 years of service! Wow! This made me look deeper into the “numbers” of this situation.
First year of employment for the longest serving retiree: 1984
Item 1984 Today
Dow Jones Industrial Average 1,211 23,755
Gallon of Gas $ 1.27 $2.51
First Class Stamp $0.20 $0.50
World Population 5 Billion 7.6 Billion
Twins World Series Championships 0 2
Vikings Super Bowl Wins 0 0
As much as things change, some things never change!
In looking closer to what these new vacancies mean for the Transportation Division, we get these statistics:
Department/Unit FTE’s Vacant % Vacant
Highway 93 10 10.8%
Surveyors / GIS 14 4 28.6%
Fleet Services 11 1 9.1%
Transit 5 1 20.0%
Total 123 16 13.0%
With regards to the fact that while some things change/others don’t, we should remember that we have been dealing with vacancies for quite some time now. Prior to the last round of VSP’s we were down to only 8 vacant positions or a respectable 6.5% vacancy rate – pretty good compared to the red-hot marketplace that we are in. But it is still hard to replace 227 years of experience! If we dig deeper into the new makeup of the Division with all its new employees we calculate the following:
Department/Unit FTE’s Vacant <3 Yrs. Exp. % Vacant + <3 Yrs.
Highway 93 10 23 35.5%
Surveyors / GIS 14 4 1 35.7%
Fleet Services 11 1 2 27.3%
Transit 5 1 2 60.0%
Total 123 16 28 35.8%
Most of our positions are such that it takes years of experience to become familiar with every mile of highway, location of problematic section corners, the nuts and bolts of our equipment, and the service needs of our transit users. But I am optimistic that despite our short-term challenges, the Division’s core group of experienced and dedicated personnel combined with the enthusiastic and eager to learn new hires will bode us very well as we continue to deliver the very best service to the citizens and travelling public of Anoka County.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
If you add up all the years of service for these retirees, you get a whopping 227 years of service! Wow! This made me look deeper into the “numbers” of this situation.
First year of employment for the longest serving retiree: 1984
Item 1984 Today
Dow Jones Industrial Average 1,211 23,755
Gallon of Gas $ 1.27 $2.51
First Class Stamp $0.20 $0.50
World Population 5 Billion 7.6 Billion
Twins World Series Championships 0 2
Vikings Super Bowl Wins 0 0
As much as things change, some things never change!
In looking closer to what these new vacancies mean for the Transportation Division, we get these statistics:
Department/Unit FTE’s Vacant % Vacant
Highway 93 10 10.8%
Surveyors / GIS 14 4 28.6%
Fleet Services 11 1 9.1%
Transit 5 1 20.0%
Total 123 16 13.0%
With regards to the fact that while some things change/others don’t, we should remember that we have been dealing with vacancies for quite some time now. Prior to the last round of VSP’s we were down to only 8 vacant positions or a respectable 6.5% vacancy rate – pretty good compared to the red-hot marketplace that we are in. But it is still hard to replace 227 years of experience! If we dig deeper into the new makeup of the Division with all its new employees we calculate the following:
Department/Unit FTE’s Vacant <3 Yrs. Exp. % Vacant + <3 Yrs.
Highway 93 10 23 35.5%
Surveyors / GIS 14 4 1 35.7%
Fleet Services 11 1 2 27.3%
Transit 5 1 2 60.0%
Total 123 16 28 35.8%
Most of our positions are such that it takes years of experience to become familiar with every mile of highway, location of problematic section corners, the nuts and bolts of our equipment, and the service needs of our transit users. But I am optimistic that despite our short-term challenges, the Division’s core group of experienced and dedicated personnel combined with the enthusiastic and eager to learn new hires will bode us very well as we continue to deliver the very best service to the citizens and travelling public of Anoka County.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - February 2018
Last month I talked about the “Minneapolis Miracle” and the Vikings walk-off touchdown to beat the New Orleans Saints. But now that we are in the middle of another Winter Olympics, my mind takes me back to that other “miracle” in sports – the “Miracle on Ice” from the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
Just like the Minneapolis Miracle, this is forever etched in my mind as a, “Where were you when…” moment. I know that some of our younger Transportation Division employees weren’t even born then (good grief!!) but I know exactly where I was when the United States Olympic hockey team beat the mighty Soviet Union team – in the hospital. Dying.
Not to go into too much detail, but essentially my liver stopped working. I was 18 years old and a senior in high school getting ready to play football the next year at Iowa State University. In the physical prime of my life I got sick. Very sick. I didn’t even know how sick I was, but apparently the doctors told my parents to “expect the worse”. I was admitted to Timken Mercy Hospital in Canton, Ohio. This is a Catholic hospital and every night on the P.A. system they would say a prayer “for those that wouldn’t be with us tomorrow”. I thought this was meant for those that were healthy enough to leave the next day, but one night when they were saying this prayer the priest that was holding my hand in my room gently patted my hand and said, “Don’t worry my son, they aren’t talking about you tonight.” Say what!? They weren’t talking about patients being released, they were talking about patients being deceased! And why was a priest in MY room? And what about tomorrow night?
Just like the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, no one was giving me a chance.
But let’s get back to the 1980 Olympics. Remember, this is when professional athletes were not allowed to participate in the Olympics. While the U.S. team was comprised of college players from across the country who never played together before, the Soviets were essentially a quasi-pro team of veterans that had secured six of the previous seven gold medals and were the clear favorites. The U.S. hockey team wasn’t supposed to win, but it’s coach Herb Brooks, brought out each player’s individual strengths to develop a winning team. Brooks tapped into the intense, ongoing rivalry between East Coast and Midwestern schools. He recruited and then coached players from both regions with one goal in mind: an Olympic gold medal. He pushed the athletes harder than they had ever been pushed. Bitter rivals in college, they became a band of brothers on the world stage. At the Olympics, they did more than exceed expectations. They obliterated them!
I look at our Transportation Division and see a very similar set of circumstances to that Olympic team from 1980. We are a very diverse group of individuals with diverse and unique skills, abilities and personalities. But amongst these differences I also see similarities, especially as it relates to values: positive and unselfish attitudes, teamwork and collaboration, respect, integrity, and personal accountability. And above all and similarly to the U.S. Olympic team, a grit to succeed.
Grit is something that is needed right now as well. In addition to our current vacancies, there will be quite a few of our teammates that will be taking the VSP which they all have rightly earned and deserve. But this will place an additional burden and responsibility for all of us to pick up the slack until replacements are made.
In 1980, the U.S. Olympic hockey team showed the grit to win (and I showed the grit to get well again). Today, we all must carry that same kind of grit to continue to achieve success, our gold medal performance, in all that we do.
Do you believe in miracles? Yes!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Just like the Minneapolis Miracle, this is forever etched in my mind as a, “Where were you when…” moment. I know that some of our younger Transportation Division employees weren’t even born then (good grief!!) but I know exactly where I was when the United States Olympic hockey team beat the mighty Soviet Union team – in the hospital. Dying.
Not to go into too much detail, but essentially my liver stopped working. I was 18 years old and a senior in high school getting ready to play football the next year at Iowa State University. In the physical prime of my life I got sick. Very sick. I didn’t even know how sick I was, but apparently the doctors told my parents to “expect the worse”. I was admitted to Timken Mercy Hospital in Canton, Ohio. This is a Catholic hospital and every night on the P.A. system they would say a prayer “for those that wouldn’t be with us tomorrow”. I thought this was meant for those that were healthy enough to leave the next day, but one night when they were saying this prayer the priest that was holding my hand in my room gently patted my hand and said, “Don’t worry my son, they aren’t talking about you tonight.” Say what!? They weren’t talking about patients being released, they were talking about patients being deceased! And why was a priest in MY room? And what about tomorrow night?
Just like the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, no one was giving me a chance.
But let’s get back to the 1980 Olympics. Remember, this is when professional athletes were not allowed to participate in the Olympics. While the U.S. team was comprised of college players from across the country who never played together before, the Soviets were essentially a quasi-pro team of veterans that had secured six of the previous seven gold medals and were the clear favorites. The U.S. hockey team wasn’t supposed to win, but it’s coach Herb Brooks, brought out each player’s individual strengths to develop a winning team. Brooks tapped into the intense, ongoing rivalry between East Coast and Midwestern schools. He recruited and then coached players from both regions with one goal in mind: an Olympic gold medal. He pushed the athletes harder than they had ever been pushed. Bitter rivals in college, they became a band of brothers on the world stage. At the Olympics, they did more than exceed expectations. They obliterated them!
I look at our Transportation Division and see a very similar set of circumstances to that Olympic team from 1980. We are a very diverse group of individuals with diverse and unique skills, abilities and personalities. But amongst these differences I also see similarities, especially as it relates to values: positive and unselfish attitudes, teamwork and collaboration, respect, integrity, and personal accountability. And above all and similarly to the U.S. Olympic team, a grit to succeed.
Grit is something that is needed right now as well. In addition to our current vacancies, there will be quite a few of our teammates that will be taking the VSP which they all have rightly earned and deserve. But this will place an additional burden and responsibility for all of us to pick up the slack until replacements are made.
In 1980, the U.S. Olympic hockey team showed the grit to win (and I showed the grit to get well again). Today, we all must carry that same kind of grit to continue to achieve success, our gold medal performance, in all that we do.
Do you believe in miracles? Yes!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - January 2018
I usually use the first (January) article of each new year to talk about the importance of goal setting, but did you watch the Vikings’ “Minneapolis Miracle” on January 14th!?!
In case you didn’t (and why didn’t you?!) let me paint the picture for you. Saints go up 24-23 with 25 seconds left. But we’ll fast-forward through that, to third-and-10, 10 seconds to go, with QB Case Keenum gathering his team for one last gasp at the Minnesota 39.
In his helmet, Keenum heard the call from offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. “Buffalo Right, 7 Heaven,” Shurmur said. And …
“Case!” Shurmur said, “Make sure you get the ball launched!”
One-by-three formation, all sideline routes. “Buffalo right” is three receivers overloaded to the right (“B” signifies “bunch formation,” thus “Buffalo,” so the players get the “B” for bunch), close together to confuse coverage. The “7” signified the 7 Route, or corner route—where the receivers runs down the sideline and cuts out to the boundary and looks for the ball. To the left, Adam Thielen, running a 20-yard sideline-hugging route. To the right, tight end Kyle Rudolph running a six-yard out; wideout Jarius Wright running about a 20-yard out, and Stefon Diggs running about five yards deeper, also right on the sideline. The instructions were clear: Catch the ball, get out of bounds with a second or two left so kicker Kai Forbath would have prayer at a long field goal.
The huddle broke. Keenum looked at his three wideouts. “Guys!” he said, and they looked at him quickly. “I’m gonna give somebody a chance here!”
At the snap, four receivers bolted from the line; the back stayed to help block. Thielen got blanketed by Marshon Lattimore to the left; nothing to see there. Rudolph just an emergency place-holder to the right. All along, Keenum thought he’d throw it deep and to the right, because Diggs was going to be the deepest, and if he caught it, ideally, Forbath would be left with a 52-yarder.
“The play there is to just flood the sideline,” said Shurmur. And hope.
With seven seconds left, facing pressure up the middle from Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, Keenum let it fly. In a way, he was lucky that Rankins pressured him.
Make sure you get the ball launched!
“I remember seeing a flash of Stefon breaking towards the sideline,” Keenum said, “and I threw it right at the back of his head, trying to put it high on the back of his head, and he jumped up and I thought, ‘Oh wow, he has a chance at this.’ I could see his gloves up in the air. I can still see the image of his gloves going up for it. He catches it, and I'm like, ‘Oh man, he caught it!"
:05. Diggs catch at the Saints 34-yard line.
“Get out of bounds!” Keenum yelled.
“Get out of bounds!” coach Mike Zimmer, just yards away, yelled.
Get out of bounds! Shurmur thought.
:04. Safety Marcus Williams of the Saints came in for the low kill shot on Diggs. Williams whiffed. If Williams connected with Diggs’ legs and clipped him over, Diggs would have stayed in the field of play. Game over.
:04. Williams and cornerback Ken Crawley banged into each other. They fell like bowling pins. “That was God,” Adam Thielen said. “That play right there was God.”
“I’m just waiting for someone to hit me,” Diggs said. “That’s why—did you see me?—I almost fell. I turned around to run, and I almost fell.” Five inches from the wide white boundary stripe, Diggs pivoted and headed upfield.
:03. At the 21-yard line, Diggs looked over his shoulder. Nobody.
:02, :01, :00. Diggs passed the goal line as the clock struck double zero.
Keenum: “He scored … wait, he just scored? What happened? … What is going on? Is this real life?”
“I was at a loss for words,” Diggs said. “Speechless. Biggest moment of my life. My whole life.”
“OH MY GOD!” were the only words that came out of Keenum, and he jumped into Remmers’ arms.
This win, simply, was one of the most shocking endings in NFL history: a walk-off 61-yard touchdown in the playoffs, from an undrafted quarterback cut loose by the Texans and Rams twice each, to a receiver picked 146th overall in 2014, coached by a man who was a head-coaching bridesmaid for years before getting the Vikings job in 2014. Against, of course, a walk-in Hall of Fame quarterback playing at his peak. But what was the key to make all of this happen? Make sure you get the ball launched!
In closing, how are you going to make sure you get the ball launched? It’s a new year and the world is waiting for you to make a great play too. Evaluate where you are at in your life and where you want to go. Make a plan on how to get there (i.e. set some goals) and give it all you have. In doing that, I hope you make this year your walk-off touchdown too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
In case you didn’t (and why didn’t you?!) let me paint the picture for you. Saints go up 24-23 with 25 seconds left. But we’ll fast-forward through that, to third-and-10, 10 seconds to go, with QB Case Keenum gathering his team for one last gasp at the Minnesota 39.
In his helmet, Keenum heard the call from offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. “Buffalo Right, 7 Heaven,” Shurmur said. And …
“Case!” Shurmur said, “Make sure you get the ball launched!”
One-by-three formation, all sideline routes. “Buffalo right” is three receivers overloaded to the right (“B” signifies “bunch formation,” thus “Buffalo,” so the players get the “B” for bunch), close together to confuse coverage. The “7” signified the 7 Route, or corner route—where the receivers runs down the sideline and cuts out to the boundary and looks for the ball. To the left, Adam Thielen, running a 20-yard sideline-hugging route. To the right, tight end Kyle Rudolph running a six-yard out; wideout Jarius Wright running about a 20-yard out, and Stefon Diggs running about five yards deeper, also right on the sideline. The instructions were clear: Catch the ball, get out of bounds with a second or two left so kicker Kai Forbath would have prayer at a long field goal.
The huddle broke. Keenum looked at his three wideouts. “Guys!” he said, and they looked at him quickly. “I’m gonna give somebody a chance here!”
At the snap, four receivers bolted from the line; the back stayed to help block. Thielen got blanketed by Marshon Lattimore to the left; nothing to see there. Rudolph just an emergency place-holder to the right. All along, Keenum thought he’d throw it deep and to the right, because Diggs was going to be the deepest, and if he caught it, ideally, Forbath would be left with a 52-yarder.
“The play there is to just flood the sideline,” said Shurmur. And hope.
With seven seconds left, facing pressure up the middle from Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, Keenum let it fly. In a way, he was lucky that Rankins pressured him.
Make sure you get the ball launched!
“I remember seeing a flash of Stefon breaking towards the sideline,” Keenum said, “and I threw it right at the back of his head, trying to put it high on the back of his head, and he jumped up and I thought, ‘Oh wow, he has a chance at this.’ I could see his gloves up in the air. I can still see the image of his gloves going up for it. He catches it, and I'm like, ‘Oh man, he caught it!"
:05. Diggs catch at the Saints 34-yard line.
“Get out of bounds!” Keenum yelled.
“Get out of bounds!” coach Mike Zimmer, just yards away, yelled.
Get out of bounds! Shurmur thought.
:04. Safety Marcus Williams of the Saints came in for the low kill shot on Diggs. Williams whiffed. If Williams connected with Diggs’ legs and clipped him over, Diggs would have stayed in the field of play. Game over.
:04. Williams and cornerback Ken Crawley banged into each other. They fell like bowling pins. “That was God,” Adam Thielen said. “That play right there was God.”
“I’m just waiting for someone to hit me,” Diggs said. “That’s why—did you see me?—I almost fell. I turned around to run, and I almost fell.” Five inches from the wide white boundary stripe, Diggs pivoted and headed upfield.
:03. At the 21-yard line, Diggs looked over his shoulder. Nobody.
:02, :01, :00. Diggs passed the goal line as the clock struck double zero.
Keenum: “He scored … wait, he just scored? What happened? … What is going on? Is this real life?”
“I was at a loss for words,” Diggs said. “Speechless. Biggest moment of my life. My whole life.”
“OH MY GOD!” were the only words that came out of Keenum, and he jumped into Remmers’ arms.
This win, simply, was one of the most shocking endings in NFL history: a walk-off 61-yard touchdown in the playoffs, from an undrafted quarterback cut loose by the Texans and Rams twice each, to a receiver picked 146th overall in 2014, coached by a man who was a head-coaching bridesmaid for years before getting the Vikings job in 2014. Against, of course, a walk-in Hall of Fame quarterback playing at his peak. But what was the key to make all of this happen? Make sure you get the ball launched!
In closing, how are you going to make sure you get the ball launched? It’s a new year and the world is waiting for you to make a great play too. Evaluate where you are at in your life and where you want to go. Make a plan on how to get there (i.e. set some goals) and give it all you have. In doing that, I hope you make this year your walk-off touchdown too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - December 2017
For the past 12 months, I have been discussing issues regarding my personal theme this year, “Positivity and Gratitude”, and as you recall my personal slogan for this is, “Rhinos are just fat unicorns!” Most of these articles dealt with the “Positivity” aspect but not so much on the “Gratitude” part of my theme. But I cannot think of a better way to end 2017 than by touching on the issue of “Gratitude” and by closing with some personal reflections of gratitude.
Besides using gratitude to be a better person and to have better relationships with others, now there is another reason to live a life of gratitude – it’s good for your health. Across the country, researchers and scientists in the field of positive psychology have been amassing evidence that thankfulness has a wide range of mental and physical health benefits. Weighed down by negativity, we are worn down emotionally and physically exhausted. Gratitude is our best weapon, an ally to counter these internal and external threats that rod us of sustainable joy.
Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California – Davis, elaborates on exactly how expressing gratitude improves our health through a three-pronged theory he calls the ARC model:
So, as we wrap up another year here at the Transportation Division, please allow me to express my gratitude to:
Thank you for a great 2017, and here’s wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Besides using gratitude to be a better person and to have better relationships with others, now there is another reason to live a life of gratitude – it’s good for your health. Across the country, researchers and scientists in the field of positive psychology have been amassing evidence that thankfulness has a wide range of mental and physical health benefits. Weighed down by negativity, we are worn down emotionally and physically exhausted. Gratitude is our best weapon, an ally to counter these internal and external threats that rod us of sustainable joy.
Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California – Davis, elaborates on exactly how expressing gratitude improves our health through a three-pronged theory he calls the ARC model:
- A: Gratitude amplifies the good in our lives, that which we see in ourselves and others.
- R: It rescues, by offsetting the chronic negativity we encounter from within and without.
- C: It connects us with each other, strengthening and solidifying relationships with friends, family, neighbors and co-workers.
So, as we wrap up another year here at the Transportation Division, please allow me to express my gratitude to:
- God, for giving us the many skills and talents that he has bestowed upon us which allows us to do the wonderful work that we do that makes our portion of the world a better place.
- Our Country, for the enabling us with freedoms to exercise life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
- Anoka County, for giving me the opportunity to serve as Transportation Division Manager and County Engineer as it is an honor and responsibility that is most rewarding to me personally and professionally.
- You, the employees of the Transportation Division. I value your effort, integrity and commitment to do your jobs to the best of your ability.But even more than that, I thank you for your trust and friendship as we work together to do the many great things that we are able to accomplish year in and year out.
Thank you for a great 2017, and here’s wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - November 2017
Last Saturday was Veteran’s Day and just this morning the Transportation Division held an honorary reception for our veterans within the division. Once again, I would like to extend my thanks for your service to our country. In honor of those that have served and to keep with my personal theme this year of Positivity and Gratitude (aka Rhinos are just fat unicorns!), I would like to combine the two and talk about a very often used military expression and mindset, “Embrace the Suck!”
What does this mean? Essentially, it is a mindset to help our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen to keep driving on through tough situations. Some say the expression goes all the way back to William Shakespeare, who wrote, “Let thee embrace me, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.”
Apparently, life could really suck back in Shakespeare’s time as well. The thought process behind embracing the suck is also rooted in Eastern philosophy. Author Anthony Meindl had the following to say about the subject: “It’s a very Buddhist concept. When we deny what reality is giving us, what is really happening, then we create suffering. So life is a dance between minimizing expectations and surrendering to what our lives actually reveal to us.”
How do you get past repeated physically miserable and emotionally disturbing situations? It takes a conscious decision. You must embrace the fact that this misery is your (hopefully temporary) new normal. You accept the fact this is just the way things are going to be from here on out, and you commit yourself to excellence in this new environment. Simply put, you can't overcome struggle if you hate the struggle. The only way you are going to get through difficult life experiences is by welcoming them (you don’t necessarily have to like something to welcome it), and not denying them. So anticipate it, and honor the struggles of achieving your dreams as part of the process.
Don't complain; engage. Don't be surprised; expect it and meet it with your highest self. Engage with the struggles and crappy situations of life as an opportunity to challenge yourself to be present, to be better, to grow.
To all those who do this, who honor the difficult process of change with optimism, I respect you.
To those who stand tall and bear life's moments of unfairness and obligation with strength and honor, I encourage you.
To those who fight hard for your families, doing work or activities that isn't always fun, I support you.
To the veterans and their families who know struggle more than most and who give us our freedoms, I honor you.
To those who feel motivated by a challenge, who care enough to seek excellence, who work through the troubles with a smile, I admire you.
Keep “embracing the suck” day after day and one day you’ll notice that things don’t suck so bad anymore.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
What does this mean? Essentially, it is a mindset to help our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen to keep driving on through tough situations. Some say the expression goes all the way back to William Shakespeare, who wrote, “Let thee embrace me, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.”
Apparently, life could really suck back in Shakespeare’s time as well. The thought process behind embracing the suck is also rooted in Eastern philosophy. Author Anthony Meindl had the following to say about the subject: “It’s a very Buddhist concept. When we deny what reality is giving us, what is really happening, then we create suffering. So life is a dance between minimizing expectations and surrendering to what our lives actually reveal to us.”
How do you get past repeated physically miserable and emotionally disturbing situations? It takes a conscious decision. You must embrace the fact that this misery is your (hopefully temporary) new normal. You accept the fact this is just the way things are going to be from here on out, and you commit yourself to excellence in this new environment. Simply put, you can't overcome struggle if you hate the struggle. The only way you are going to get through difficult life experiences is by welcoming them (you don’t necessarily have to like something to welcome it), and not denying them. So anticipate it, and honor the struggles of achieving your dreams as part of the process.
Don't complain; engage. Don't be surprised; expect it and meet it with your highest self. Engage with the struggles and crappy situations of life as an opportunity to challenge yourself to be present, to be better, to grow.
To all those who do this, who honor the difficult process of change with optimism, I respect you.
To those who stand tall and bear life's moments of unfairness and obligation with strength and honor, I encourage you.
To those who fight hard for your families, doing work or activities that isn't always fun, I support you.
To the veterans and their families who know struggle more than most and who give us our freedoms, I honor you.
To those who feel motivated by a challenge, who care enough to seek excellence, who work through the troubles with a smile, I admire you.
Keep “embracing the suck” day after day and one day you’ll notice that things don’t suck so bad anymore.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - September/October 2017
In honor of October being the spooky month and the fact that there was no September issue, let me just steal a line from Jack Nicholson in The Shining and say, “I’m baaaack!” For those of you that haven’t seen this classic horror film maybe you can relate to Heather O’Rourke in Poltergeist 2: “They’re back.” Or Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator: “I’ll be back.” Or Randy Quaid in Independence Day: “Hello boys, I’m back!” But either way, I’m back to talk about my personal theme this year, “Positivity and Gratitude”, and as you recall my personal slogan for this is, “Rhinos are just fat unicorns!” So, let me continue this theme by talking about an article I just read on this topic.
Steve Rizzo is a professional comedian so he is full of funny, positive thoughts all the time. But even this comedian says that humor alone won’t keep you in a positive state of mind all the time. You also have to stop the rampage of negative thoughts that enter your mind as well. Here are his thoughts on this matter.
What is a sense of humor, really, and what makes it so special? The dictionary says the word sense means “perception or awareness; and correct reasoning; or sound judgment.” The word humor means “turn of mind; to sooth temper or mood, or the mental quality that produces absurd or joyful ideas.” So by definition, a sense of humor is your awareness of the mental quality that can turn your mind in an unusual way, or your need to produce joyful or absurd ideas that can sooth your very being. But the initiative and proficiency by which you apply your sense of humor comes from what I call your Humor Being.
Your Humor Being is part of your higher self. It’s the part of you that gives emotional stability, peace of mind, and brings out the best of who you are when times get tough. Making a habit of invoking it will make you a happier person with a brighter outlook.
So instead of allowing unfortunate situations, unlucky circumstances and foul people to suck the energy right out of you, turn to humor for a levity break. By living in harmony with your Humor Being, you’ll be able to embrace change more easily and see the bright side of a negative situation, making conscious choices to enjoy yourself.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or what kind of position in life you hold. When you make the shift to find laughter in the midst of any stressful or challenging situation, you regain control. When you make that shift to humor, your brain no longer registers negative thoughts that cause you to be upset. In fact, your brain switches gears and focuses instead on whatever made you laugh.
And even if your brain starts to slip backward to the stressor, you won’t feel as overwhelmed as you were before. Why? Because in addition to signaling to yourself that your problem is laughable, you’ve also stopped the rage of negative thinking. You’ve calmed down your nervous system—you can shift your thoughts and think clearly, reassess the situation, bounce back and take control. Now that’s power!
So whether you think that Rhinos are Fat Unicorns or I’m just being funny, turn that frown upside down and have a good laugh about it either way. You’ll be happy you did!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Steve Rizzo is a professional comedian so he is full of funny, positive thoughts all the time. But even this comedian says that humor alone won’t keep you in a positive state of mind all the time. You also have to stop the rampage of negative thoughts that enter your mind as well. Here are his thoughts on this matter.
What is a sense of humor, really, and what makes it so special? The dictionary says the word sense means “perception or awareness; and correct reasoning; or sound judgment.” The word humor means “turn of mind; to sooth temper or mood, or the mental quality that produces absurd or joyful ideas.” So by definition, a sense of humor is your awareness of the mental quality that can turn your mind in an unusual way, or your need to produce joyful or absurd ideas that can sooth your very being. But the initiative and proficiency by which you apply your sense of humor comes from what I call your Humor Being.
Your Humor Being is part of your higher self. It’s the part of you that gives emotional stability, peace of mind, and brings out the best of who you are when times get tough. Making a habit of invoking it will make you a happier person with a brighter outlook.
So instead of allowing unfortunate situations, unlucky circumstances and foul people to suck the energy right out of you, turn to humor for a levity break. By living in harmony with your Humor Being, you’ll be able to embrace change more easily and see the bright side of a negative situation, making conscious choices to enjoy yourself.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or what kind of position in life you hold. When you make the shift to find laughter in the midst of any stressful or challenging situation, you regain control. When you make that shift to humor, your brain no longer registers negative thoughts that cause you to be upset. In fact, your brain switches gears and focuses instead on whatever made you laugh.
And even if your brain starts to slip backward to the stressor, you won’t feel as overwhelmed as you were before. Why? Because in addition to signaling to yourself that your problem is laughable, you’ve also stopped the rage of negative thinking. You’ve calmed down your nervous system—you can shift your thoughts and think clearly, reassess the situation, bounce back and take control. Now that’s power!
So whether you think that Rhinos are Fat Unicorns or I’m just being funny, turn that frown upside down and have a good laugh about it either way. You’ll be happy you did!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - August 2017
Apart from last month’s article, I have been discussing issues regarding my personal theme this year, “Positivity and Gratitude”, and as you recall my personal slogan for this is, “Rhinos are just fat unicorns!” So let me continue on this theme by talking about an article I just read from Success Magazine related to positive psychology written by Michelle Gielan with Shawn Achor. In the article the author noted a statistic that I found quite amazing: Just three minutes of negative news in the morning increases your chances of having a bad day by 27 percent as reported six to eight hours later. Ughh!
This research on the effects of news on the brain shows that news can ruin your day by changing our mood and mindset in a negative way. When our brains become full of negative information early in the morning, the lens through which we view our work and our life changes. At work, stressful rumors or a negative co-worker, boss or manager can decimate employee engagement and performance.
There are two inflection points when it comes to our personal broadcast that we can control: what goes in and what comes out. The author lists for ways in which we can prime our day for success:
There are countless moments in each day when we can choose to broadcast happiness. It doesn’t mean we ignore the negative. We just choose not to get stuck there. Instead, we take action and celebrate the good. At the Transportation Division, we are full of action every day. Let’s take the time to focus on and celebrate these successes. Now that’s news I want to hear about!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
This research on the effects of news on the brain shows that news can ruin your day by changing our mood and mindset in a negative way. When our brains become full of negative information early in the morning, the lens through which we view our work and our life changes. At work, stressful rumors or a negative co-worker, boss or manager can decimate employee engagement and performance.
There are two inflection points when it comes to our personal broadcast that we can control: what goes in and what comes out. The author lists for ways in which we can prime our day for success:
- Start your day right.Set yourself up for success in the morning by focusing your brain on information that motivates and inspires you. Read from an inspirational book, listen to a podcast on the morning commute, or read a news story about someone who has overcome a challenge. You’ll carry that empowered mindset with you to work and beyond.
- Be picky.Get your news online so you have the power to choose the stories you’ll be exposed to. If the headline appears sensational, don’t click on it. A gruesome murder across the country, while sad, is not relevant to your life or success. Seek stories that matter to you.
- Turn off the ticker.If you have cable news or computer news feeds running all day long in your office, turn it off. That constant stream of negative news, or the ticker at the bottom of the screen, is simply often noise.
- Take action.Part of why news makes us feel down is that it shows us our behavior doesn’t matter in the face of problems. Remind your brain you have control by taking action. Pick one story that you feel passionate about and donate, raise awareness or volunteer. Feeling in control is an instant mood booster.
There are countless moments in each day when we can choose to broadcast happiness. It doesn’t mean we ignore the negative. We just choose not to get stuck there. Instead, we take action and celebrate the good. At the Transportation Division, we are full of action every day. Let’s take the time to focus on and celebrate these successes. Now that’s news I want to hear about!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - July 2017
If you are like me, you had a family member or close friend graduate from high school, college, trade school, etc. over the past month or so and you may have even been present to hear the commencement address given by some already forgotten speaker spewing forth some even more forgettable platitudes and wisdom that doesn’t translate well for this new generation of graduates. But as reported in this past Sunday’s Star Tribune, I bet you would have had a different experience if you had been in attendance as United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts delivered a commencement address to the Cardigan Mountain School in New Hampshire.
Instead of the normal advice given by speakers to “be yourself” he challenged the graduates that in some ways you should not be yourself. You should try to be something better than you already are. I was also very pleased to hear that he mentioned gratitude and humility. But what stuck out the most was that instead of wishing the graduates “good luck” and well wishes to the graduates, he instead wished them bad luck! I’ll let him explain in this excerpt from his speech.
Now the commencement speakers will typically also wish you good luck and extend good wishes to you. I will not do that, and I’ll tell you why. From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted. I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either. And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion. Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes.
Wow! I bet those fidgeting graduates weren’t expecting to hear that! His comments were probably learned from more from “The School of Hard Knocks” than they were at the all-boys private school he was speaking at. His speech also reminded me of the famous quote by Friedrich Nietzsche, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
But I’m not going to wish anyone bad luck in this article today because unfortunately sooner or later you will feel the pain and strife of some misfortune regardless of any good or bad wishes by me or anyone else. But as our Transportation Division family has so graciously demonstrated so often and to so many in the past – we’ll be here for you!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Instead of the normal advice given by speakers to “be yourself” he challenged the graduates that in some ways you should not be yourself. You should try to be something better than you already are. I was also very pleased to hear that he mentioned gratitude and humility. But what stuck out the most was that instead of wishing the graduates “good luck” and well wishes to the graduates, he instead wished them bad luck! I’ll let him explain in this excerpt from his speech.
Now the commencement speakers will typically also wish you good luck and extend good wishes to you. I will not do that, and I’ll tell you why. From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted. I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either. And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion. Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes.
Wow! I bet those fidgeting graduates weren’t expecting to hear that! His comments were probably learned from more from “The School of Hard Knocks” than they were at the all-boys private school he was speaking at. His speech also reminded me of the famous quote by Friedrich Nietzsche, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
But I’m not going to wish anyone bad luck in this article today because unfortunately sooner or later you will feel the pain and strife of some misfortune regardless of any good or bad wishes by me or anyone else. But as our Transportation Division family has so graciously demonstrated so often and to so many in the past – we’ll be here for you!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - June 2017
As I am writing this, we just celebrated the first day of summer. Happy summer everyone! Our Transportation Division has been extremely busy so far this year and we are not going to be letting up any time soon! I think one of the best parts of the work that we do here in this division is that at the end of the day we have something to show for all our hard work and effort. The public can truly see and notice the work that we are doing – keep it up!
Over the last five months I have been discussing issues regarding my personal theme this year, “Positivity and Gratitude”, and as you recall my personal slogan for this is, “Unicorns are just fat rhinos!” So let me continue on this theme by talking about a new initiative that the Transportation Division is embarking on with regards to hiring new employees – hiring for attitude. I think that Herb Kelleher, Founder of Southwest Airlines, captured this concept best when he said, “If you don’t have a good attitude, we don’t want you, no matter how skilled you are. We can change skill levels through training. We can’t change attitude.”
Last year at the peak (bottom?) of our vacancies within the division we had 19 openings. That was a whopping 15% of the entire division and 17% within the Highway Department alone! So as we are replacing these positions, we want to make very sure that we are getting the very best “total package” of skills AND attitude to join our team. Why are these hiring decisions so important? Studies have shown that 46% of newly hired employees will fail within 18 months while only 19% will achieve unequivocal success. Ouch! Why do people fail? Only 11% fail because of technical incompetence, but 89% fail on “attitude” related behaviors such as coachability, emotional intelligence, motivation and temperament.
So what are we looking for? One place to find the answer to this question is to look at our division’s values: Collaboration & Teamwork, Respect, Communication, Integrity and Personal Accountability. The second place is to look at the attributes we measure on the Interpersonal Skills Rating Form that our division uses as part of each employee’s annual performance evaluations: Cooperation, Initiative and Teamwork & Collaboration. Yes, an applicant must still meet the minimum technical qualifications to be eligible for a position, but our team of supervisors and managers have been trained and will be focusing more and more on the attitude related characteristics of the applicants.
As we bring in these qualified, positively charged employees into our organization what can the 85% of us that have been here for a while do to help foster an environment of positivity and gratitude? By not crushing their spirit and enthusiasm! We too have a responsibility to live our values and to excel in our interpersonal skills not only with the new employees but with everyone inside and outside of our division. Now that’s the organization that I want to come to every day and I hope you do too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Over the last five months I have been discussing issues regarding my personal theme this year, “Positivity and Gratitude”, and as you recall my personal slogan for this is, “Unicorns are just fat rhinos!” So let me continue on this theme by talking about a new initiative that the Transportation Division is embarking on with regards to hiring new employees – hiring for attitude. I think that Herb Kelleher, Founder of Southwest Airlines, captured this concept best when he said, “If you don’t have a good attitude, we don’t want you, no matter how skilled you are. We can change skill levels through training. We can’t change attitude.”
Last year at the peak (bottom?) of our vacancies within the division we had 19 openings. That was a whopping 15% of the entire division and 17% within the Highway Department alone! So as we are replacing these positions, we want to make very sure that we are getting the very best “total package” of skills AND attitude to join our team. Why are these hiring decisions so important? Studies have shown that 46% of newly hired employees will fail within 18 months while only 19% will achieve unequivocal success. Ouch! Why do people fail? Only 11% fail because of technical incompetence, but 89% fail on “attitude” related behaviors such as coachability, emotional intelligence, motivation and temperament.
So what are we looking for? One place to find the answer to this question is to look at our division’s values: Collaboration & Teamwork, Respect, Communication, Integrity and Personal Accountability. The second place is to look at the attributes we measure on the Interpersonal Skills Rating Form that our division uses as part of each employee’s annual performance evaluations: Cooperation, Initiative and Teamwork & Collaboration. Yes, an applicant must still meet the minimum technical qualifications to be eligible for a position, but our team of supervisors and managers have been trained and will be focusing more and more on the attitude related characteristics of the applicants.
As we bring in these qualified, positively charged employees into our organization what can the 85% of us that have been here for a while do to help foster an environment of positivity and gratitude? By not crushing their spirit and enthusiasm! We too have a responsibility to live our values and to excel in our interpersonal skills not only with the new employees but with everyone inside and outside of our division. Now that’s the organization that I want to come to every day and I hope you do too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - May 2017
At the end of last month’s message, I promised that I would share with you the remaining 20 benefits that gratitude can have on your personality, health, emotional state, social status and career. (Remember, 2017 is my year of “positivity and gratitude” (aka “Rhinos are Just Fat Unicorns!” theme).
Once again, my source for this information is by Amit Amin, the founder and blogger of Happier Human and in his research he has identified and authored, “The 31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn’t Know About: How Gratitude Can Change Your Life.” To recap last month, we covered the “personality” benefits of gratitude: It will make you:
But besides these benefits to your personality, gratitude can also benefit your health, emotional well-being, social interactions, and career. Let’s pop off these benefits:
Health
Gratitude improves your sleep.
Gratitude keeps you away from the doctor.
Gratitude lets you live longer.
Gratitude increase your energy levels.
Gratitude makes you more likely to exercise.
Emotional
Gratitude helps us bounce back.
Gratitude makes us feel good.
Gratitude makes our memories happier.
Gratitude reduces feelings of envy.
Gratitude helps us relax.
Social
Gratitude makes you friendlier.
Gratitude helps your marriage.
Gratitude makes you look good.
Gratitude helps you make friends.
Gratitude deepens friendships.
Career
Gratitude makes you a more effective manager.
Gratitude helps you network.
Gratitude increases your goal achievement.
Gratitude improves your decision making.
Gratitude increases your productivity.
In summary, gratitude is no cure-all, but it is a massively underutilized tool for improving life-satisfaction and happiness. So how do we tap into these benefits of gratitude? A very simple way is to start a “gratitude journal” where you physically write down items from your day that you can be grateful for. A five-minute a day gratitude journal can increase your long-term well-being by more than 10 percent. That’s the same impact as doubling your income! Don’t have 5-minutes to spare? How about saying “thank you” more often. Not only will you feel good about it, but the other person will too. Finally, think positive thoughts before you go to bed at night. The key is what’s on our minds as we’re trying to fall asleep. If it’s worries about the kids, or anxiety about work, the level of stress in our body will increase, reducing sleep quality, keeping us awake, and cutting our sleep short. If it’s thinking about a few things we have to be grateful for today, it will induce the relaxation response, knock us out, and keep us that way.
Here’s to a life full of gratitude!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Once again, my source for this information is by Amit Amin, the founder and blogger of Happier Human and in his research he has identified and authored, “The 31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn’t Know About: How Gratitude Can Change Your Life.” To recap last month, we covered the “personality” benefits of gratitude: It will make you:
- More Optimistic,
- Less Materialistic,
- More Spiritual,
- Less Self-Centered, and
- More Self-Esteem.
But besides these benefits to your personality, gratitude can also benefit your health, emotional well-being, social interactions, and career. Let’s pop off these benefits:
Health
Gratitude improves your sleep.
Gratitude keeps you away from the doctor.
Gratitude lets you live longer.
Gratitude increase your energy levels.
Gratitude makes you more likely to exercise.
Emotional
Gratitude helps us bounce back.
Gratitude makes us feel good.
Gratitude makes our memories happier.
Gratitude reduces feelings of envy.
Gratitude helps us relax.
Social
Gratitude makes you friendlier.
Gratitude helps your marriage.
Gratitude makes you look good.
Gratitude helps you make friends.
Gratitude deepens friendships.
Career
Gratitude makes you a more effective manager.
Gratitude helps you network.
Gratitude increases your goal achievement.
Gratitude improves your decision making.
Gratitude increases your productivity.
In summary, gratitude is no cure-all, but it is a massively underutilized tool for improving life-satisfaction and happiness. So how do we tap into these benefits of gratitude? A very simple way is to start a “gratitude journal” where you physically write down items from your day that you can be grateful for. A five-minute a day gratitude journal can increase your long-term well-being by more than 10 percent. That’s the same impact as doubling your income! Don’t have 5-minutes to spare? How about saying “thank you” more often. Not only will you feel good about it, but the other person will too. Finally, think positive thoughts before you go to bed at night. The key is what’s on our minds as we’re trying to fall asleep. If it’s worries about the kids, or anxiety about work, the level of stress in our body will increase, reducing sleep quality, keeping us awake, and cutting our sleep short. If it’s thinking about a few things we have to be grateful for today, it will induce the relaxation response, knock us out, and keep us that way.
Here’s to a life full of gratitude!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - April 2017
2017 is now ¼ of the way over and I’m still holding strong onto this being my year of “positivity and gratitude” (aka “Rhinos are Just Fat Unicorns!” theme). My last three articles focused more on “positivity” but this month I want to focus on “gratitude”.
Do you want more from your life? More happiness? Better health? Deeper relationships? Increased productivity? What if I told you that just one thing can help you in all those areas? An Attitude of Gratitude.
Amit Amin is the founder and blogger of Happier Human and in his research he has identified and authored, “The 31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn’t Know About: How Gratitude Can Change Your Life.” While I’m not going to list all 31 of them in this article, let me start off by listing the first six.
1. Gratitude makes us happier.
A five-minute a day gratitude journal can increase your long-term well-being by more than 10 percent. That’s the same impact as doubling your income! Gratitude improves our health, relationships, emotions, personality and career. I will be identifying the benefits of gratitude in each of these areas in more detail in future newsletter articles, but for now let’s move on to the next benefit.
2. Gratitude makes people like us.
Gratitude generates social capital – in two studies with 243 total participants, those who were 10% more grateful than average had 17.5% more social capital.
Gratitude makes us nicer, more trusting, more social, and more appreciative. As a result, it helps us make more friends, deepen our existing relationships, and improve our marriage.
3. Gratitude makes us healthier.
Keeping a gratitude journal caused participants to report:
- 16% fewer physical symptoms,
- 19% more time exercising,
- 10% less physical pain,
- 8% more sleep,
- 25% increased sleep quality,
- 35% reduced depressive symptoms, and
- Significant decrease in systolic blood pressure.
4. Gratitude boosts our career.
Gratitude makes you a more effective manager, helps you network, increases your decision-making capabilities, increases your productivity, and helps you get mentors and protégés. As a result, gratitude helps you achieve your career goals, as well as making your workplace a more friendly and enjoyable place to be.
5. Gratitude strengthens our emotions.
Gratitude reduces feelings of envy, makes our memories happier, lets us experience good feelings, and helps us bounce back from stress.
6. Gratitude develops our personality.
It does, and in potentially life-changing ways. It will make you:
- More Optimistic,
- Less Materialistic,
- More Spiritual,
- Less Self-Centered, and
- More Self-Esteem.
These are the first six benefits and in coming months I will cover the other 25 which include benefits to your personality, health, emotional state, social status and career. In the meantime, let me just end this month’s article by saying that I am grateful that I have the honor to know and work with each of you every day. You are what gets me out of bed every morning and why this is such a great place to work!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - February 2017
Happy February everyone! Or is it April or May? With temps in the 40’s and 50’s lately it seems that we missed a few months of winter. To some people, these warm temperatures in February are a good thing, to others they are bad. But like I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, temperatures are an external reality, but how we feel about it is under our own control.
So since is my year of positivity and gratitude, I would like to make this article a Part 2 of last months, “Rhinos are Just Fat Unicorns” theme.
Knowing that our own internal reaction to external realities may be one of the keys to attaining happiness—understanding that happiness is your personal right, just like freedom of speech and being able to vote. It’s curious to me that we have laws in place to make sure no one infringes upon our right to happiness, yet we are so often a willing impediment to our own enjoyment of life. The Declaration of Independence boldly declared that all individuals are entitled to the unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and “the Pursuit of Happiness.” Maybe it should read, “Life, Liberty and “the Happiness of the Pursuit.”
I think we all need to recognize that if you are waiting for outside circumstances to make you happy, you’ll never be happy. Paying off the mortgage or your student loans, for example, won’t bring you joy. Money is a multiplier—not a guarantee—of joy. Happiness comes from within. You find it through gratitude for the life you have built and the person you have become. You find it in the simple things by being fully engaged in the wonder of the here and now.
Focusing on the present is critical to finding joy in your life. When you are always waiting for tomorrow to deliver your dreams, you’ll miss all that today has to offer. When you continuously relive the past, you miss the opportunity to plan for the future. Many people dwell on the past or live in a pipe-dream future. You have one today in your life, and when it’s over, it’s over. It’s up to you to cherish today, to smile, to make the most of this moment, this day, this opportunity to embrace your life.
To sustain a joyful life sometimes requires you to filter your surroundings. After all, you choose what to allow into your head. Ask yourself what you are reading, what you are watching on TV, what impulses are bombarding you, day in and day out. You have to cultivate a life-affirming environment: Read things that uplift you, avoid the news now and then, and list the things that bring you joy.
Life is what you make of it. Have fun, smile and look for things to be happy about. Finding happiness in a negative world might be one of the biggest challenges we have today, but you can do it. Start right now!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
So since is my year of positivity and gratitude, I would like to make this article a Part 2 of last months, “Rhinos are Just Fat Unicorns” theme.
Knowing that our own internal reaction to external realities may be one of the keys to attaining happiness—understanding that happiness is your personal right, just like freedom of speech and being able to vote. It’s curious to me that we have laws in place to make sure no one infringes upon our right to happiness, yet we are so often a willing impediment to our own enjoyment of life. The Declaration of Independence boldly declared that all individuals are entitled to the unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and “the Pursuit of Happiness.” Maybe it should read, “Life, Liberty and “the Happiness of the Pursuit.”
I think we all need to recognize that if you are waiting for outside circumstances to make you happy, you’ll never be happy. Paying off the mortgage or your student loans, for example, won’t bring you joy. Money is a multiplier—not a guarantee—of joy. Happiness comes from within. You find it through gratitude for the life you have built and the person you have become. You find it in the simple things by being fully engaged in the wonder of the here and now.
Focusing on the present is critical to finding joy in your life. When you are always waiting for tomorrow to deliver your dreams, you’ll miss all that today has to offer. When you continuously relive the past, you miss the opportunity to plan for the future. Many people dwell on the past or live in a pipe-dream future. You have one today in your life, and when it’s over, it’s over. It’s up to you to cherish today, to smile, to make the most of this moment, this day, this opportunity to embrace your life.
To sustain a joyful life sometimes requires you to filter your surroundings. After all, you choose what to allow into your head. Ask yourself what you are reading, what you are watching on TV, what impulses are bombarding you, day in and day out. You have to cultivate a life-affirming environment: Read things that uplift you, avoid the news now and then, and list the things that bring you joy.
Life is what you make of it. Have fun, smile and look for things to be happy about. Finding happiness in a negative world might be one of the biggest challenges we have today, but you can do it. Start right now!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - January 2017
Happy New Year everyone! How are you doing on this year’s goals and resolutions so far? Yeah, I thought so! Not all is lost though, you still have eleven months to make 2017 the best year ever!
One of my personal resolutions this year is to live out my three highest personal values: Integrity, Gratitude and Positive Attitude. Of these three, I know I’m going to have to work hardest on the last one – Positive Attitude. Why? Because the truth is human beings are naturally negative. Some experts point to our genetics and our survival instinct. They say that the brain only knows two things: Look for what’s wrong and decide to fight or flight.
John Addison, former Co-CEO of a major financial company and a leadership expert offers four ways to limit this negative mindset.
1. Take control of what goes on in your brain. When you wake up in the middle of the night worried about something, you’ve got to wrestle the control back and turn your thoughts around. Read something positive. Speak well about yourself and your circumstances. Fertilize the positive and weed out the negative self-talk.
2. Harness the power of association and disassociation. You’ve got to surround yourself with uplifting, positive people. You are going to think just like the people you’re around the most. If you’re spending your whole life around negative, sour, cynical people, guess what? You’re going to become negative, sour and cynical. Spend time with people who build you up.
3. Start right now being happy. Life is short. If you’re waiting on circumstances to make you happy, you’ll never be happy. If you’re waiting to have plenty of money, get married or get the kids out of the house, you’re fooling yourself. The same circumstance you were all balled up and worried about five or 10 years ago, you can’t even remember now.
4. Act the way you want to feel. You might be thinking, I’m just not that happy-go-lucky kind of a person. Fine. Then just act like it for a while. I once had a pastor who said, “Act the way you want to feel and soon you’ll feel the way you act.” This means you can reprogram yourself. Smile. Say nice things to other people. Even if you’re dealing with a horrible situation, you’ll be more successful in that battle if you’re positive. So get some objectivity about how big your problems really is in relation to the big picture. Then smile until you actually feel like smiling.
The most important thing to recognize is when you’re giving in to negativity and when you’re being positive. If you pay attention, you can work on yourself, change your self-talk, surround yourself with supportive people and let situations go rather than dwelling on them. Over time, your health, your work and your relationships will grow more positive. I’ve asked the Transportation Division Managers and Supervisors to call me out if I drift into negative thoughts, comments or actions and I offer that up to everyone in the Division too.
So even if the world is hurling itself at me like a runaway freight train, I’m just going to remember this slogan I recently came across: “Rhinos are just fat unicorns!”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
One of my personal resolutions this year is to live out my three highest personal values: Integrity, Gratitude and Positive Attitude. Of these three, I know I’m going to have to work hardest on the last one – Positive Attitude. Why? Because the truth is human beings are naturally negative. Some experts point to our genetics and our survival instinct. They say that the brain only knows two things: Look for what’s wrong and decide to fight or flight.
John Addison, former Co-CEO of a major financial company and a leadership expert offers four ways to limit this negative mindset.
1. Take control of what goes on in your brain. When you wake up in the middle of the night worried about something, you’ve got to wrestle the control back and turn your thoughts around. Read something positive. Speak well about yourself and your circumstances. Fertilize the positive and weed out the negative self-talk.
2. Harness the power of association and disassociation. You’ve got to surround yourself with uplifting, positive people. You are going to think just like the people you’re around the most. If you’re spending your whole life around negative, sour, cynical people, guess what? You’re going to become negative, sour and cynical. Spend time with people who build you up.
3. Start right now being happy. Life is short. If you’re waiting on circumstances to make you happy, you’ll never be happy. If you’re waiting to have plenty of money, get married or get the kids out of the house, you’re fooling yourself. The same circumstance you were all balled up and worried about five or 10 years ago, you can’t even remember now.
4. Act the way you want to feel. You might be thinking, I’m just not that happy-go-lucky kind of a person. Fine. Then just act like it for a while. I once had a pastor who said, “Act the way you want to feel and soon you’ll feel the way you act.” This means you can reprogram yourself. Smile. Say nice things to other people. Even if you’re dealing with a horrible situation, you’ll be more successful in that battle if you’re positive. So get some objectivity about how big your problems really is in relation to the big picture. Then smile until you actually feel like smiling.
The most important thing to recognize is when you’re giving in to negativity and when you’re being positive. If you pay attention, you can work on yourself, change your self-talk, surround yourself with supportive people and let situations go rather than dwelling on them. Over time, your health, your work and your relationships will grow more positive. I’ve asked the Transportation Division Managers and Supervisors to call me out if I drift into negative thoughts, comments or actions and I offer that up to everyone in the Division too.
So even if the world is hurling itself at me like a runaway freight train, I’m just going to remember this slogan I recently came across: “Rhinos are just fat unicorns!”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - December 2016
We are all so busy and dedicated in what we do, we sometimes forget that the holiday season is a time to relax and enjoy ourselves – you certainly deserve it! With that in mind, I hope you enjoy this little derivation that I recently updated for your enjoyment. Enjoy!
“A Highway Christmas”
'Twas the night before a blizzard, when all through the shop,
Not a piece of equipment was stirring, not even a mop.
The truck keys were hung in the garage with care,
In hopes that a foot of snow soon would be there.
The operators were at home all snug in their beds,
While visions of overtime danced in their heads.
With Holzknecht checking radar, and Faulhaber on the road,
Christenson knew we were in for a load.
When out on the highway there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The wind was a-howling, here came the snow
To make it worse, it was 5 degrees below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should arrive,
But a fleet of trucks and operators to drive,
They jumped into action, like a hunter with a bounty,
I knew in a moment it must Anoka County.
More rapid than eagles the drivers they came,
And Plemon cell phoned, and called them by name;
Now, Herzog! now, Elliott! Now, Drajna and Stark!
On, Kiefer! On Tiede! On, Raze and Hollenback!
Start up those trucks! Do not stall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!
As the mechanics prepared with all their know-how,
Pumped in the diesel, mounted the plow,
So out the highways the 49er’s they flew,
With the truck full of salt, and a brine tank too.
And then, in a squawk, I heard on the 2-way,
“It looks like a tough one, let’s get in the fray.”
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the highway plow trucks came with a bound.
They were all orange, metal and steel,
And the plow blades scraped the road with such a squeal;
A dozen strobe lights lit up the night,
Oh how they twinkled! What a sight!
The blue smoke from the exhaust did blow,
And the salt in the box was as white as the snow;
The butt of a cigar a driver had tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a serious face and an awful lot of guts,
Poured a mug full of coffee, and had a donut (with nuts).
He was determined and fearless, fully trained I suspect,
And I nodded when I saw him, to pay my respect;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
The 49ers spoke not a word, but went straight to their work,
Checked all the hoses, tightened clamps with a jerk.
And driving their trucks off into the night,
I knew all would be OK, even given the plight;
Commuters have no worry, there is nothing to fret,
ACHD has the best drivers I’m willing to bet.
And I heard them exclaim, as they drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
“A Highway Christmas”
'Twas the night before a blizzard, when all through the shop,
Not a piece of equipment was stirring, not even a mop.
The truck keys were hung in the garage with care,
In hopes that a foot of snow soon would be there.
The operators were at home all snug in their beds,
While visions of overtime danced in their heads.
With Holzknecht checking radar, and Faulhaber on the road,
Christenson knew we were in for a load.
When out on the highway there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The wind was a-howling, here came the snow
To make it worse, it was 5 degrees below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should arrive,
But a fleet of trucks and operators to drive,
They jumped into action, like a hunter with a bounty,
I knew in a moment it must Anoka County.
More rapid than eagles the drivers they came,
And Plemon cell phoned, and called them by name;
Now, Herzog! now, Elliott! Now, Drajna and Stark!
On, Kiefer! On Tiede! On, Raze and Hollenback!
Start up those trucks! Do not stall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!
As the mechanics prepared with all their know-how,
Pumped in the diesel, mounted the plow,
So out the highways the 49er’s they flew,
With the truck full of salt, and a brine tank too.
And then, in a squawk, I heard on the 2-way,
“It looks like a tough one, let’s get in the fray.”
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the highway plow trucks came with a bound.
They were all orange, metal and steel,
And the plow blades scraped the road with such a squeal;
A dozen strobe lights lit up the night,
Oh how they twinkled! What a sight!
The blue smoke from the exhaust did blow,
And the salt in the box was as white as the snow;
The butt of a cigar a driver had tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a serious face and an awful lot of guts,
Poured a mug full of coffee, and had a donut (with nuts).
He was determined and fearless, fully trained I suspect,
And I nodded when I saw him, to pay my respect;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
The 49ers spoke not a word, but went straight to their work,
Checked all the hoses, tightened clamps with a jerk.
And driving their trucks off into the night,
I knew all would be OK, even given the plight;
Commuters have no worry, there is nothing to fret,
ACHD has the best drivers I’m willing to bet.
And I heard them exclaim, as they drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - October 2016
Did you ever wonder where the proverb, “Every cloud has a silver lining” came from? And what does this really mean anyway?
John Milton coined the phrase 'silver lining' in 1634 in his masque Comus: A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634. One verse by “The Lady” is:
I see ye visibly, and now believe
That he, the Supreme Good, to whom all things ill
Are but as slavish officers of vengeance,
Would send a glistering guardian, if need were
To keep my life and honour unassailed.
Was I deceived, or did a sable cloud
Turn forth her silver lining on the night?
I did not err; there does a sable cloud
Turn forth her silver lining on the night,
And casts a gleam over this tufted grove.
In this story, a woman is kidnapped by the morally corrupt Comus but refuses to succumb to Comus’ evil ways. In the end she is rescued and there is a great celebration over her moral steadfastness and her virtues of temperance and chastity.
'Clouds' and 'silver linings' were referred to often in literature from then onward, usually citing Milton and frequently referring to them as Milton's clouds. Fast forward to today and we now associated the proverb, “Every cloud has a silver lining” to mean that every bad situation has some good aspect to it. This proverb is usually said as an encouragement to a person who is overcome by some difficulty and is unable to see any positive way forward.
I wonder if this was in the in the minds of the city of Anoka’s leaders back on November 1, 1919. On this day after Halloween almost 100 years ago, residents woke up to a scene of plunder caused by mischievous young men in the city. Horse-drawn wagons were put on rooftops, outhouses were capsized, and cows were loose and wandering down Main Street. House windows were soaped. Several cows were locked up in the town’s jail and one was even found sleeping in the Sheriff’s office! A bull was locked in the local classroom.
This was a ‘cloud’ that had been repeated for many years in a row. But out of all of this depredation came a ‘silver lining’ when civic leaders spearheaded a weeklong community-wide celebration to usher in the next Halloween instead of letting Halloween be a night of vandalism. The initial event in 1920 was an instant success and it has only gotten bigger each year and now includes three parades, block parties, a medallion hunt, a 5k run, costume contests, scholarship awards and fireworks among other events. Last year’s parades had 212 floats and 15 marching bands from all over the Midwest.
Recently, the Transportation Division has seen its own ‘cloud’ with a higher than normal turnover rate that has left the division with some gaps in it that makes performing our duties more stressful and difficult than ever. But having all of these openings at the same time does present itself with an opportunity to allow us to fully re-examine our needs and how we are structured to deliver those needs. This examination has led to our reorganization and other adjustments that you have seen over the last month or so. We will now begin the task of filling our open positions under this new plan. The ‘silver lining’ in all of this is that when we do reach full strength again, we will be better aligned to deliver our mission in a way that will be better for all of the division’s employees as well. I’m am confident and will always remain positive that even this ‘cloud’ will have a ‘silver lining’.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
John Milton coined the phrase 'silver lining' in 1634 in his masque Comus: A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634. One verse by “The Lady” is:
I see ye visibly, and now believe
That he, the Supreme Good, to whom all things ill
Are but as slavish officers of vengeance,
Would send a glistering guardian, if need were
To keep my life and honour unassailed.
Was I deceived, or did a sable cloud
Turn forth her silver lining on the night?
I did not err; there does a sable cloud
Turn forth her silver lining on the night,
And casts a gleam over this tufted grove.
In this story, a woman is kidnapped by the morally corrupt Comus but refuses to succumb to Comus’ evil ways. In the end she is rescued and there is a great celebration over her moral steadfastness and her virtues of temperance and chastity.
'Clouds' and 'silver linings' were referred to often in literature from then onward, usually citing Milton and frequently referring to them as Milton's clouds. Fast forward to today and we now associated the proverb, “Every cloud has a silver lining” to mean that every bad situation has some good aspect to it. This proverb is usually said as an encouragement to a person who is overcome by some difficulty and is unable to see any positive way forward.
I wonder if this was in the in the minds of the city of Anoka’s leaders back on November 1, 1919. On this day after Halloween almost 100 years ago, residents woke up to a scene of plunder caused by mischievous young men in the city. Horse-drawn wagons were put on rooftops, outhouses were capsized, and cows were loose and wandering down Main Street. House windows were soaped. Several cows were locked up in the town’s jail and one was even found sleeping in the Sheriff’s office! A bull was locked in the local classroom.
This was a ‘cloud’ that had been repeated for many years in a row. But out of all of this depredation came a ‘silver lining’ when civic leaders spearheaded a weeklong community-wide celebration to usher in the next Halloween instead of letting Halloween be a night of vandalism. The initial event in 1920 was an instant success and it has only gotten bigger each year and now includes three parades, block parties, a medallion hunt, a 5k run, costume contests, scholarship awards and fireworks among other events. Last year’s parades had 212 floats and 15 marching bands from all over the Midwest.
Recently, the Transportation Division has seen its own ‘cloud’ with a higher than normal turnover rate that has left the division with some gaps in it that makes performing our duties more stressful and difficult than ever. But having all of these openings at the same time does present itself with an opportunity to allow us to fully re-examine our needs and how we are structured to deliver those needs. This examination has led to our reorganization and other adjustments that you have seen over the last month or so. We will now begin the task of filling our open positions under this new plan. The ‘silver lining’ in all of this is that when we do reach full strength again, we will be better aligned to deliver our mission in a way that will be better for all of the division’s employees as well. I’m am confident and will always remain positive that even this ‘cloud’ will have a ‘silver lining’.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - September 2016
The 2016 Summer Games of the XXXI Olympiad are now over. Since the Twins were spiraling down the porcelain drain and football season hadn’t started yet, I found myself watching these games many evenings after I got home from work. I’m glad I did. In fact, I wish I had made watching these Olympics mandatory for everyone at work. During works hours.
Why? Not for the thrill and excitement of the sports themselves, but for the many work related lessons that we could have learned. I’m not the only one to think so either. Steve Siebold, author and expert in the field of critical thinking and mental toughness training also agrees that watching these athletes a couple of hours a day would actually be good for employees' work ethics. Here's his 10 reasons why:
1. We would learn that winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is. Olympians have a 'whatever it takes' attitude. They’ve made the decision to pay any price and bear any burden in the name of victory.
2. We would learn that Olympic athletes embrace conflict for growth. When most people run into an obstacle, they seek escape. Olympic athletes have a plan to push forward when this happens and learn all they can from the challenges they face. They know facing adversity is part of being successful.
3. We would learn that Olympic athletes are held accountable on so many levels. One of the biggest problems is that most people have no means of accountability or a support system in place when it comes to what they’re trying to accomplish.
4. We would learn that Olympic athletes are learning machines. They spend hours practicing, studying their competitors, watching videos of their performances and session after session with their coaches and mentors. If we adopted just a fraction of an Olympian’s work ethic, the results they could achieve would be endless.
5. We would learn Olympic champions know very good is bad. For the average employee, to be classified as very good is something to be proud of. For the great ones, it’s an insult.
6. We would learn Olympic athletes make “Do or Die” commitments. When most people are burned out from the battle, Olympians are just getting warmed up. It’s not that they don’t fatigue; but their commitment to their dream of winning the gold keeps them going.
7. We would learn Olympic athletes are consistently great. The reason they are so consistent is because their actions are congruent with their thought processes. They have a very clear mental picture of what they want, why they want it and how to move closer to their target objective.
8. We would learn Olympians are coachable. Most people will only accept the amount of coaching their egos will allow. Champions like Olympic athletes are well known for being the most open to world-class coaching. The bigger the champion, the more open-minded they are.
9. We would learn Olympians compartmentalize their emotions. In other words, they have the ability to put aside anything else going on at that very moment, and focus only on the task in front of them.
10. We would learn Olympians think big. Ask most people what they’re thinking at any given time, and you might be surprised to learn how many think about just getting by. That’s called selling yourself short. Olympians are fearless and focused on manifesting their ultimate dream of bringing home the gold.
Of course we’re not training for future athletic competitions but we can apply these attributes to what we do, how we do it and where we want to go. To be the best at what we do, no matter what our specific vocation is, is definitely in our grasp if we subscribe to these lessons.
And that will bring home the gold!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Why? Not for the thrill and excitement of the sports themselves, but for the many work related lessons that we could have learned. I’m not the only one to think so either. Steve Siebold, author and expert in the field of critical thinking and mental toughness training also agrees that watching these athletes a couple of hours a day would actually be good for employees' work ethics. Here's his 10 reasons why:
1. We would learn that winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is. Olympians have a 'whatever it takes' attitude. They’ve made the decision to pay any price and bear any burden in the name of victory.
2. We would learn that Olympic athletes embrace conflict for growth. When most people run into an obstacle, they seek escape. Olympic athletes have a plan to push forward when this happens and learn all they can from the challenges they face. They know facing adversity is part of being successful.
3. We would learn that Olympic athletes are held accountable on so many levels. One of the biggest problems is that most people have no means of accountability or a support system in place when it comes to what they’re trying to accomplish.
4. We would learn that Olympic athletes are learning machines. They spend hours practicing, studying their competitors, watching videos of their performances and session after session with their coaches and mentors. If we adopted just a fraction of an Olympian’s work ethic, the results they could achieve would be endless.
5. We would learn Olympic champions know very good is bad. For the average employee, to be classified as very good is something to be proud of. For the great ones, it’s an insult.
6. We would learn Olympic athletes make “Do or Die” commitments. When most people are burned out from the battle, Olympians are just getting warmed up. It’s not that they don’t fatigue; but their commitment to their dream of winning the gold keeps them going.
7. We would learn Olympic athletes are consistently great. The reason they are so consistent is because their actions are congruent with their thought processes. They have a very clear mental picture of what they want, why they want it and how to move closer to their target objective.
8. We would learn Olympians are coachable. Most people will only accept the amount of coaching their egos will allow. Champions like Olympic athletes are well known for being the most open to world-class coaching. The bigger the champion, the more open-minded they are.
9. We would learn Olympians compartmentalize their emotions. In other words, they have the ability to put aside anything else going on at that very moment, and focus only on the task in front of them.
10. We would learn Olympians think big. Ask most people what they’re thinking at any given time, and you might be surprised to learn how many think about just getting by. That’s called selling yourself short. Olympians are fearless and focused on manifesting their ultimate dream of bringing home the gold.
Of course we’re not training for future athletic competitions but we can apply these attributes to what we do, how we do it and where we want to go. To be the best at what we do, no matter what our specific vocation is, is definitely in our grasp if we subscribe to these lessons.
And that will bring home the gold!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - July 2016
Last night I witnessed something that hasn’t happened since I was three years old – a Cleveland professional sports team won a championship! That’s right, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the new NBA champions! As a product of northeast Ohio (aka “The Rust Belt”), I couldn’t be happier for the team and all of my family and friends still in the Cleveland area.
But even if you aren’t a Cleveland sports fan specifically or don’t care about basketball in general, I still want to take this opportunity to provide some “takeaways” that we all could learn from. Below is an excerpted essay provided by Forbes and as originally posted on Quora, the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.
7 Outstanding Leadership Lessons from The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers
Well let’s hope I don’t have to wait another 52 years for another Cleveland championship (I’ll be 106!) and hopefully our Minnesota franchises will be able to put something together soon too (Vikings Super Bowl LI Champions?). But let’s not wait for anyone to become champions for us to enjoy success. If we follow the 7 leadership lessons from the Cleveland Cavaliers, we can all be champions in our own right.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
But even if you aren’t a Cleveland sports fan specifically or don’t care about basketball in general, I still want to take this opportunity to provide some “takeaways” that we all could learn from. Below is an excerpted essay provided by Forbes and as originally posted on Quora, the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.
7 Outstanding Leadership Lessons from The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers
- There’s nothing wrong with failure if you learn from it. The Cavs lost the first two games by a combined 48 points, the most in history. In the remaining 5 games, they were able to employ what they learned from these first two performances to create a plan to attack weaknesses they had seen.
- Being down 3–1, a historically insurmountable hole that had never been overcome in NBA finals history, it would have been easy to believe the outcome was an inevitability. Instead, the supporters of the team rallied like never before and were able to infuse the players with a passion and level of support they had never experienced before. It inspired them to recognize that they were playing for something bigger than themselves. By overcoming the adversity of such a huge deficit, the Cavs made history and brought unprecedented success to an area in the midst of a 52-year drought.
- You can’t do everything on your own. Trust and belief in those around you to do their job has to exist or you will never achieve your collective dreams. In order to achieve, you need to have a team in place that knows its strengths and plays to them. Every part of the team is as important as another and you have to trust the man/woman next to you to do their bit. Cleveland did that this year.
- They weren’t afraid to make a change. Although they were ticking along at a decent rate mid-season, management recognized all was not right. Instead of riding out the season and waiting to see what happened, management was proactive. They sacked the manager and replaced him with someone internally who already had the pulse of the team. The change proved to be the spark that ignited the team and significantly improved its performance, ultimately leading to a championship. Some decisions aren’t easy; it would be far simpler to sit back to wait and see what happens, but when you realize you have made a mistake, it is essential that you act as quickly as possible to rectify it. It is often the difference between languishing in mediocrity and making that jump to being champions.
- Kevin Love sacrificed personal glory for the opportunity to experience success as part of a team. In sports and in life, it is essential we recognize when it’s our fight and when overall success is increased by playing a supporting role. In my opinion, Love has done the most selfless thing any sportsman can ever do: he recognized the Warriors’ strengths and weaknesses and understood the team’s goals were better served by deferring responsibility. The result: a championship and Love contributing to one of the signature defensive stands of the series to deny Curry at 3 at the close of the 4th quarter in game 7.
- Luck. Luck is everywhere in sports. Cleveland got a whole lot of luck born from the stupidity of Green in game 4. If it doesn’t occur, does Cleveland come back and win? Impossible to ever know, but it certainly made the most crucial game 5 that little bit easier. It speaks of the margins at the highest level. One small action can have an incomprehensible effect of the future of an organization.
- LeBron James was the prodigal son. Since his precocious teenage years, he had been assured success and was well on his way to fulfilling all foretold prophecies right up until he didn’t. Strained beneath the weight of expectations, LeBron’s will cracked and he departed for pastures new in order to realize his championship dreams. Upon doing so, he recognized that although fundamentally he had achieved what he set out to, it wasn’t exactly what he craved. Not unlike Steve Jobs returning to Apple, LeBron returned to Cleveland. Having went from revered to hated, the relationship came full circle and recognized James’s desire to bring the city what it had always dreamed of. The championship is a culmination of a life’s work for James. It speaks of what can be achieved when you work every single day to achieve. LeBron James is the most inspirational of leaders; he leads by doing.
Well let’s hope I don’t have to wait another 52 years for another Cleveland championship (I’ll be 106!) and hopefully our Minnesota franchises will be able to put something together soon too (Vikings Super Bowl LI Champions?). But let’s not wait for anyone to become champions for us to enjoy success. If we follow the 7 leadership lessons from the Cleveland Cavaliers, we can all be champions in our own right.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - May/June 2016
Happy summer everyone! Even though the summer solstice isn’t officially until June 20th this year, in my mind summer goes from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Remember when we were still in school and summer meant rest and relaxation? How does it feel now?
If you are like most folks these days, thoughts of R & R can’t be further from the truth. There just never seems to be any “down” time anymore. I’ve heard this a million times before, “I’m a busy person – I don’t have time to pause!” Planning that family vacation are you? But how many times do you need a vacation to recover from your vacation?!
While there never seems to be a good time to get away, the reality is that if you don’t refresh on a regular basis you will actually hurt your productivity and your relationships with others. In Stephen R. Covey’s international best seller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he talks about this in his 7th Habit, “Sharpen the Saw”, or more technically, principles of balanced self-renewal. He relates it in this story:
Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods sawing down a tree. “What are you doing?” you ask. “Can’t you see?” comes the impatient reply. “I’m sawing down this tree.” “You look exhausted!” you exclaim. “How long have you been at it?” Over five hours,” he returns, “and I’m beat! This is hard work.” Well, why don’t you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?” you inquire. “I’m sure it would go a lot faster.” “I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” the man says emphatically. “I’m too busy sawing!”
Ouch. The truth hurts sometimes doesn’t it? According to Covey, Habit 7 is preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have – you! It’s renewing the four dimensions of your nature – physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional. These are the four “saws” that each of us have that need periodic attention and maintenance.
So how do we go about finding that important time to reconnect with yourself, live in the moment, and make the changes you long to make? Well according to leadership expert John C. Maxwell, you have to be intentional about taking care of yourself. To be renewed and refreshed, you have to deliberately set aside time to make it happen. So pull out that calendar and schedule time for yourself just as you do for meetings and appointments with others. Use these times to refresh and renew your vision for your life. Finally, and this may be the hardest part of all, honor these commitments for what they are: valuable investments in yourself and the people around you.
A knife will lose its edge without periodic visits to the sharpening stone. The same is true of people. If you never pause to refresh, you’ll lose your edge. So be intentional about making sure to renew yourself this summer. You’ll be glad you did.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
If you are like most folks these days, thoughts of R & R can’t be further from the truth. There just never seems to be any “down” time anymore. I’ve heard this a million times before, “I’m a busy person – I don’t have time to pause!” Planning that family vacation are you? But how many times do you need a vacation to recover from your vacation?!
While there never seems to be a good time to get away, the reality is that if you don’t refresh on a regular basis you will actually hurt your productivity and your relationships with others. In Stephen R. Covey’s international best seller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he talks about this in his 7th Habit, “Sharpen the Saw”, or more technically, principles of balanced self-renewal. He relates it in this story:
Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods sawing down a tree. “What are you doing?” you ask. “Can’t you see?” comes the impatient reply. “I’m sawing down this tree.” “You look exhausted!” you exclaim. “How long have you been at it?” Over five hours,” he returns, “and I’m beat! This is hard work.” Well, why don’t you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?” you inquire. “I’m sure it would go a lot faster.” “I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” the man says emphatically. “I’m too busy sawing!”
Ouch. The truth hurts sometimes doesn’t it? According to Covey, Habit 7 is preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have – you! It’s renewing the four dimensions of your nature – physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional. These are the four “saws” that each of us have that need periodic attention and maintenance.
So how do we go about finding that important time to reconnect with yourself, live in the moment, and make the changes you long to make? Well according to leadership expert John C. Maxwell, you have to be intentional about taking care of yourself. To be renewed and refreshed, you have to deliberately set aside time to make it happen. So pull out that calendar and schedule time for yourself just as you do for meetings and appointments with others. Use these times to refresh and renew your vision for your life. Finally, and this may be the hardest part of all, honor these commitments for what they are: valuable investments in yourself and the people around you.
A knife will lose its edge without periodic visits to the sharpening stone. The same is true of people. If you never pause to refresh, you’ll lose your edge. So be intentional about making sure to renew yourself this summer. You’ll be glad you did.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - March 2016
A unique thing happened over the past week. No it wasn’t switching our clocks ahead an hour, the first day of spring or even the beginning of March Madness. On March 14th we celebrated National “Pi” Day! No not “pie” as in apple, pumpkin or cherry, but the mathematical number “Pi” often represented by the Greek letter π. Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi is a constant number, meaning that for all circles of any size, Pi will be the same. Since Pi is often rounded to 3.1416, March 14, 2016 was 3-14-16. Get it?! OK, maybe it’s just the engineer in me, but I find this stuff kind of interesting. Here’s a little more info about Pi.
By measuring circular objects, it has always turned out that a circle is a little more than 3 times its width around. In the Old Testament of the Bible (1 Kings 7:23), a circular pool is referred to as being 30 cubits around, and 10 cubits across. The mathematician Archimedes used polygons with many sides to approximate circles and determined that Pi was approximately 22/7. The symbol (Greek letter “π”) was first used in 1706 by William Jones. A ‘p’ was chosen for ‘perimeter’ of circles, and the use of π became popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737. In recent years, Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits past it’s decimal. (Note – this is still smaller than your odds of picking a perfect NCAA basketball bracket at 9 quintillion to one odds.)
When using Pi, a person has to determine the number of decimals they intend on using based on the importance of the number they are calculating. For example, for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s highest accuracy calculations, which are for interplanetary navigation, they use 3.141592653589793. How accurate is this? Here’s an example: Our planet Earth is 7,926 miles in diameter at the equator. The circumference then is 24,900 miles. That's how far you would travel if you circumnavigated the globe (and didn't worry about hills, valleys, obstacles like buildings, rest stops, waves on the ocean, etc.). How far off would your odometer be if you used the limited version of pi above? It would be off by the size of a molecule. Another way to view this is that your error by not using more digits of pi would be 10,000 times thinner than a hair!
Ok, but we are building roads and bridges and surveying property that doesn’t require this level of accuracy. When we work with numbers that come from the real world (such as measurements from a surveyor’s rod), the numbers are not exact, but carry some amount of inaccuracy with them (because, for example, no field measuring tool is absolutely, perfectly straight). We therefore need to only worry about the “significant digits” of the measurements we are using. Remember “significant digits” from grade school? The significant figures of a number are digits that carry meaning contributing to its measurement resolution. What were the rules regarding “leading zeroes” or “trailing zeros” again? I’ll leave that to the engineers and surveyors to remember!
So where am I going with all of this? Just like numbers may have significant digits, our lives can also be full of significant meaning if we want. And I am not speaking solely of success here, but significance. What’s the difference between success and significance? I think that Darren Hardy, former publisher of Success (maybe he should rebrand it Significance) magazine described it best when he said:
We are taught early on in life to strive for success – to achieve this status, win the trophy, get the notable degree, land the big position, win the impressive title, acquire the big house, bring back the enviable vacation photos, and collect the cars, boats, jewels, and big bank account. And then when we are waiving from the mountain top having finally achieved these markers of success, we often still feel this stark emptiness inside.
What’s wrong? We might have acquired everything we ever wanted except the one thing that really matters: significance. We want to know that our lives meant something – that we’ve had a positive impact on the lives of others. And only significance provides us that. Success by itself cannot.
You see, success has come to be defined by self-focused achievements: a rank, class, position, or level obtained. Significance, however, is about the impact one has on others. Success is about what we get. Significance is about what we give. The interesting thing is you can be successful but not significant, but you cannot be significant without being successful.
The great thing about the work that we are asked to do is that it surely makes a positive impact on others. We give without asking for anything in return. No, we aren’t the ones that run into burning buildings and save a stranded person. But perhaps that pothole that we filled, sign that was installed, highway that was straightened out to remove “dead man’s curve”, etc. actually did silently and uneventfully keep someone from having a fatal accident.
Now that is something SIGNIFICANT!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
By measuring circular objects, it has always turned out that a circle is a little more than 3 times its width around. In the Old Testament of the Bible (1 Kings 7:23), a circular pool is referred to as being 30 cubits around, and 10 cubits across. The mathematician Archimedes used polygons with many sides to approximate circles and determined that Pi was approximately 22/7. The symbol (Greek letter “π”) was first used in 1706 by William Jones. A ‘p’ was chosen for ‘perimeter’ of circles, and the use of π became popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737. In recent years, Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits past it’s decimal. (Note – this is still smaller than your odds of picking a perfect NCAA basketball bracket at 9 quintillion to one odds.)
When using Pi, a person has to determine the number of decimals they intend on using based on the importance of the number they are calculating. For example, for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s highest accuracy calculations, which are for interplanetary navigation, they use 3.141592653589793. How accurate is this? Here’s an example: Our planet Earth is 7,926 miles in diameter at the equator. The circumference then is 24,900 miles. That's how far you would travel if you circumnavigated the globe (and didn't worry about hills, valleys, obstacles like buildings, rest stops, waves on the ocean, etc.). How far off would your odometer be if you used the limited version of pi above? It would be off by the size of a molecule. Another way to view this is that your error by not using more digits of pi would be 10,000 times thinner than a hair!
Ok, but we are building roads and bridges and surveying property that doesn’t require this level of accuracy. When we work with numbers that come from the real world (such as measurements from a surveyor’s rod), the numbers are not exact, but carry some amount of inaccuracy with them (because, for example, no field measuring tool is absolutely, perfectly straight). We therefore need to only worry about the “significant digits” of the measurements we are using. Remember “significant digits” from grade school? The significant figures of a number are digits that carry meaning contributing to its measurement resolution. What were the rules regarding “leading zeroes” or “trailing zeros” again? I’ll leave that to the engineers and surveyors to remember!
So where am I going with all of this? Just like numbers may have significant digits, our lives can also be full of significant meaning if we want. And I am not speaking solely of success here, but significance. What’s the difference between success and significance? I think that Darren Hardy, former publisher of Success (maybe he should rebrand it Significance) magazine described it best when he said:
We are taught early on in life to strive for success – to achieve this status, win the trophy, get the notable degree, land the big position, win the impressive title, acquire the big house, bring back the enviable vacation photos, and collect the cars, boats, jewels, and big bank account. And then when we are waiving from the mountain top having finally achieved these markers of success, we often still feel this stark emptiness inside.
What’s wrong? We might have acquired everything we ever wanted except the one thing that really matters: significance. We want to know that our lives meant something – that we’ve had a positive impact on the lives of others. And only significance provides us that. Success by itself cannot.
You see, success has come to be defined by self-focused achievements: a rank, class, position, or level obtained. Significance, however, is about the impact one has on others. Success is about what we get. Significance is about what we give. The interesting thing is you can be successful but not significant, but you cannot be significant without being successful.
The great thing about the work that we are asked to do is that it surely makes a positive impact on others. We give without asking for anything in return. No, we aren’t the ones that run into burning buildings and save a stranded person. But perhaps that pothole that we filled, sign that was installed, highway that was straightened out to remove “dead man’s curve”, etc. actually did silently and uneventfully keep someone from having a fatal accident.
Now that is something SIGNIFICANT!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - February 2016
Super Bowl 50 is now in the record books. While many people feel that this game was a little on the boring side, I loved it! Maybe it’s the old linebacker in me, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing two good defensive teams slugging it out. Denver came into the game with the #1 rated scoring defense and Carolina had the #1 rated offense. And once more the old adage, “Offense wins games, but defense wins championships” was proven again as the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 24 – 10.
Besides the defense/offense adage noted above, I think there were some other important messages we can learn from this game. No there were no memorable gaffs like last year’s “The Call” (when Seattle threw an interception on the goal line on second down with seconds left in the game and the top runner in their backfield), but here are a few of my observations.
Lesson #1: Plan for the Long Term
When the NFL coined the term “Super Bowl” and used roman numerals instead of the regular Arabic numbers, sooner or later they had to know that there would be a Super Bowl “L” (50). Maybe back in the 60’s they didn’t associated “L” with loser, losing or loss like we do today, but a little foresight is always a good approach to take in any aspect of your life.
Lesson #2: Age is Nothing But a Number
You’re never too young OR old to do what you love. Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning is considered very old for football, at a whopping 39 years old, and the age difference between Manning and Cam Newton, starting quarterback for the Panthers, is 13 years and 48 days. It is the biggest age difference between starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history. Additionally, the Carolina Panthers’ receiver, Devin Funchess, was just 4 months old when Peyton Manning played in his first college game at the University of Tennessee in September of 1994. The fact that these players are all starting in the same Super Bowl just goes to show you that age is nothing but a number. You’re never too old or too young to start and achieve the goals in life that you believe in.
Lesson #3: Never Give Up
You’ve probably heard it over and over again to never give up on your dreams. But as just a reminder, listen to the story of Michael Oher, starting left tackle for the Carolina Panthers and subject of the movie, “The Blind Side”. He was one of twelve children born to an alcoholic and crack cocaine addicted mother, and a father who was frequently in and out of prison (and would eventually be murdered in prison during Michael’s senior year in high school). Due to his upbringing, he received little attention and discipline during his childhood. He repeated both first and second grades, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student. He was placed in foster care at age seven, and alternated between living in various foster homes and periods of homelessness. With the guidance provided by his foster and then adoptive parents and family, Oher graduated from high school, received a college scholarship to play football for Ole Miss and was eventually drafted to play in the NFL. After stints with the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans, Oher signed a two-year $7 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. Oher responded with one of his best seasons as a professional protecting Newton's blindside. Oher played in 98.4 percent of the team's snaps and allowed a career-low four sacks — tied for eighth-fewest in the league — and was penalized only three times for 25 yards.
If that doesn’t scream tenacity, I don’t know what does!
So in summary, Super Bowl 50 was not a big “L” but instead has taught us a couple of valuable life lessons. Plan for the long term, age is nothing but a number, and never give up. Now go and make those goals and dreams come true!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Besides the defense/offense adage noted above, I think there were some other important messages we can learn from this game. No there were no memorable gaffs like last year’s “The Call” (when Seattle threw an interception on the goal line on second down with seconds left in the game and the top runner in their backfield), but here are a few of my observations.
Lesson #1: Plan for the Long Term
When the NFL coined the term “Super Bowl” and used roman numerals instead of the regular Arabic numbers, sooner or later they had to know that there would be a Super Bowl “L” (50). Maybe back in the 60’s they didn’t associated “L” with loser, losing or loss like we do today, but a little foresight is always a good approach to take in any aspect of your life.
Lesson #2: Age is Nothing But a Number
You’re never too young OR old to do what you love. Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning is considered very old for football, at a whopping 39 years old, and the age difference between Manning and Cam Newton, starting quarterback for the Panthers, is 13 years and 48 days. It is the biggest age difference between starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history. Additionally, the Carolina Panthers’ receiver, Devin Funchess, was just 4 months old when Peyton Manning played in his first college game at the University of Tennessee in September of 1994. The fact that these players are all starting in the same Super Bowl just goes to show you that age is nothing but a number. You’re never too old or too young to start and achieve the goals in life that you believe in.
Lesson #3: Never Give Up
You’ve probably heard it over and over again to never give up on your dreams. But as just a reminder, listen to the story of Michael Oher, starting left tackle for the Carolina Panthers and subject of the movie, “The Blind Side”. He was one of twelve children born to an alcoholic and crack cocaine addicted mother, and a father who was frequently in and out of prison (and would eventually be murdered in prison during Michael’s senior year in high school). Due to his upbringing, he received little attention and discipline during his childhood. He repeated both first and second grades, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student. He was placed in foster care at age seven, and alternated between living in various foster homes and periods of homelessness. With the guidance provided by his foster and then adoptive parents and family, Oher graduated from high school, received a college scholarship to play football for Ole Miss and was eventually drafted to play in the NFL. After stints with the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans, Oher signed a two-year $7 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. Oher responded with one of his best seasons as a professional protecting Newton's blindside. Oher played in 98.4 percent of the team's snaps and allowed a career-low four sacks — tied for eighth-fewest in the league — and was penalized only three times for 25 yards.
If that doesn’t scream tenacity, I don’t know what does!
So in summary, Super Bowl 50 was not a big “L” but instead has taught us a couple of valuable life lessons. Plan for the long term, age is nothing but a number, and never give up. Now go and make those goals and dreams come true!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - January 2016
So here it is, the end of January already. How are you doing on this year’s goals and resolutions so far? Yeah, I thought so! Every once in a while we need a little “pick me up” and words of encouragement to get us back on track, so I thought I’d devote this article to do just that.
When personal development legend Jim Rohn passed away in 2009, he left an incredible gift: his encouraging, uplifting messages and inspiring, thought-provoking quotes, beloved by millions and shared throughout the world to this day. I hope you find his messages as motivating as I do.
“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.”
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”
“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”
“Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely.”
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
“If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.”
“Don’t join an easy crowd; you won’t grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high.”
“Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.”
So get back on that exercise plan, call your mom every week, put a little extra money away in your retirement plan or whatever your goal or resolution was four weeks ago. You still have 11 months to make the lasting change in your life that you desire!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
When personal development legend Jim Rohn passed away in 2009, he left an incredible gift: his encouraging, uplifting messages and inspiring, thought-provoking quotes, beloved by millions and shared throughout the world to this day. I hope you find his messages as motivating as I do.
“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.”
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”
“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”
“Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely.”
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
“If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.”
“Don’t join an easy crowd; you won’t grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high.”
“Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.”
So get back on that exercise plan, call your mom every week, put a little extra money away in your retirement plan or whatever your goal or resolution was four weeks ago. You still have 11 months to make the lasting change in your life that you desire!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - December 2015
As I write this article, 2015 is about to come to a close. As a Transportation Division we accomplished a great deal and once again served our constituents very, very well. Even though we have an incredible amount to be happy about, human nature tends to pull us into “stinkin’ thinkin’” that keeps us from truly enjoying our successes and moving towards an even brighter future. Along this theme and in keeping with the holiday season, I thought I’d share Denis Waitley’s cautionary tale of the Grinch of stolen dreams in this adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas:
Now's the time you should hear this. For very good reason!
Now, please don't ask why. It's not simply the season.
Sooner or later the Grinch will invite you,
To give up your life's goal as something you can't do.
It could be his head isn't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his pants are too tight.
But I think the most likely reason of all,
Is that his heart is too cold and his vision too small.
The Grinch is a dream stealer of many disguises.
A friend or relation with depressing surprises.
Just when you feel that your business is booming,
He fills you with thoughts that are glooming and dooming.
He whispers about the forthcoming disaster.
And about the new plan where you'll get rich much faster.
When you say you look forward to earning a million,
He'll scoff and retort, "Not one chance in a billion!"
With a stock market rising and confidence strong,
You'd think he'd get real and start going along.
But he howls and he growls with his terrible frown,
"Whatever goes up has got to come down!"
Sometimes the Grinch is quick to appear.
Sometimes he shows up year after year.
But whatever your why and no matter who,
The dream stealer, Grinch, will start hitting on you.
He's the fear deep inside that insists you can't sell.
He's the voice that says, "Stop! Things are going too well!"
He especially hates Christmas and the spirit of giving.
For he selfishly thinks that by getting, you're living.
He thinks passionate service is too big a why.
And that money's the only incentive to try.
But he's missing the point, and hasn't a clue,
That every ‘Who’ out in ‘Whoville’ has a dream to come true.
Sooner or later all dream stealers find,
That they're out in the cold and left far behind.
What they could have or might have or should have possessed,
Has now passed them by and left them depressed.
As you sit by the fire and plan the New Year,
Surrounded by family and friends of good cheer,
Remember the Grinch, with his feet in the snow,
Standing puzzling and puzzling, "How could it be so?"
"It came without ribbons! It came without tags!”
“It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!"
It's a spirit to treasure each day and each night.
It's the reason the American dream is still burning bright.
It's a mission of hope you can trust and believe.
"The more that you give, the more you'll receive!"
Keep the faith, continue doing the great work that you do, and the future will be bright and rewarding! Here’s wishing you and yours the very best this holiday season.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Now's the time you should hear this. For very good reason!
Now, please don't ask why. It's not simply the season.
Sooner or later the Grinch will invite you,
To give up your life's goal as something you can't do.
It could be his head isn't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his pants are too tight.
But I think the most likely reason of all,
Is that his heart is too cold and his vision too small.
The Grinch is a dream stealer of many disguises.
A friend or relation with depressing surprises.
Just when you feel that your business is booming,
He fills you with thoughts that are glooming and dooming.
He whispers about the forthcoming disaster.
And about the new plan where you'll get rich much faster.
When you say you look forward to earning a million,
He'll scoff and retort, "Not one chance in a billion!"
With a stock market rising and confidence strong,
You'd think he'd get real and start going along.
But he howls and he growls with his terrible frown,
"Whatever goes up has got to come down!"
Sometimes the Grinch is quick to appear.
Sometimes he shows up year after year.
But whatever your why and no matter who,
The dream stealer, Grinch, will start hitting on you.
He's the fear deep inside that insists you can't sell.
He's the voice that says, "Stop! Things are going too well!"
He especially hates Christmas and the spirit of giving.
For he selfishly thinks that by getting, you're living.
He thinks passionate service is too big a why.
And that money's the only incentive to try.
But he's missing the point, and hasn't a clue,
That every ‘Who’ out in ‘Whoville’ has a dream to come true.
Sooner or later all dream stealers find,
That they're out in the cold and left far behind.
What they could have or might have or should have possessed,
Has now passed them by and left them depressed.
As you sit by the fire and plan the New Year,
Surrounded by family and friends of good cheer,
Remember the Grinch, with his feet in the snow,
Standing puzzling and puzzling, "How could it be so?"
"It came without ribbons! It came without tags!”
“It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!"
It's a spirit to treasure each day and each night.
It's the reason the American dream is still burning bright.
It's a mission of hope you can trust and believe.
"The more that you give, the more you'll receive!"
Keep the faith, continue doing the great work that you do, and the future will be bright and rewarding! Here’s wishing you and yours the very best this holiday season.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - November 2015
I found out this week that Brian Jones, a high school buddy of mine, just passed away from pancreatic cancer. He was only 56 years old. According to the most recent statistics from the American Cancer Society, approximately 48,960 men and women will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015. Sadly, the majority of pancreatic cancer patients show only vague symptoms of the disease, meaning most are only diagnosed in the advanced stages when chances of survival are quite reduced and is why pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate compared to all other major cancers. Former Anoka County Engineer Paul Ruud also succumbed to the disease in 2008 at age 76. Rest in peace Brian and Paul.
What would you do if you were told you had only a few weeks to live? When Joan Zawoiski Lewis found out she was dying from pancreatic cancer, the grandmother from Pringle, Pa., told family and friends: Don’t make a fuss. Just do something nice for somebody else. Then tell me about it. Not only did her immediate family do as they were asked, people from all 50 states and every continent eventually would heed “Joannie from Pringle,” as her request spread and made the news. Word of good deeds came daily, and Lewis enjoyed reading the accounts again and again. All of this positive energy lifted Joan up.
Then something amazing began to happen. Lewis’s days turned into weeks. After being told in September 2009 that her Stage 4 pancreatic cancer had metastasized to the liver, limiting her lifespan to just weeks or even mere days, Lewis felt well enough to cross off bucket-list items the next month. She floated in a hot air balloon over farms and old barns in Charlottesville, Va., where she lived with daughter Jocelyn. The next week, she stayed in the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan and sat in a second-row seat for a taping of ABC’s The View.
Months turned into a year. Her attitude, natural fortitude and the outpouring of positive response from others enabled her to hang on long enough to undergo—and then tolerate—chemotherapy, says daughter Jacqueline Lewis. “Not only is Miss Joannie still alive one year after her grim prognosis (because of YOU!! And all the good deeds you’ve shared),” states an update on the Joannie from Pringle Facebook page from Oct. 15, 2010, “but last week she was even able to drive again. So keep those cards and letters coming.”
Her luck eventually ran out. Twenty months after her diagnosis, Lewis, 74, passed away in her bed at home surrounded by sweet-scented cut rhododendrons, lilacs and roses. Her 20-month survival was nothing short of miraculous—but it’s not just the length of time which is notable here, but the way in which she achieved it – through gratitude.
We all have issues that we don’t like, but compared to the diagnosis presented to Brian Jones, Paul Ruud or Joan Lewis, most of our problems really pale in comparison. So this Thanksgiving season maybe we can reflect on the good instead of the bad. After all, gratitude can be transformative. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that writing daily about things that make you grateful brings a better sense of well-being and optimism, and appears to lead to better, deeper sleep. And in the case of “Joannie from Pringle”, a longer life despite such grim odds.
So for the four days of your Thanksgiving Holiday, do the following daily: Think of three things that happened that day for which you’re grateful. Jot them down. As days pass, you may notice that you’re now on the lookout throughout the day for reasons to be grateful. You may easily come up with a dozen candidates that you’ll winnow to three for your list—and your attitude will perk up as you start to see the world in a more positive light.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
What would you do if you were told you had only a few weeks to live? When Joan Zawoiski Lewis found out she was dying from pancreatic cancer, the grandmother from Pringle, Pa., told family and friends: Don’t make a fuss. Just do something nice for somebody else. Then tell me about it. Not only did her immediate family do as they were asked, people from all 50 states and every continent eventually would heed “Joannie from Pringle,” as her request spread and made the news. Word of good deeds came daily, and Lewis enjoyed reading the accounts again and again. All of this positive energy lifted Joan up.
Then something amazing began to happen. Lewis’s days turned into weeks. After being told in September 2009 that her Stage 4 pancreatic cancer had metastasized to the liver, limiting her lifespan to just weeks or even mere days, Lewis felt well enough to cross off bucket-list items the next month. She floated in a hot air balloon over farms and old barns in Charlottesville, Va., where she lived with daughter Jocelyn. The next week, she stayed in the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan and sat in a second-row seat for a taping of ABC’s The View.
Months turned into a year. Her attitude, natural fortitude and the outpouring of positive response from others enabled her to hang on long enough to undergo—and then tolerate—chemotherapy, says daughter Jacqueline Lewis. “Not only is Miss Joannie still alive one year after her grim prognosis (because of YOU!! And all the good deeds you’ve shared),” states an update on the Joannie from Pringle Facebook page from Oct. 15, 2010, “but last week she was even able to drive again. So keep those cards and letters coming.”
Her luck eventually ran out. Twenty months after her diagnosis, Lewis, 74, passed away in her bed at home surrounded by sweet-scented cut rhododendrons, lilacs and roses. Her 20-month survival was nothing short of miraculous—but it’s not just the length of time which is notable here, but the way in which she achieved it – through gratitude.
We all have issues that we don’t like, but compared to the diagnosis presented to Brian Jones, Paul Ruud or Joan Lewis, most of our problems really pale in comparison. So this Thanksgiving season maybe we can reflect on the good instead of the bad. After all, gratitude can be transformative. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that writing daily about things that make you grateful brings a better sense of well-being and optimism, and appears to lead to better, deeper sleep. And in the case of “Joannie from Pringle”, a longer life despite such grim odds.
So for the four days of your Thanksgiving Holiday, do the following daily: Think of three things that happened that day for which you’re grateful. Jot them down. As days pass, you may notice that you’re now on the lookout throughout the day for reasons to be grateful. You may easily come up with a dozen candidates that you’ll winnow to three for your list—and your attitude will perk up as you start to see the world in a more positive light.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - September 2015
Can you believe that it is September already?! Where did the summer go? While we may not be ready for the downward movement of the thermometer already, September does usher in a couple of good things too, particularly the brilliant color of the fall foliage and my personal favorite – football! Football to me is one of the greatest of sports for many reasons, but most importantly for a major life lesson that it teaches us. In football, it requires not only a personal commitment to be your best and do your best each and every play, but to also ensure that you are contributing to the overall success of the team. Sometimes this personal and team commitment carries over to off-the-field performance too. I saw this the other day at a Spring Lake Park JV football game. Below is an e-mail I sent to a player’s father and coach to commend the player for what I saw. Here’s the e-mail:
Joel LeVahn and Coach Schlieff,
I’m sure you get plenty of compliments about Jake’s performance on the football field but I want to pass along a compliment about Jake that I witnessed him doing when he didn’t have his pads on. At last Saturday morning’s JV game, Jake and other varsity players came out to watch the game after they were done lifting and going through films. During one of the timeouts on the field no one on the sidelines was bringing water bottles out to the players. Seeing this Jake instantly grabbed a couple of six packs of bottles and ran them out to the players and passed them around. A couple other varsity players then followed suit. Captain of the varsity doing water bottle duty – wow!
Maybe nobody else noticed because Jake didn’t make a big deal of it, but I certainly took notice! Again, Jake’s accomplishments on the field are outstanding and deserving of all the accolades he gets, but his action at the JV game probably revealed more about his character than any tackle or touchdown ever could. He definitely has a bright future ahead of him on and off the field.
Congrats to Jake for his leadership, to you Joel and your wife for raising such an outstanding young man, and to you Coach Schlieff for instilling in your players the real meaning of teamwork and leadership!
Doug Fischer
The end of September also marks the end of our 2014-15 performance evaluation rating period. In October, Transportation Division supervisors will be conducting annual performance reviews with their employees. We will be using a new form this year which we hope will be more useful for both the employee and the supervisor. In the section marked “Interpersonal Skills” we will be rating everyone on three main characteristics: Cooperation, Initiative, and Teamwork & Collaboration. So just like a football player, we will be commenting on both your individual performance achieving the duties outlined in your personal work outcome statement, but also in your ability to work with your fellow employees in achieving the goals of your group, section, department and division.
I know that there are many “Jake LeVahn’s” in our Transportation Division that not only excel in performing their required duties that consistently exceeds job requirements, but also act very unselfishly helping others and doing many duties behind the scenes making sure that the entire organization is successful. And that’s what makes us a winning team!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Joel LeVahn and Coach Schlieff,
I’m sure you get plenty of compliments about Jake’s performance on the football field but I want to pass along a compliment about Jake that I witnessed him doing when he didn’t have his pads on. At last Saturday morning’s JV game, Jake and other varsity players came out to watch the game after they were done lifting and going through films. During one of the timeouts on the field no one on the sidelines was bringing water bottles out to the players. Seeing this Jake instantly grabbed a couple of six packs of bottles and ran them out to the players and passed them around. A couple other varsity players then followed suit. Captain of the varsity doing water bottle duty – wow!
Maybe nobody else noticed because Jake didn’t make a big deal of it, but I certainly took notice! Again, Jake’s accomplishments on the field are outstanding and deserving of all the accolades he gets, but his action at the JV game probably revealed more about his character than any tackle or touchdown ever could. He definitely has a bright future ahead of him on and off the field.
Congrats to Jake for his leadership, to you Joel and your wife for raising such an outstanding young man, and to you Coach Schlieff for instilling in your players the real meaning of teamwork and leadership!
Doug Fischer
The end of September also marks the end of our 2014-15 performance evaluation rating period. In October, Transportation Division supervisors will be conducting annual performance reviews with their employees. We will be using a new form this year which we hope will be more useful for both the employee and the supervisor. In the section marked “Interpersonal Skills” we will be rating everyone on three main characteristics: Cooperation, Initiative, and Teamwork & Collaboration. So just like a football player, we will be commenting on both your individual performance achieving the duties outlined in your personal work outcome statement, but also in your ability to work with your fellow employees in achieving the goals of your group, section, department and division.
I know that there are many “Jake LeVahn’s” in our Transportation Division that not only excel in performing their required duties that consistently exceeds job requirements, but also act very unselfishly helping others and doing many duties behind the scenes making sure that the entire organization is successful. And that’s what makes us a winning team!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - June 2015
This time of year is a time for many student graduations from high school, college and other institutions. Congratulations to all of you moms and dads for raising such outstanding young people! I am very proud to announce that I also had another daughter graduate from high school and will soon be attending Iowa State University (my alma mater) to continue her education. I couldn’t be prouder.
As I was listening to her commencement address, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my high school graduation. Did I heed the commencement speaker’s advice? Did I even remember who the keynote speaker was and what they said? Well, to be honest, I can’t remember who she was, but I do remember one thing she did say, “Carry on, and carry on like you’ve never carried on before!” After 12 years of Catholic schooling, I can assure you I accomplished her advice that first weekend after graduation!
This reflection on my past reminds me that sometimes serious advice can best be remembered if there is a little humor mixed in with it. There have been countless commencement addresses given but most of the advice is soon forgotten. But below is some of that wisdom that has been given at commencement addresses that may have stuck a little better than other just because it was framed with a little humor.
And last but not least…
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
As I was listening to her commencement address, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my high school graduation. Did I heed the commencement speaker’s advice? Did I even remember who the keynote speaker was and what they said? Well, to be honest, I can’t remember who she was, but I do remember one thing she did say, “Carry on, and carry on like you’ve never carried on before!” After 12 years of Catholic schooling, I can assure you I accomplished her advice that first weekend after graduation!
This reflection on my past reminds me that sometimes serious advice can best be remembered if there is a little humor mixed in with it. There have been countless commencement addresses given but most of the advice is soon forgotten. But below is some of that wisdom that has been given at commencement addresses that may have stuck a little better than other just because it was framed with a little humor.
- If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito. - BETTE REESE
- It doesn't matter that your dream came true if you spent your whole life sleeping. - JERRY ZUCKER
- When I was your age, we didn't have the Internet in our pants. We didn't even have the Internet not in our pants. That's how bad it was. - RICHARD COSTOLO
- Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there. - WILL ROGERS
- Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself. - MARK A. COOPER
- You will find the key to success under the alarm clock. - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
- The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places. - UNKNOWN
- We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. - OSCAR WILDE
- If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize how complicated life is. - JOHN VON NEUMANN
- Success is often the result of taking a misstep in the right direction. - AL BERNSTEIN
- Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere. - ERMA BOMBECK
- Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open. - THOMAS DEWAR
- So long as your desire to explore is greater than your desire to not screw up, you're on the right track. - ED HELMS
- Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path then by all means you should follow that. - ELLEN DEGENERES
- The unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective. - JON STEWART
- If you think nobody care if you're alive, try missing a couple of payments. - EARL WILSON
- Just remember, you can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets. – ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
- Go to it. Be bold. Be true. Be kind. Rotate your tires. Don’t drink so much. There aren’t going to be enough liver transplants to go around. - RICHARD RUSSO
- There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs. - UNKNOWN
- You’re going to fall down, but the world doesn’t care how many times you fall down, as long as it’s one fewer than the numbers of times you get back up. - AARON SORKIN
- You will never have more energy or enthusiasm, hair, or brain cells than you have today. - TOM & RAY MAGLIOZZI
- As I am becoming older, the only thing that speeds up is time. - ALAN ALDA
- There’s few things that get you over your own crap more than working hard. - ADAM SAVAGE
- In football we always said that the other team couldn't beat us. We had to be sure that we didn't beat ourselves. And that's what people have to do too -- make sure they don't beat themselves. – WOODY HAYES
- A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that 'individuality' is the key to success. – ROBERT ORBEN
- Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gargle. – ROBERT ANTHONY
- I have never been jealous. Not even when my dad finished fifth grade a year before I did. – JEFF FOXWORTHY
And last but not least…
- High School is a lot like toilet paper. You only miss it when it’s gone. - UNKNOWN
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - May 2015
Well the Minnesota Wild playoff march has just come to a screeching halt, but what a season! Midway through the season making the playoffs seemed like an impossibility. But then the trade was made for goalie Devan Dubnyk and all that changed. Dubnyk is now the toast of the town and there is real hope that the Wild are only a few pieces away from getting to the next level. But as popular as Dubnyk is right now, could you recognize him if he wasn’t on the ice?
It’s somewhat of a comic twist that goalies are often more recognized by their masks than their actual features. If the National Hockey League’s net minders were called into a police lineup, it might be difficult to recognize more than a handful by face. When a goaltender takes off his helmet, he can blend into a crowd like the nameless masses waiting at a busy subway station.
A goaltender’s mask serves as a literal mixed metaphor: it protects them from the outside world, while the paint job serves as a window into the man’s personality or represent what he finds important in his life outside the game. For goaltender Devan Dubnyk, his Minnesota Wild mask is a brief glance at his past, present and future. On the front is a large emblem of the team. The sides are documented with snaking animations of a fierce giraffe, his nickname from junior hockey. On the back plate is a picture of his 19-month-old son, Nathaniel. A few inches to the left of the photo of his son, Dubnyk’s mask is marked with a pink ribbon. The decal is in honor of his mother, Barb, who is a breast cancer survivor.
So what does this all have to do with the Transportation Division? Just like goalies are faceless heroes of their team, our Transportation Division is also comprised of many men and women who go about their business making vital contributions to the team, yet remain “faceless” to the public. Just like 100 mph pucks coming at a goalie, we have countless issues to handle every day, sometimes at a moment’s notice. We all have numerous responsibilities that we need to tend to every day without letting them slip by us. And just like Devan Dubnyk’s outstanding performance, this is something we do very, very well. Or in other words, the “puck” stops here!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
It’s somewhat of a comic twist that goalies are often more recognized by their masks than their actual features. If the National Hockey League’s net minders were called into a police lineup, it might be difficult to recognize more than a handful by face. When a goaltender takes off his helmet, he can blend into a crowd like the nameless masses waiting at a busy subway station.
A goaltender’s mask serves as a literal mixed metaphor: it protects them from the outside world, while the paint job serves as a window into the man’s personality or represent what he finds important in his life outside the game. For goaltender Devan Dubnyk, his Minnesota Wild mask is a brief glance at his past, present and future. On the front is a large emblem of the team. The sides are documented with snaking animations of a fierce giraffe, his nickname from junior hockey. On the back plate is a picture of his 19-month-old son, Nathaniel. A few inches to the left of the photo of his son, Dubnyk’s mask is marked with a pink ribbon. The decal is in honor of his mother, Barb, who is a breast cancer survivor.
So what does this all have to do with the Transportation Division? Just like goalies are faceless heroes of their team, our Transportation Division is also comprised of many men and women who go about their business making vital contributions to the team, yet remain “faceless” to the public. Just like 100 mph pucks coming at a goalie, we have countless issues to handle every day, sometimes at a moment’s notice. We all have numerous responsibilities that we need to tend to every day without letting them slip by us. And just like Devan Dubnyk’s outstanding performance, this is something we do very, very well. Or in other words, the “puck” stops here!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - April 2015
If you’re like me, your March Madness bracket was a loser after the first weekend. But did I stop watching the NCAA basketball tournament just because I was out of the running to win my pool? No, of course not! Watching these young athletes compete in the public spotlight is pretty inspiring. Everyone is watching – for good or for bad.
As I think about this, it kind of reminds me how many of the things that we do that are in the “public spotlight” as well. There are many arm-chair quarterbacks out there that are watching – for good or for bad – whether we like it or not.
But not all of our work is on public display. Most of what we do is behind the scenes. In fact, a lot of what we do each day may not get noticed by anyone but yourself. So this begs the question: “How Would You Perform Your Job If No One Ever Knew?” I recently came across a blog from Mary Rau-Foster, author of the Monday Motivating Moment that talks about this that I would like to share with you.
What happens when others do less than is expected? What is our reaction? Our expectations for the performance of others may be very high. In many cases, we would not settle for less than the best.
We expect airplane mechanics to do their jobs because passenger’s lives depend on it. We expect a nurse or doctor to do their best because our health and well-being depends upon it. We expect a sports player to do his or her best because we have paid to be entertained. Yet, we may feel as though doing less than the best in our jobs will not matter. But it does.
Why do we do less than our best at work? When there may seem to be a lack of resources, time, money and people, we may look for ways to cut corners to make ends meet. This can result in a reduction in the quality of our product or service. We may relieve our burden of guilt by thinking that no one will ever know that we did less than the best job.
How do you know if you have truly done your best under the circumstances? Think of your work as a canvas upon which you create a painting. Would you be willing to sign your name to that canvas and display it for all to see? Would you do so with pride or with guilt?
The tools that we use to do our jobs are those of values, ethics and principles. These tools are with us in every aspect of our lives, however some people use their tools only when it’s convenient and when using them does not require some extra effort on their part. It is when there is a spotlight on our work that the tools of our personal values, ethics and principles are highlighted and seen by others.
How would you feel about being in the spotlight? Would you want your co-workers and children to duplicate your attitude, principles and work ethics?
Why should we do a good job when no one seems to notice or when others around us do not even try to do a good job? It takes self-discipline to curtail any desire to slack off on the job. Just because others are doing less than their best does not mean that you should follow suit. Here are some tips that may help:
At the end of the day, when our duties for the day are over with, there is one person who knows what kind of job that we did… the person staring back at us in the mirror.
Thanks Mary for the very inspirational and motivating advice. No there isn’t anything I can do to make my basketball bracket any better, but I still have control on how I do my job each and every day. And like the famous sports brand motto goes: Play like a Champion today!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
As I think about this, it kind of reminds me how many of the things that we do that are in the “public spotlight” as well. There are many arm-chair quarterbacks out there that are watching – for good or for bad – whether we like it or not.
But not all of our work is on public display. Most of what we do is behind the scenes. In fact, a lot of what we do each day may not get noticed by anyone but yourself. So this begs the question: “How Would You Perform Your Job If No One Ever Knew?” I recently came across a blog from Mary Rau-Foster, author of the Monday Motivating Moment that talks about this that I would like to share with you.
What happens when others do less than is expected? What is our reaction? Our expectations for the performance of others may be very high. In many cases, we would not settle for less than the best.
We expect airplane mechanics to do their jobs because passenger’s lives depend on it. We expect a nurse or doctor to do their best because our health and well-being depends upon it. We expect a sports player to do his or her best because we have paid to be entertained. Yet, we may feel as though doing less than the best in our jobs will not matter. But it does.
Why do we do less than our best at work? When there may seem to be a lack of resources, time, money and people, we may look for ways to cut corners to make ends meet. This can result in a reduction in the quality of our product or service. We may relieve our burden of guilt by thinking that no one will ever know that we did less than the best job.
How do you know if you have truly done your best under the circumstances? Think of your work as a canvas upon which you create a painting. Would you be willing to sign your name to that canvas and display it for all to see? Would you do so with pride or with guilt?
The tools that we use to do our jobs are those of values, ethics and principles. These tools are with us in every aspect of our lives, however some people use their tools only when it’s convenient and when using them does not require some extra effort on their part. It is when there is a spotlight on our work that the tools of our personal values, ethics and principles are highlighted and seen by others.
How would you feel about being in the spotlight? Would you want your co-workers and children to duplicate your attitude, principles and work ethics?
Why should we do a good job when no one seems to notice or when others around us do not even try to do a good job? It takes self-discipline to curtail any desire to slack off on the job. Just because others are doing less than their best does not mean that you should follow suit. Here are some tips that may help:
- Do the job in a manner that you personally would be satisfied with the end result.
- Don’t allow the low values and poor work ethics of others to become yours.
- Pat yourself on the back for a job well done, even if no one else seems to acknowledge your good job.
- Ask for feedback from your supervisor about your performance.
- Do a good job only because it is your “right” thing to do, knowing that you will never be embarrassed or worried about how you performed your job.
- Mentally sign your name to each project completed or task performed.
- Ask yourself if you would want your spouse, significant other, children, parents or friends to see what kind of job you did.
At the end of the day, when our duties for the day are over with, there is one person who knows what kind of job that we did… the person staring back at us in the mirror.
Thanks Mary for the very inspirational and motivating advice. No there isn’t anything I can do to make my basketball bracket any better, but I still have control on how I do my job each and every day. And like the famous sports brand motto goes: Play like a Champion today!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - March 2015
What’s your favorite day of the week? For me, it would have to be Fridays. Why Fridays? Well beside it being a payday every other week, I like it because even though I have to get up and go to work on Fridays I still have the entire weekend waiting ahead of me. When I wake up Saturday morning, the weekend is already slipping away and by Sunday, just when I am almost fully decompressed, my stress meter fires back up thinking about all that needs to get done the next week. But on Fridays, I know that a full 48 hours of R&R are right around the corner.
In a way, the month of March is kind of like my Fridays. Still not quite done with winter but I still have 100% of the spring, summer and fall to look forward to. March gives us plenty of signs that we have survived another Minnesota winter and that better days are just ahead. What are some of these signs? High school hockey and basketball tournaments, college hoop’s March Madness, and the start of Daylight Saving Time. But another sign of spring in the Transportation Division, especially in the Highway Department, are potholes, highway spring weight restrictions, the availability of hot mix from St. Paul, and the advertising of bids for new construction projects!
With regards to going out for construction bids, I’m holding my breath. Probably the only good thing about the recession that we recently went through is that construction costs were very good. But this “construction honeymoon” as I like to call it is over. With over $48 million in construction work going out for bids this year, we’ll soon see if we can deliver this much or if adjustments will have to be made as we go along. Assuming everything goes according to schedule, we will be constructing a new interchange on TH 10 at Armstrong Boulevard, constructing our first three roundabouts – two on Bridge Street in St. Francis and one on Broadway at Kettle River in Columbus, whitetopping Viking Boulevard between Flamingo and University in Oak Grove, and many other resurfacing projects throughout the county. If you add in the work that we perform with our own crews including bridge repairs, culvert replacements, signal upgrades, signing, striping, shouldering, tree clearing, etc., there won’t be ANY county highway that doesn’t get touched this year.
But before I start stressing myself out, it’s still only March and all of this will occur later this spring, summer and fall. We have the full construction season ahead of us and most of the snow season behind us. March is looking better and better all the time!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
In a way, the month of March is kind of like my Fridays. Still not quite done with winter but I still have 100% of the spring, summer and fall to look forward to. March gives us plenty of signs that we have survived another Minnesota winter and that better days are just ahead. What are some of these signs? High school hockey and basketball tournaments, college hoop’s March Madness, and the start of Daylight Saving Time. But another sign of spring in the Transportation Division, especially in the Highway Department, are potholes, highway spring weight restrictions, the availability of hot mix from St. Paul, and the advertising of bids for new construction projects!
With regards to going out for construction bids, I’m holding my breath. Probably the only good thing about the recession that we recently went through is that construction costs were very good. But this “construction honeymoon” as I like to call it is over. With over $48 million in construction work going out for bids this year, we’ll soon see if we can deliver this much or if adjustments will have to be made as we go along. Assuming everything goes according to schedule, we will be constructing a new interchange on TH 10 at Armstrong Boulevard, constructing our first three roundabouts – two on Bridge Street in St. Francis and one on Broadway at Kettle River in Columbus, whitetopping Viking Boulevard between Flamingo and University in Oak Grove, and many other resurfacing projects throughout the county. If you add in the work that we perform with our own crews including bridge repairs, culvert replacements, signal upgrades, signing, striping, shouldering, tree clearing, etc., there won’t be ANY county highway that doesn’t get touched this year.
But before I start stressing myself out, it’s still only March and all of this will occur later this spring, summer and fall. We have the full construction season ahead of us and most of the snow season behind us. March is looking better and better all the time!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - February 2015
SuperBowl XLIX (49) is now in the record books. In my mind, this was one of the most exciting games start to end that we’ve seen in a long time. Both the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots played well in all aspects of the game: offense, defense and special teams. It was a back and forth affair that wasn’t decided until the final seconds ticked off the clock. But this SuperBowl will probably be remembered for one thing: “The Call”.
In case you didn’t see the game, here’s what happened: The Seahawks were down 24 to 28, but in true Seahawks fashion, they got possession of the ball and they were able to get within 2 yards of the goal line to score the go-ahead touchdown in the last minute of the game. In fact, they had second down and goal, one timeout left, and 40 seconds on the clock. Except, rather than handing the ball off to All-Pro Marshawn Lynch (one of the best backs in the league) they threw the ball and it was intercepted by the Patriots. Game over!
Make no mistake about it: While there other mistakes in Super Bowl XLIX than one flawed coaching decision (The Call), that decision absolutely deserves to be ranked as one of the most boneheaded moves in professional sports history. That said, I’d argue that its notoriety is actually a good thing, since it can teach us a couple of very valuable and oft-overlooked lessons. At their best, football games can be metaphors for universal life lessons. So what can we learn from all of this? Here’s my take on it:
Lesson #1: Stick to the Basics When the Goal is Right in Front of You
So let’s look at how this situation could easily happen in real life. Many times when you work towards a goal, it takes longer to accomplish it than you think. Lots of long hours, hard work, dedication and commitment are put in to achieve what you set out to do. During the process, you may learn a new technique or time-saving tool or find another way to do things that you incorporate into your own system of getting things done - much like the Seahawks, who relied on Marshawn Lynch to get the ball across the goal line – something he is very good at. Yet, when you get to the point where your goal is in reach and you see the finish line right in front of you, rather than relying on what has carried you through up to this point, you pull out a totally new strategy or technique, and before you know it, you forget the systematic process and opt for the “quick” way. But to your surprise and utter disappointment, that quick and easy move could cost you several hours, weeks, or even years of work because it was simply the wrong action to take at that particular time. Or to put it another way, sometimes it’s best to just use common sense. The overwhelming likelihood is that their mistake was simply that of overthinking a straightforward situation and keep going with what got them there in the first place.
Lesson #2: Taking the Blame is Just as Important as Taking the Credit
Even though the Seahawks didn’t win the Super Bowl game, they are still winners in my book. Why? Because of their coach’s response after the game. When asked why the call was made to throw instead of run the ball Seahawks Coach, Pete Carroll, said “It was my fault…”we” made the call…” Now that’s true leadership. He could easily have passed the blame to the offensive coordinator (Darrell Bevel) or to the quarterback (Russell Wilson) or anyone else who may have been involved in making that call. But he didn’t do that. Instead of blaming everyone else, he took responsibility and owned the mistake. And that’s the lesson here: You will make mistakes in life and at work – you’ll make a bad call or have a lapse in judgment. The way to get on top of your mistakes so you can move forward is to own them, and most importantly, learn from them. I’m pretty sure the Seahawks (and everyone else) have learned a valuable lesson from the mistake that very well cost them the biggest game of the season.
So in summary, SuperBowl XLIX has taught us a couple of valuable life lessons. Stick to the basics of what works for you (aka use common sense), but if you do make a mistake, own it and learn from it. Maybe our Minnesota Vikings can learn a little from this too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
In case you didn’t see the game, here’s what happened: The Seahawks were down 24 to 28, but in true Seahawks fashion, they got possession of the ball and they were able to get within 2 yards of the goal line to score the go-ahead touchdown in the last minute of the game. In fact, they had second down and goal, one timeout left, and 40 seconds on the clock. Except, rather than handing the ball off to All-Pro Marshawn Lynch (one of the best backs in the league) they threw the ball and it was intercepted by the Patriots. Game over!
Make no mistake about it: While there other mistakes in Super Bowl XLIX than one flawed coaching decision (The Call), that decision absolutely deserves to be ranked as one of the most boneheaded moves in professional sports history. That said, I’d argue that its notoriety is actually a good thing, since it can teach us a couple of very valuable and oft-overlooked lessons. At their best, football games can be metaphors for universal life lessons. So what can we learn from all of this? Here’s my take on it:
Lesson #1: Stick to the Basics When the Goal is Right in Front of You
So let’s look at how this situation could easily happen in real life. Many times when you work towards a goal, it takes longer to accomplish it than you think. Lots of long hours, hard work, dedication and commitment are put in to achieve what you set out to do. During the process, you may learn a new technique or time-saving tool or find another way to do things that you incorporate into your own system of getting things done - much like the Seahawks, who relied on Marshawn Lynch to get the ball across the goal line – something he is very good at. Yet, when you get to the point where your goal is in reach and you see the finish line right in front of you, rather than relying on what has carried you through up to this point, you pull out a totally new strategy or technique, and before you know it, you forget the systematic process and opt for the “quick” way. But to your surprise and utter disappointment, that quick and easy move could cost you several hours, weeks, or even years of work because it was simply the wrong action to take at that particular time. Or to put it another way, sometimes it’s best to just use common sense. The overwhelming likelihood is that their mistake was simply that of overthinking a straightforward situation and keep going with what got them there in the first place.
Lesson #2: Taking the Blame is Just as Important as Taking the Credit
Even though the Seahawks didn’t win the Super Bowl game, they are still winners in my book. Why? Because of their coach’s response after the game. When asked why the call was made to throw instead of run the ball Seahawks Coach, Pete Carroll, said “It was my fault…”we” made the call…” Now that’s true leadership. He could easily have passed the blame to the offensive coordinator (Darrell Bevel) or to the quarterback (Russell Wilson) or anyone else who may have been involved in making that call. But he didn’t do that. Instead of blaming everyone else, he took responsibility and owned the mistake. And that’s the lesson here: You will make mistakes in life and at work – you’ll make a bad call or have a lapse in judgment. The way to get on top of your mistakes so you can move forward is to own them, and most importantly, learn from them. I’m pretty sure the Seahawks (and everyone else) have learned a valuable lesson from the mistake that very well cost them the biggest game of the season.
So in summary, SuperBowl XLIX has taught us a couple of valuable life lessons. Stick to the basics of what works for you (aka use common sense), but if you do make a mistake, own it and learn from it. Maybe our Minnesota Vikings can learn a little from this too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - January 2015
Happy New Year! Did 2014 fly by or what?! As I write this article in late December, it’s nice to review my goals from 2014 and think about new goals for 2015. If you know me, I’m big into goal setting. For me, it’s the surest way to achieve the quality and quantity of success that I want to accomplish. What is the most common trait amongst the world’s superachievers? Nearly 100 percent of them have clear goals expressed in a thoughtfully crafted document detailing their plans to achieve them. What percent of the population actually does this? Three percent!
If I gave you thirty minutes to choose four areas of your life you would like to improve I bet most of you would center on these four areas: 1. Financial; 2. Relationship(s); 3. Spiritual; and 4. Health. Well that being said, I would like to share an article with you by Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success magazine, that gives you the greatest secret for not only achieving your health goal, but really to achieve all of your goals.
The greatest fitness secret ever!
Let me come right on out and give you what I think is the greatest secret to staying fit through exercise. In fact, I think it is the greatest secret to any achievement in life. In exercise, it is just revealed physically.
The secret is consistency.
Lack of consistency is the subtle but great stealer of all dreams, goals, and ambitions. This stop and start process is what kills progress in any pursuit. You can ultimately accomplish what seems like incredible, extraordinary results in short spurts. But if it’s not continued, it’s all ultimately for nothing.
Here’s what it’s like, and this is an analogy I picked up from the late great Zig Ziglar: Think about pumping a well. Back in the old times. Remember, you go to the well, and the water table is far below ground level. So in order to get the water up the well, you took the lever and you had to pump. And you have to pump like crazy. I mean, you have to pump hard for a sustained period of time with no evidence that water was coming.
Here’s what happens to most people when they start their exercise program. They’re excited. They buy the gym membership, they get all the Lululemon going right, and they take the lever. And they pump it really hard. Well if they don’t find results in a week or two, they don’t look like the Victoria Secrets models or the Calvin Klein underwear model within a couple of weeks, they let go of the lever thinking that it’s not working. And they never get any results. Or in the pump analogy, they never get any water from the well.
The objective is to take the lever and pump it really hard, and keep pumping it hard. And you’re going to keep pumping it extremely hard for what seems like a significant period of time with no results. But if you keep pumping and you keep pumping and you keep pumping over a long sustained period of time, ultimately you get a few drops.
Now this is what really frustrates people when they start their new exercise program. They’ll be pumping like crazy for a long period of time, and then they think: “A couple of drops? A couple of pounds? All this work, for all this time and I only lost a couple of pounds?? What is this? This is CRAZY. It’s not working. Maybe this isn’t for me.” And they give up altogether.
The secret is to keep pumping. And keep pumping hard. Ultimately the water will run fluid, and you will start to see the results from this aggressive effort that you have maintained over a long period of time. But then, here’s the real secret. This is the greatest secret to all exercise and to maintaining perfect weight management.
You’ve got the lever.
You’ve got flowing water.
Keep pumping the lever.
Now, here’s the key: You don’t have to pump it as hard. Water has passed above the ground. Now you can ease up a little and just keep a sustained effort on the lever: consistent motion.
The great philosopher (and actor) Will Smith was asked how he gets in such great shape before his blockbuster movie roles. He said, “It’s easier to STAY in shape than it is to get in shape.” So true.
If you stay consistent, I promise you, it’s easy. It’s easy to have great health, a great physique, a great body. But the key is just staying consistent. Keep the lever moving.
I challenge and urge all of you to take the time to thoughtfully contemplate your true life’s desires and chart a proper course to take your life in that direction. Don’t be like the 97% that spend more time making a grocery list than they do writing their life’s goals. Get started now and like Darren says above, “Keep pumping”!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
If I gave you thirty minutes to choose four areas of your life you would like to improve I bet most of you would center on these four areas: 1. Financial; 2. Relationship(s); 3. Spiritual; and 4. Health. Well that being said, I would like to share an article with you by Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success magazine, that gives you the greatest secret for not only achieving your health goal, but really to achieve all of your goals.
The greatest fitness secret ever!
Let me come right on out and give you what I think is the greatest secret to staying fit through exercise. In fact, I think it is the greatest secret to any achievement in life. In exercise, it is just revealed physically.
The secret is consistency.
Lack of consistency is the subtle but great stealer of all dreams, goals, and ambitions. This stop and start process is what kills progress in any pursuit. You can ultimately accomplish what seems like incredible, extraordinary results in short spurts. But if it’s not continued, it’s all ultimately for nothing.
Here’s what it’s like, and this is an analogy I picked up from the late great Zig Ziglar: Think about pumping a well. Back in the old times. Remember, you go to the well, and the water table is far below ground level. So in order to get the water up the well, you took the lever and you had to pump. And you have to pump like crazy. I mean, you have to pump hard for a sustained period of time with no evidence that water was coming.
Here’s what happens to most people when they start their exercise program. They’re excited. They buy the gym membership, they get all the Lululemon going right, and they take the lever. And they pump it really hard. Well if they don’t find results in a week or two, they don’t look like the Victoria Secrets models or the Calvin Klein underwear model within a couple of weeks, they let go of the lever thinking that it’s not working. And they never get any results. Or in the pump analogy, they never get any water from the well.
The objective is to take the lever and pump it really hard, and keep pumping it hard. And you’re going to keep pumping it extremely hard for what seems like a significant period of time with no results. But if you keep pumping and you keep pumping and you keep pumping over a long sustained period of time, ultimately you get a few drops.
Now this is what really frustrates people when they start their new exercise program. They’ll be pumping like crazy for a long period of time, and then they think: “A couple of drops? A couple of pounds? All this work, for all this time and I only lost a couple of pounds?? What is this? This is CRAZY. It’s not working. Maybe this isn’t for me.” And they give up altogether.
The secret is to keep pumping. And keep pumping hard. Ultimately the water will run fluid, and you will start to see the results from this aggressive effort that you have maintained over a long period of time. But then, here’s the real secret. This is the greatest secret to all exercise and to maintaining perfect weight management.
You’ve got the lever.
You’ve got flowing water.
Keep pumping the lever.
Now, here’s the key: You don’t have to pump it as hard. Water has passed above the ground. Now you can ease up a little and just keep a sustained effort on the lever: consistent motion.
The great philosopher (and actor) Will Smith was asked how he gets in such great shape before his blockbuster movie roles. He said, “It’s easier to STAY in shape than it is to get in shape.” So true.
If you stay consistent, I promise you, it’s easy. It’s easy to have great health, a great physique, a great body. But the key is just staying consistent. Keep the lever moving.
I challenge and urge all of you to take the time to thoughtfully contemplate your true life’s desires and chart a proper course to take your life in that direction. Don’t be like the 97% that spend more time making a grocery list than they do writing their life’s goals. Get started now and like Darren says above, “Keep pumping”!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - December 2014
During this holiday season, I thought it would be fun to dust off my old revised rendition of Clement Clarke Moore’s, “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. Enjoy!
A Highway Department Christmas
'Twas the night before a blizzard, when all through the shop
not a piece of equipment was stirring, not even a mop.
The truck keys were hung in the garage with care
in hopes that a foot of snow soon would be there.
The operators were at home all snug in their beds,
while visions of overtime danced in their heads.
With Christenson checking radar, and Holzknecht on the road,
I knew we were in for quite a load.
When out on the highway there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutter, and threw up the sash.
The wind was a-howling, here came the snow
and to make it worse, it was 5 degrees below,
when, what to my wondering eyes should arrive,
but a fleet of trucks and operators to drive.
They jumped into action, like a hunter with a bounty,
I knew in a moment it must Anoka County.
More rapid than eagles the drivers they came,
and Faulhaber cell phoned, and called them by name:
Now, Plemon! Now, Stark!
Now, Tiede and Anderson, G.!
On, Kiefer! On Lofgren!
On, Malecek and Anderson, T.!
Start up those trucks!
Do not stall!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!
As the mechanics prepared the fleet with all their know-how,
pumped in the diesel, mounted the plow.
So out the highways the 49er’s they flew,
with the truck full of salt, and a brine tank too.
And then, in a squawk, I heard on the 2-way,
“It looks like a tough one, let’s get in the fray.”
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
down the highway plow trucks came with a bound.
They were all orange, metal and steel,
and the plow blades scraped the road with such a squeal.
A dozen strobe lights lit up the night,
oh how they twinkled! What a sight!
The blue smoke from the exhaust did blow
and the salt in the box was as white as the snow.
The butt of a cigarette a driver had tight in his teeth
and the smoke it encircled his head just like a wreath.
He had a serious face and a lot of guts;
poured a mug full of coffee and had a donut (with nuts).
He was determined and fearless, fully trained I suspect,
and I nodded when I saw him, to pay my respect.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
The 49ers spoke not a word, but went straight to their work;
checked all the hoses, tightened clamps with a jerk.
And driving their trucks off into the night
I knew all would be OK, even given the plight.
Commuters have no worry, there is nothing to fret.
Anoka County has the best drivers I’m willing to bet!
And I heard them exclaim, as they drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
I hope that maybe this helped bring a little joy into your hectic holiday season. Thank you and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’s to you and yours!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
A Highway Department Christmas
'Twas the night before a blizzard, when all through the shop
not a piece of equipment was stirring, not even a mop.
The truck keys were hung in the garage with care
in hopes that a foot of snow soon would be there.
The operators were at home all snug in their beds,
while visions of overtime danced in their heads.
With Christenson checking radar, and Holzknecht on the road,
I knew we were in for quite a load.
When out on the highway there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutter, and threw up the sash.
The wind was a-howling, here came the snow
and to make it worse, it was 5 degrees below,
when, what to my wondering eyes should arrive,
but a fleet of trucks and operators to drive.
They jumped into action, like a hunter with a bounty,
I knew in a moment it must Anoka County.
More rapid than eagles the drivers they came,
and Faulhaber cell phoned, and called them by name:
Now, Plemon! Now, Stark!
Now, Tiede and Anderson, G.!
On, Kiefer! On Lofgren!
On, Malecek and Anderson, T.!
Start up those trucks!
Do not stall!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!
As the mechanics prepared the fleet with all their know-how,
pumped in the diesel, mounted the plow.
So out the highways the 49er’s they flew,
with the truck full of salt, and a brine tank too.
And then, in a squawk, I heard on the 2-way,
“It looks like a tough one, let’s get in the fray.”
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
down the highway plow trucks came with a bound.
They were all orange, metal and steel,
and the plow blades scraped the road with such a squeal.
A dozen strobe lights lit up the night,
oh how they twinkled! What a sight!
The blue smoke from the exhaust did blow
and the salt in the box was as white as the snow.
The butt of a cigarette a driver had tight in his teeth
and the smoke it encircled his head just like a wreath.
He had a serious face and a lot of guts;
poured a mug full of coffee and had a donut (with nuts).
He was determined and fearless, fully trained I suspect,
and I nodded when I saw him, to pay my respect.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
The 49ers spoke not a word, but went straight to their work;
checked all the hoses, tightened clamps with a jerk.
And driving their trucks off into the night
I knew all would be OK, even given the plight.
Commuters have no worry, there is nothing to fret.
Anoka County has the best drivers I’m willing to bet!
And I heard them exclaim, as they drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
I hope that maybe this helped bring a little joy into your hectic holiday season. Thank you and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’s to you and yours!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - November 2014
Even though the weather makes it feel more like Christmas than Thanksgiving, I am very happy that we are celebrating Thanksgiving next week. While practically nothing beats family, food and football in large portions, it is also a great day to reflect on what we have and to be thankful for those gifts. With this in mind, I would like to share with you an article I read recently by Darren Hardy, publisher of SUCCESS magazine and New York Times bestselling author of The Compound Effect and Living Your Best Year Ever: A Proven Formula for Achieving Big Goals, that pretty much sums up how I feel about Thanksgiving. Here it is.
Thanksgiving—I love it! To me it’s the best holiday of the year. Why? Thanksgiving doesn’t require you to dress up in pastels and crawl around on your hands and knees looking for rotting eggs. There is no expectation of chocolate, flowers or jewels; no pretension of fireworks; no pomp of caroling, and it doesn’t require you to come bearing a sleigh full of freshly fought for and bought gifts.
Nope, Thanksgiving is simple and virtuous. It is only about family, gratitude and food. All you are asked to do is to gather with the people you care about most, share a meal and express your thanks. Wow, that’s wonderful!
Thanksgiving has always been special to me and I take it to heart. While we pursue our goals, we can become overly consumed with what isn’t right, what’s lacking and all the obstacles and the setbacks along the way. It’s natural, while we are trying to slay dragons all day every day that our attention gets filled with dragons and all the attacks the dragons are throwing at us. In the midst of it, you can forget to stop, step back and take an inventory of the progress you have made and the triumphs you have accumulated.
Take a day, THE day and hit the pause button. Sit back and focus on all that is positive, beautiful and wonderful in your life. Take an inventory of all you have to be thankful for and let it empower and embolden you. So, when you hit the play button, you are more powerful and brazen than ever before with the knowledge of how truly fortunate you really are.
Believe me, there is nothing more inspiring when than to shift your focus from what is lacking to the abundance and the gifts unique to you.
There is nothing more powerful in the pursuit of who you want to become than to be grateful for whom you already are. While you take inventory of all that you have to be thankful for in your life, be sure to acknowledge the people who have contributed to your life's fulfillment the most.
“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”—Albert Schweitzer
”Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.”—G.B. Stern
“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.”—William James
“Be thankful for what you’ve got OR… who does not thank for little will not thank for much.”—Estonian Proverb
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”—John F. Kennedy
“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.”—Oprah Winfrey
Thanks Darren for this great message. Let me close by taking this occasion to thank YOU. Thank you for giving all of your time and talents to your department, our division and the county. Thank you for giving of yourselves to each other to make this a great place to work. Thank you for all you do to serve the public respectfully and professionally. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Thanksgiving—I love it! To me it’s the best holiday of the year. Why? Thanksgiving doesn’t require you to dress up in pastels and crawl around on your hands and knees looking for rotting eggs. There is no expectation of chocolate, flowers or jewels; no pretension of fireworks; no pomp of caroling, and it doesn’t require you to come bearing a sleigh full of freshly fought for and bought gifts.
Nope, Thanksgiving is simple and virtuous. It is only about family, gratitude and food. All you are asked to do is to gather with the people you care about most, share a meal and express your thanks. Wow, that’s wonderful!
Thanksgiving has always been special to me and I take it to heart. While we pursue our goals, we can become overly consumed with what isn’t right, what’s lacking and all the obstacles and the setbacks along the way. It’s natural, while we are trying to slay dragons all day every day that our attention gets filled with dragons and all the attacks the dragons are throwing at us. In the midst of it, you can forget to stop, step back and take an inventory of the progress you have made and the triumphs you have accumulated.
Take a day, THE day and hit the pause button. Sit back and focus on all that is positive, beautiful and wonderful in your life. Take an inventory of all you have to be thankful for and let it empower and embolden you. So, when you hit the play button, you are more powerful and brazen than ever before with the knowledge of how truly fortunate you really are.
Believe me, there is nothing more inspiring when than to shift your focus from what is lacking to the abundance and the gifts unique to you.
There is nothing more powerful in the pursuit of who you want to become than to be grateful for whom you already are. While you take inventory of all that you have to be thankful for in your life, be sure to acknowledge the people who have contributed to your life's fulfillment the most.
“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”—Albert Schweitzer
- Who has helped shape your life over the last few years? Which teachers, mentors, speakers/authors, parents, children, friends, religious leaders, etc., influence your life?
- Who has been helpful to you; whom have you relied on? What about administrative staff, business associates, suppliers, employer/employees, co-workers and neighbors?
- Who has added a little joy in your life? Who makes your life easier, more convenient, more joyful or enjoyable? A nephew/niece, neighborhood kid, bellman, newspaper carrier, yeah—even the perky girl who serves you your Starbuck's fix in the morning?
”Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.”—G.B. Stern
“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.”—William James
“Be thankful for what you’ve got OR… who does not thank for little will not thank for much.”—Estonian Proverb
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”—John F. Kennedy
“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.”—Oprah Winfrey
Thanks Darren for this great message. Let me close by taking this occasion to thank YOU. Thank you for giving all of your time and talents to your department, our division and the county. Thank you for giving of yourselves to each other to make this a great place to work. Thank you for all you do to serve the public respectfully and professionally. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - October 2014
Stress. A little of it is good, too much is bad, and understanding it can be everything. Are you stressed? If we learn about the upside to stress and how you can harness everyday anxiety, life will definitely be more manageable and enjoyable. Author and speaker Denis Waitley shares three guidelines to transform negative anxiety into positive success. Follow these rules and take action now to let go of your stress.
1. Accept the unchangeable. Everything that has happened in your life to this minute is unchangeable. It’s history. The greatest waste of energy is looking back at missed opportunities and lamenting past events. Grudge collecting, getting even, harboring ill will and vengeful thinking do no good. Success is the only acceptable form of revenge. By forgiving your trespassers—whoever or whatever they are—you become free to concentrate on going forward with your life and succeeding in spite of those detractors. You will live a rewarding and fulfilling life. Your enemies, on the other hand, will forever wonder how you went on to become so successful without them and in the shadow of their doubts. Action idea: Write down on a sheet of paper things that happened in the past that bother you. Now crumple the paper into a ball and throw it. Really. This symbolizes letting go of past misfortunes.
2. Change the changeable. Change your reaction to what others say and do, and you can control your own thoughts and actions by dwelling on desired results instead of the penalties of failure. The only real control you have in life is your immediate thought and action, and because most of what we do is a reflex—a subconscious habit—it’s wise not to act on emotional impulse. In personal relations, it is better to wait a moment until reason has the opportunity to compete with your emotions. Action idea: Write down one thing you will do tomorrow to help you relax more during and after a stressful day.
3. Avoid the unacceptable. Go out of your way to get out of the way of intolerable or perilous behaviors and environments. Take these examples: When people tailgate you on the freeway, change lanes. When there are loud, obnoxious people next to you at a restaurant, change tables or move locations. When someone is being a Debbie Downer, complaining about this and that, excuse yourself and walk away. Always be on the alert for negative situations that can be dangerous to your health, personal safety, financial speculation and emotional relationships. Action idea: What is one unacceptable habit you or others have that you will avoid starting tomorrow?
Is the above too much to remember on your already full plate of to-do’s? The above kind of reminds me of the Serenity Prayer authored by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Here’s wishing you the very best for a stress-free life!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
1. Accept the unchangeable. Everything that has happened in your life to this minute is unchangeable. It’s history. The greatest waste of energy is looking back at missed opportunities and lamenting past events. Grudge collecting, getting even, harboring ill will and vengeful thinking do no good. Success is the only acceptable form of revenge. By forgiving your trespassers—whoever or whatever they are—you become free to concentrate on going forward with your life and succeeding in spite of those detractors. You will live a rewarding and fulfilling life. Your enemies, on the other hand, will forever wonder how you went on to become so successful without them and in the shadow of their doubts. Action idea: Write down on a sheet of paper things that happened in the past that bother you. Now crumple the paper into a ball and throw it. Really. This symbolizes letting go of past misfortunes.
2. Change the changeable. Change your reaction to what others say and do, and you can control your own thoughts and actions by dwelling on desired results instead of the penalties of failure. The only real control you have in life is your immediate thought and action, and because most of what we do is a reflex—a subconscious habit—it’s wise not to act on emotional impulse. In personal relations, it is better to wait a moment until reason has the opportunity to compete with your emotions. Action idea: Write down one thing you will do tomorrow to help you relax more during and after a stressful day.
3. Avoid the unacceptable. Go out of your way to get out of the way of intolerable or perilous behaviors and environments. Take these examples: When people tailgate you on the freeway, change lanes. When there are loud, obnoxious people next to you at a restaurant, change tables or move locations. When someone is being a Debbie Downer, complaining about this and that, excuse yourself and walk away. Always be on the alert for negative situations that can be dangerous to your health, personal safety, financial speculation and emotional relationships. Action idea: What is one unacceptable habit you or others have that you will avoid starting tomorrow?
Is the above too much to remember on your already full plate of to-do’s? The above kind of reminds me of the Serenity Prayer authored by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Here’s wishing you the very best for a stress-free life!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - September 2014
As the days are getting to be noticeably shorter and shorter, I can’t help but feel a little anxious about all of the projects and “to do’s” on my list that aren’t done yet. When was the last time you complained that you had too much time on your hands? You probably can’t remember that far back. The truth is that most of us can’t squeeze into a 24-hour period all the items in our daily planners. A common mistake most people make is attempting to find time instead of making time.
So, how do you make time? Paul J. Meyer, founder of Success Motivation Institute and dedicated to "motivating people to their full potential", offers three proven strategies that will help you make time instead of trying to find it.
Define your most important goals: A burning desire to reach a specific goal motivates you to make time to take the required actions. Write down specifically how you will use the extra time. Will you spend it making calls, attending training meetings, making new contacts?
Chart your time: Note how you spend each hour. Most time is wasted, not in hours, but in minutes. A bucket with a small hole in the bottom becomes just as empty as the one that is deliberately kicked over.
Organize your time to plug the time leaks: Assume the attitude that every minute that does not work for you, works against you.
To make the most of your time, try these proven time savers:
With these strategies, you can make the most of your life by making the most of every minute, every hour and every day. And if Mother Nature can keep her wintry blanket off our construction projects for three months or so, that’d really help too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
So, how do you make time? Paul J. Meyer, founder of Success Motivation Institute and dedicated to "motivating people to their full potential", offers three proven strategies that will help you make time instead of trying to find it.
Define your most important goals: A burning desire to reach a specific goal motivates you to make time to take the required actions. Write down specifically how you will use the extra time. Will you spend it making calls, attending training meetings, making new contacts?
Chart your time: Note how you spend each hour. Most time is wasted, not in hours, but in minutes. A bucket with a small hole in the bottom becomes just as empty as the one that is deliberately kicked over.
Organize your time to plug the time leaks: Assume the attitude that every minute that does not work for you, works against you.
To make the most of your time, try these proven time savers:
- Examine the usual daily interruptions. See how many you can eliminate immediately, screen out or delegate. Set aside a specific time for phoning people on your prospect list, making presentations, keeping up with the detail part of the job, attending training meetings, reading and sending emails, and phone calls. These designated time blocks might not always work—emergencies occur, demanding flexibility in scheduling. But when you have a plan for organizing and investing your time, an extra hour each day will be available.
- Analyze your energy cycle. Determine when you tend to be at your best physically and mentally. Schedule challenging tasks during those times of peak performance, and you will accomplish more in less time. If you have more energy in the morning hours than the afternoon ones, plan your work around your morning coffee. If you’re a night owl, dedicate your evenings to knocking out important tasks.
- Think about time the way you think about money. The more wisely you invest time—just like money—the greater the yield. Before you invest time in a given activity, ask yourself, “Is there something more profitable that I could be doing?”
With these strategies, you can make the most of your life by making the most of every minute, every hour and every day. And if Mother Nature can keep her wintry blanket off our construction projects for three months or so, that’d really help too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - August 2014
Since we just finished another Transportation Division meeting and summer picnic, I thought I’d reiterate some of the points I made during my presentation while I still have those thoughts in my mind (and turkey taste in my mouth?). This was our first summer meeting and picnic as a full Transportation Division so I hope everyone enjoyed the event and got to know more people.
The first order of business was to recognize our new employees since our last Division Meeting in February: Billy Binger (Equipment Operator), Matt Braun (Equipment Operator), Jorge Bernal (Traffic Tech I), Jill Kent (Administrative Services Assistant) and Doug Armstrong (Fleet Manager). Welcome to the team! I was also very pleased to announce that Cindy Kriesel was promoted to Contracts Administrator.
My favorite part of the meeting was being able to recognize many employees for their contributions to the success of the Transportation Division and the County. Congratulations to our Surveyors and GIS Departments for receiving a “Best in Category: Environmental Protection and Energy Award from the National Association of Counties for the development of the Anoka County Water Resources GIS Application.
Hats off to the following years of service award winners:
I mentioned that we will be celebrating our 1-Year Anniversary as a Transportation Division on September 1st. I am already seeing some synergies between the groups and I know that there will be more collaboration between departments as we move forward.
I mentioned that we are beginning to feel the contraction of eligible candidates applying for our open positions and that I see attraction/retention of employees as a major concern in in the future. The county is undertaking a compensation review county wide and we will see what this study tells us. (Update since the meeting: The Compensation Committee has now hired two consultants to work on this project. They will be studying a sample of positions throughout the county for comparison within those job groups. I will report more as the project progresses.)
It was noted that the construction “honeymoon” is over. Most of our project bids this year came in over our estimates. One was so high we even had to throw out the bids and will rebid next year. This impacts not only this year’s budget but next year’s as well. That is not to say that we are not accomplishing a great deal. A complete second wave of construction projects is just getting started and we will be working until snow falls with plenty of carryover into next year too.
The 2015 budget has been prepared for all of the departments within the division. Our budget target was to be “flat” as compared to 2014 and we were instructed to provide a potential scenario for a 2% budget reduction. Our budgets were prepared accordingly. Challenges with the budget included a significant increase in our salt budget due to the horrendous winter we just came out of and accommodating this year’s construction cost overruns. We still will have a robust construction season in 2015 though highlighted by the TH 10/Armstrong Boulevard Interchange and Railroad Grade Separation Project and the construction of three round-bouts on our county highway system for the first time. We are scheduling the replacement of all vehicles and equipment that are scheduled for replacement which is very good but we are limiting the amount of new/additional pieces of equipment. We will also be building off of this year’s Traffic Management System and will be updating several of our traffic signals to get more capacity out of our system.
The future looks bright for our Transportation Division. I look forward to seeing more collaboration between the departments. I think we can anticipate changes in our Transit Section with regards to upcoming changes in how some Metro Mobility service will be provided, I see our GIS Section expanding to provide more application resources to other departments and divisions, I see our Fleet Services area expanding its role and responsibility in the entire fleet needs of the county, and see changes associated with succession planning in the future as well.
With conclusion of the “serious” part of the meeting, we also had some fun teambuilding events. We tallied the votes and announced that the winning name on this year’s County Fair exhibited snowplow truck is “Blizzard Wizard”. We selected a new tagline for our Transit Section with, “Let us take you there.” And I think we all had a lot of fun with the “get to know each other” introductions and raffle. Congratulations also to all of our “hotrod” trophy winners. Thanks for bringing in your bikes and cars!
The weather was great and it was great seeing everyone again at the meeting and picnic. Thank you to the Reach Committee for putting on another great event. You all deserve it so much!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
The first order of business was to recognize our new employees since our last Division Meeting in February: Billy Binger (Equipment Operator), Matt Braun (Equipment Operator), Jorge Bernal (Traffic Tech I), Jill Kent (Administrative Services Assistant) and Doug Armstrong (Fleet Manager). Welcome to the team! I was also very pleased to announce that Cindy Kriesel was promoted to Contracts Administrator.
My favorite part of the meeting was being able to recognize many employees for their contributions to the success of the Transportation Division and the County. Congratulations to our Surveyors and GIS Departments for receiving a “Best in Category: Environmental Protection and Energy Award from the National Association of Counties for the development of the Anoka County Water Resources GIS Application.
Hats off to the following years of service award winners:
- 5 Year Awards: Pam Johnson
- 10 Year Awards: Cindy Kriesel, Dave Hilton, Matt Euteneuer, Dave Schroeder, John Slusarcyzk and Chuck Gitzen
- 15 Year Awards: Richard Erickson and Tim Schwab
- 20 Year Awards: Chuck Kiefer, Chuck Stone, Richard Williams, Lorelei Stone and Doug Fischer
- 25 Year Awards: Ken Lofgren, Mario Naji, Tom Hornsby and Randy Bettinger
- 30 Year Awards: Chuck Hollenback and Kris Holzknecht
I mentioned that we will be celebrating our 1-Year Anniversary as a Transportation Division on September 1st. I am already seeing some synergies between the groups and I know that there will be more collaboration between departments as we move forward.
I mentioned that we are beginning to feel the contraction of eligible candidates applying for our open positions and that I see attraction/retention of employees as a major concern in in the future. The county is undertaking a compensation review county wide and we will see what this study tells us. (Update since the meeting: The Compensation Committee has now hired two consultants to work on this project. They will be studying a sample of positions throughout the county for comparison within those job groups. I will report more as the project progresses.)
It was noted that the construction “honeymoon” is over. Most of our project bids this year came in over our estimates. One was so high we even had to throw out the bids and will rebid next year. This impacts not only this year’s budget but next year’s as well. That is not to say that we are not accomplishing a great deal. A complete second wave of construction projects is just getting started and we will be working until snow falls with plenty of carryover into next year too.
The 2015 budget has been prepared for all of the departments within the division. Our budget target was to be “flat” as compared to 2014 and we were instructed to provide a potential scenario for a 2% budget reduction. Our budgets were prepared accordingly. Challenges with the budget included a significant increase in our salt budget due to the horrendous winter we just came out of and accommodating this year’s construction cost overruns. We still will have a robust construction season in 2015 though highlighted by the TH 10/Armstrong Boulevard Interchange and Railroad Grade Separation Project and the construction of three round-bouts on our county highway system for the first time. We are scheduling the replacement of all vehicles and equipment that are scheduled for replacement which is very good but we are limiting the amount of new/additional pieces of equipment. We will also be building off of this year’s Traffic Management System and will be updating several of our traffic signals to get more capacity out of our system.
The future looks bright for our Transportation Division. I look forward to seeing more collaboration between the departments. I think we can anticipate changes in our Transit Section with regards to upcoming changes in how some Metro Mobility service will be provided, I see our GIS Section expanding to provide more application resources to other departments and divisions, I see our Fleet Services area expanding its role and responsibility in the entire fleet needs of the county, and see changes associated with succession planning in the future as well.
With conclusion of the “serious” part of the meeting, we also had some fun teambuilding events. We tallied the votes and announced that the winning name on this year’s County Fair exhibited snowplow truck is “Blizzard Wizard”. We selected a new tagline for our Transit Section with, “Let us take you there.” And I think we all had a lot of fun with the “get to know each other” introductions and raffle. Congratulations also to all of our “hotrod” trophy winners. Thanks for bringing in your bikes and cars!
The weather was great and it was great seeing everyone again at the meeting and picnic. Thank you to the Reach Committee for putting on another great event. You all deserve it so much!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - July 2014
The World Cup has just ended and Germany is the champion for the fourth time. While not my first pick for sports entertainment (“futbol” is certainly not “football”), I did find myself watching a few of the matches. Looking back at it, I think there were some very good takeaways we can glean from this event. First of all, the team without a superstar won the championship. Messi, Neymar, Renaldo certainly are skilled players but it takes more than one player to win against such high level competition. The German players were about as flashy as vanilla ice cream, yet they were the eventual champions.
The other takeaway I’d like to mention is that in soccer, numbers can be deceiving. Take the 7 to 1 pasting that Germany put on Brazil. Seven goals may not seem like such a big deal, but in soccer, this was a pretty historic event and is a good lesson in statistics. How would this compare to other sports? If we take the average goals scored by a winning team in a game (say it's 1.5), and scaled up to how many goals were actually scored (7) we would develop a scalar of 4.667. If we take the same scalar (4.667) and multiply to other sports' average winning scores we would end up with:
Hockey AWS (Average Winning Score) ~ 3 goals *4.667 = 14 goals
Baseball AWS ~ 4.7 runs *4.667 = 22 runs
NFL AWS ~ 23 pts *4.667 = 107 pts
Basketball AWS ~ 104 pts *4.667 = 484 pts!!
Numbers are just numbers unless you put them into the proper perspective.
Speaking of numbers, the 2013 edition of Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts was just published by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS). It contains statistics and information that will be used by our traffic safety partners, legislators, media and the motoring public. It is derived from law enforcement reports and describes how and why crashes happened, where they occurred in our state and who was involved. In 2013:
This translates into an average day in 2013:
In Anoka County in 2013:
In 2013 we have seen a decline both statewide and in Anoka County in traffic crash fatalities and injuries. While we recognize the decline last year and the downward trend during the last decade, we can’t overlook the fact that far too many of our friends, neighbors and loved ones were involved in crashes that resulted in death or life-altering injuries last year.
Considering all of the traffic we have in Anoka County, 11 fatalities may not seem like such a big number. But just like the 7-1 soccer score, let’s put it into proper perspective. These numbers aren’t just goals on a scoreboard. These numbers represent people. How many fatalities are acceptable in your county? How many fatalities are acceptable in your family?!
I hope the answer is none.
As we’ve seen in past years, the four top contributing factors were:
We are making progress, but we have work to do. It starts with our own behavior – slow down, pay attention, don’t drink and drive and always buckle up. Then it drives us to work steadily, strategically and steadfastly to keep every person on our roads safe. Can traffic crashes be prevented? On average over the past decade, about 500 people have been killed and 30,000 injured every year on our roadways. Minnesota is still experiencing a number of traffic crashes that is cause for concern. In a public health sense, epidemics that kill and injure fewer people are usually attacked vigorously until they are no longer a threat to public safety. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) uses the term “crash” instead of “accident.” This is because a traffic crash can be prevented. Coupled with enforcement, education, engineering, and emergency trauma solutions, changes in the behavior of all drivers will surely help attack the public threat of tragic roadway fatalities and injuries.
Driving is a privilege, so do your part in making our highways safe: Buckle up. Drive at safe speeds. Pay attention. Never drive impaired.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
The other takeaway I’d like to mention is that in soccer, numbers can be deceiving. Take the 7 to 1 pasting that Germany put on Brazil. Seven goals may not seem like such a big deal, but in soccer, this was a pretty historic event and is a good lesson in statistics. How would this compare to other sports? If we take the average goals scored by a winning team in a game (say it's 1.5), and scaled up to how many goals were actually scored (7) we would develop a scalar of 4.667. If we take the same scalar (4.667) and multiply to other sports' average winning scores we would end up with:
Hockey AWS (Average Winning Score) ~ 3 goals *4.667 = 14 goals
Baseball AWS ~ 4.7 runs *4.667 = 22 runs
NFL AWS ~ 23 pts *4.667 = 107 pts
Basketball AWS ~ 104 pts *4.667 = 484 pts!!
Numbers are just numbers unless you put them into the proper perspective.
Speaking of numbers, the 2013 edition of Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts was just published by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS). It contains statistics and information that will be used by our traffic safety partners, legislators, media and the motoring public. It is derived from law enforcement reports and describes how and why crashes happened, where they occurred in our state and who was involved. In 2013:
- 77,707 traffic crashes were reported to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- 140,769 motor vehicles and 186,854 people were involved in these crashes
- 387 people died and 30,653 people were injured
- Estimated economic cost to Minnesota: $1,588,124,400
This translates into an average day in 2013:
- 213 crashes
- 1 death and 84 injuries
- Average daily cost: $4,351,026
In Anoka County in 2013:
- 2,874 crashes
- 11 deaths and 1,143 injuries
In 2013 we have seen a decline both statewide and in Anoka County in traffic crash fatalities and injuries. While we recognize the decline last year and the downward trend during the last decade, we can’t overlook the fact that far too many of our friends, neighbors and loved ones were involved in crashes that resulted in death or life-altering injuries last year.
Considering all of the traffic we have in Anoka County, 11 fatalities may not seem like such a big number. But just like the 7-1 soccer score, let’s put it into proper perspective. These numbers aren’t just goals on a scoreboard. These numbers represent people. How many fatalities are acceptable in your county? How many fatalities are acceptable in your family?!
I hope the answer is none.
As we’ve seen in past years, the four top contributing factors were:
- Speed – 76 deaths were attributed to illegal/unsafe speed.
- Distractions – 68 fatalities were caused by inattention.
- Impaired driving – 95 traffic deaths were attributed to drunk driving.
- Not buckling up - 94 motor vehicle occupants who were killed weren’t belted.
We are making progress, but we have work to do. It starts with our own behavior – slow down, pay attention, don’t drink and drive and always buckle up. Then it drives us to work steadily, strategically and steadfastly to keep every person on our roads safe. Can traffic crashes be prevented? On average over the past decade, about 500 people have been killed and 30,000 injured every year on our roadways. Minnesota is still experiencing a number of traffic crashes that is cause for concern. In a public health sense, epidemics that kill and injure fewer people are usually attacked vigorously until they are no longer a threat to public safety. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) uses the term “crash” instead of “accident.” This is because a traffic crash can be prevented. Coupled with enforcement, education, engineering, and emergency trauma solutions, changes in the behavior of all drivers will surely help attack the public threat of tragic roadway fatalities and injuries.
Driving is a privilege, so do your part in making our highways safe: Buckle up. Drive at safe speeds. Pay attention. Never drive impaired.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - June 2014
It's been 36 years since the last Triple Crown winner and after last weekend's Belmont Stakes; it's now going to be at least 37 years. Thoroughbred horse racing is very interesting to me for many reasons. But one of the most interesting facts about thoroughbred horses is that all modern Thoroughbreds trace back to three stallions imported into England from the Middle East in the late 17th and early 18th centuries: the Byerley Turk (1680s), the Darley Arabian (1704), and the Godolphin Arabian (1729). In all, about 160 stallions of Oriental breeding have been traced in the historical record as contributing to the creation of the Thoroughbred. Since then, horse owners and breeders have been trying to find that "perfect" pairing of bloodlines to create the unbeatable horse and are willing to pay exorbitant prices to do so. It is then no wonder that this sport which now has horses priced in the seven figures is known as the "Sport of Kings".
But one of the most important lessons to take away from the Triple Crown this year is that great horses can come from even the most humble beginnings. California Chrome, with his $8,000 mother and $2,500 sire, has shown that you do not need to be Kentucky royalty or spend millions to enjoy the ride with a champion. Despite lacking a regal pedigree or a seven-figure price tag, the big chestnut colt from the West Coast showed that special horses can come from anywhere. In a sport where sheikhs and old money rule the game, it is a reminder that horses are the great equalizer in the Sport of Kings. Though California Chrome fell short in the Triple Crown, that still takes nothing away from the incredible thrill he gave all of us.
California Chrome was great for racing, right to the bitter end of the campaign, because he was the ultimate proof in favor of wildflowers. The great thing about wildflowers is that they put the bloodlines people in their place. You can’t breed out the random surprise. Pedigree is just an attempt to take the gambling out of racing, to beat luck with a check book and a family tree. It doesn’t work. California Chrome’s owners didn’t need to win the Belmont to make that interesting point. He was a tired horse running against rested ones, and that was unfair and disappointing. But he was also a cheap horse running against expensive ones.
And that was wonderful to watch.
So what does this have anything to do with us in the Transportation Division you may ask? Well for one thing, it shows that great achievements are possible by even those with the most humble of backgrounds.
It shows us proper training and hard work can prepare us to win even the most difficult of tasks no matter who we are.
It shows us that what matters most is not where or who we came from that matters but how we utilize our God-given talents and abilities to overcome obstacles in our life and make great contributions in our society.
We are a bunch of wildflowers that forgot that great things shouldn't be coming from a simple lot like us. But they do.
And that's a beautiful thing to watch.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
But one of the most important lessons to take away from the Triple Crown this year is that great horses can come from even the most humble beginnings. California Chrome, with his $8,000 mother and $2,500 sire, has shown that you do not need to be Kentucky royalty or spend millions to enjoy the ride with a champion. Despite lacking a regal pedigree or a seven-figure price tag, the big chestnut colt from the West Coast showed that special horses can come from anywhere. In a sport where sheikhs and old money rule the game, it is a reminder that horses are the great equalizer in the Sport of Kings. Though California Chrome fell short in the Triple Crown, that still takes nothing away from the incredible thrill he gave all of us.
California Chrome was great for racing, right to the bitter end of the campaign, because he was the ultimate proof in favor of wildflowers. The great thing about wildflowers is that they put the bloodlines people in their place. You can’t breed out the random surprise. Pedigree is just an attempt to take the gambling out of racing, to beat luck with a check book and a family tree. It doesn’t work. California Chrome’s owners didn’t need to win the Belmont to make that interesting point. He was a tired horse running against rested ones, and that was unfair and disappointing. But he was also a cheap horse running against expensive ones.
And that was wonderful to watch.
So what does this have anything to do with us in the Transportation Division you may ask? Well for one thing, it shows that great achievements are possible by even those with the most humble of backgrounds.
It shows us proper training and hard work can prepare us to win even the most difficult of tasks no matter who we are.
It shows us that what matters most is not where or who we came from that matters but how we utilize our God-given talents and abilities to overcome obstacles in our life and make great contributions in our society.
We are a bunch of wildflowers that forgot that great things shouldn't be coming from a simple lot like us. But they do.
And that's a beautiful thing to watch.
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - May 2014
By now you probably figured out that I use this space to take some current event and turn it into something to inspire and motivate us in the work that we are doing and the way we do it. Because of my background, I frequently use sports in these articles. So what current event can I talk about this time? Let's see....something inspiring about the Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome? Nah. How about....the Minnesota Wild's will to never give up? Nope. Fishing opener? Not this time.
This time I want to talk about something more special and important and precious: my new baby granddaughter! God blessed our family with Lilliana Louise Batista on April 14th and with her arrival came joy, thankfulness and love. Along her mom and dad, grandparents, brother, aunts, uncles and all of our families comes great hope for her future. Here are my hopes for Lilliana.
I hope that you...believe in yourself enough to sing out loud, dance to silly songs and follow your dreams.
I hope that you aren't afraid...of the dark, the boogie man, to be unique, and to take a chance and try new things.
I hope you love...unconditionally, without boundaries and with all your heart.
I hope you get...everything you deserve but not everything you want. To experience true love.
I hope you laugh...until you cry and your belly hurts. At yourself but with others.
I hope you ignore...people who say "you can't", and all the negativity in the world.
I hope you become...the best that you can be, what you dare to dream to be, true to yourself and a woman who follows her heart.
I hope you respect...yourself and all the decisions you make, others' differences, and God's gift of life and nature.
I hope you grow...up in a family full of love, with kindness in your heart that you plant everywhere you go.
I hope you learn...to dance in the rain as there will be storms in your life but remember that these will always pass.
I hope you never forget...that God is with you every step you take, how grateful we are that you are in our lives, and how much I love you.
These are my hopes for little Lilliana. And you know what? These are my hopes for you too (well, maybe not the dancing to silly songs for some of you)!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
This time I want to talk about something more special and important and precious: my new baby granddaughter! God blessed our family with Lilliana Louise Batista on April 14th and with her arrival came joy, thankfulness and love. Along her mom and dad, grandparents, brother, aunts, uncles and all of our families comes great hope for her future. Here are my hopes for Lilliana.
I hope that you...believe in yourself enough to sing out loud, dance to silly songs and follow your dreams.
I hope that you aren't afraid...of the dark, the boogie man, to be unique, and to take a chance and try new things.
I hope you love...unconditionally, without boundaries and with all your heart.
I hope you get...everything you deserve but not everything you want. To experience true love.
I hope you laugh...until you cry and your belly hurts. At yourself but with others.
I hope you ignore...people who say "you can't", and all the negativity in the world.
I hope you become...the best that you can be, what you dare to dream to be, true to yourself and a woman who follows her heart.
I hope you respect...yourself and all the decisions you make, others' differences, and God's gift of life and nature.
I hope you grow...up in a family full of love, with kindness in your heart that you plant everywhere you go.
I hope you learn...to dance in the rain as there will be storms in your life but remember that these will always pass.
I hope you never forget...that God is with you every step you take, how grateful we are that you are in our lives, and how much I love you.
These are my hopes for little Lilliana. And you know what? These are my hopes for you too (well, maybe not the dancing to silly songs for some of you)!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - April 2014
As I write this article I am waiting for my daughter to call and finally tell me she’s heading to the hospital to deliver her new baby girl. This will be my second grandchild – I already have a grandson – but this is our first granddaughter. We can’t wait for this new blessing in our lives! I can sum up how it is to have grandchildren in one word: AWESOME!
One of the great benefits of being a grandpa is that I can go see “kid” movies again! For example, last weekend I took my grandson to go see, “The Lego Movie”. Truth be told, I really wanted to see this movie after catching some of the previews on TV. Maybe it’s the engineer in me, but I loved Lego’s as a kid (and Lincoln logs, erector sets, tinker toys, etc.). The movie did a great job of sneaking in a few “grownup” jokes to amuse us older watchers and the narcissistic Batman was a real treat too.
Without going too deep into the movie (I don’t want to spoil it for you that may go see it), the film tells the story of Emmet, an average, happy-go-lucky guy living in Bricksburg. He lives what might be considered a boring life: he follows "The Instructions" to a T. (Get it? Lego? Instructions?) He loves his job as a construction worker, building things according to The Instructions. His life's credo is summed up in the movie's theme song, "Everything is Awesome" (I can't help but love singing this song - it's so infectious!). Everything is awesome...as long as you are a team player, and get along well with others, and follow The Instructions.
But despite his by-the-book life, Emmet may be more than he first seems. Could he be a Master Builder? Can he learn to build without following The Instructions? Could he be The One? (Okay, so the story is a bit of a knock-off of Star Wars, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, or any other average-person-might-be-more-than-s/he-seems-and-is-in-fact-going-to-save-the-world film. But truly, it works on a lot more levels than that!)
With the possibility that he might be a Master Builder, Emmet begins to think that not following The Instructions might actually be the real way to find that "everything is awesome." So here we find Emmet, explaining to his mystical mentor and fellow Master Builder his amazing idea...but he's so used to following the instructions, they think his out-of-the box idea is...kind of lame, actually. The Master Builders start to question whether he actually is as special as they first thought.
But, later in the film, Emmet actually finds a brilliant way to help solve their incredible problem because he knows how to follow instructions.
I loved this theme of the film: there is no "wrong" way to play with Legos. Some people follow the instructions and build exactly what the instructions tell you to build. Some people never follow the instructions. They create their own work of art using their own creativity and ingenuity. There may be a time and place for both. Both ways to play are "awesome” and both are necessary if you're going to change the world.
I think our jobs are a lot like this too. Many of the things we do require us to follow the plans and specifications to a T. If we don’t, bad things can happen. Safety procedures and correct operating instructions are also a “must follow the directions” activities. But there are also many times where there is no clear set of instructions that we can follow to solve a problem, help a customer, or provide exceptional service. We must use our creativity, ingenuity and experience to guide our way. Ultimately, our success is found in correctly choosing when to do things very prescriptively and when to do things by thinking outside of the box.
I wonder if finding that balance--as Emmet does--might make us more likely to apply the theme song from the Lego Movie to our own work:
Everything is awesome!
Everything is cool when you're part of a team.
Everything is awesome, when we're living our dream!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
One of the great benefits of being a grandpa is that I can go see “kid” movies again! For example, last weekend I took my grandson to go see, “The Lego Movie”. Truth be told, I really wanted to see this movie after catching some of the previews on TV. Maybe it’s the engineer in me, but I loved Lego’s as a kid (and Lincoln logs, erector sets, tinker toys, etc.). The movie did a great job of sneaking in a few “grownup” jokes to amuse us older watchers and the narcissistic Batman was a real treat too.
Without going too deep into the movie (I don’t want to spoil it for you that may go see it), the film tells the story of Emmet, an average, happy-go-lucky guy living in Bricksburg. He lives what might be considered a boring life: he follows "The Instructions" to a T. (Get it? Lego? Instructions?) He loves his job as a construction worker, building things according to The Instructions. His life's credo is summed up in the movie's theme song, "Everything is Awesome" (I can't help but love singing this song - it's so infectious!). Everything is awesome...as long as you are a team player, and get along well with others, and follow The Instructions.
But despite his by-the-book life, Emmet may be more than he first seems. Could he be a Master Builder? Can he learn to build without following The Instructions? Could he be The One? (Okay, so the story is a bit of a knock-off of Star Wars, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, or any other average-person-might-be-more-than-s/he-seems-and-is-in-fact-going-to-save-the-world film. But truly, it works on a lot more levels than that!)
With the possibility that he might be a Master Builder, Emmet begins to think that not following The Instructions might actually be the real way to find that "everything is awesome." So here we find Emmet, explaining to his mystical mentor and fellow Master Builder his amazing idea...but he's so used to following the instructions, they think his out-of-the box idea is...kind of lame, actually. The Master Builders start to question whether he actually is as special as they first thought.
But, later in the film, Emmet actually finds a brilliant way to help solve their incredible problem because he knows how to follow instructions.
I loved this theme of the film: there is no "wrong" way to play with Legos. Some people follow the instructions and build exactly what the instructions tell you to build. Some people never follow the instructions. They create their own work of art using their own creativity and ingenuity. There may be a time and place for both. Both ways to play are "awesome” and both are necessary if you're going to change the world.
I think our jobs are a lot like this too. Many of the things we do require us to follow the plans and specifications to a T. If we don’t, bad things can happen. Safety procedures and correct operating instructions are also a “must follow the directions” activities. But there are also many times where there is no clear set of instructions that we can follow to solve a problem, help a customer, or provide exceptional service. We must use our creativity, ingenuity and experience to guide our way. Ultimately, our success is found in correctly choosing when to do things very prescriptively and when to do things by thinking outside of the box.
I wonder if finding that balance--as Emmet does--might make us more likely to apply the theme song from the Lego Movie to our own work:
Everything is awesome!
Everything is cool when you're part of a team.
Everything is awesome, when we're living our dream!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - March 2014
I am starting to begin to think that ol’ man winter is just about ready to give up and let spring come after all. We’ve had a couple of days not only above zero, but above freezing as well! What are a couple of other indications of spring? We’ve moved our clocks back to daylight savings time, my kids are enjoying spring break, St. Patrick’s Day is on Monday and the St. Paul hot mix plant has finally opened up for the season. But what REALLY tells me that spring is here is that it’s time for March Madness.
Now all of you bracketologists out there know what I’m talking about here, but for those that don’t know, March Madness is the term most associated with the NCAA College basketball playoffs which begin every March. This is the tournament where many of us will compete against each other by filling out our playoff brackets (for amusement purposes only!). The lucky one that picks the most winners in the right playoff levels will be victorious.
Have you ever wondered what the odds are of picking the perfect bracket? Maybe it’s the engineer in me but I have. Let’s look at a simple bracket for starters: a 4-team bracket. In a 4-team bracket there are 3 games played and each game has two potential outcomes, so the equation for this is 2 x 2 x 2 = 23 = 8. So in a 4-team bracket there are 8 total bracket combinations to cover all of the potential outcomes. So what about the NCAA tournament? Well this tournament is a 64-team bracket (let’s assume the 4-team play-in games are NOT included). In a 64-team bracket there are 63 games played and there are 2 potential outcomes in each game, so the equation for this is 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2….. = 263. What does this equal? 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 or 9 quintillion.
Ah, but you think you know something about college basketball. After all, a Number 1 seed has never lost a first round game and number 2 seeds rarely lose in the first round as well. Well if you are a round ball guru you’re in luck! Your odds of winning are now only 1:128,000,000,000 or 1 in 128 billion! Just like the famous line in “Dumb and Dumber” goes, “So you’re telling me I have a chance!” But not so fast my friend! To put 128 billion into perspective, if everyone in the United States filled out a different bracket, each person would still only have ¼ of 1% chance of winning. So if your picks don’t stay undefeated for very long, welcome to the crowd.
So what does this have to do with our jobs in the Transportation Division? It has to do about perspective. If you think you’re going to win all of the games in the basketball pool, you’re just kidding yourself. But if you enter the tournament for the entertainment, fun, excitement and just maybe a few bragging rights, then you won’t be disappointed! Our jobs can be a lot like this too. If you think our jobs will always go according to plan, be easily accomplished and won’t require some good old fashioned blood, sweat and tears at times, then you are just kidding yourself. But if you come to work knowing that even though it may be difficult and trying at times, that what we do and how we do it makes a difference in the lives of the public we serve, then you won’t be disappointed because that’s EXACTLY what we’re all about. Not everyone can do your job. So from my perspective, I’m just glad you’re here doing it with me!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Now all of you bracketologists out there know what I’m talking about here, but for those that don’t know, March Madness is the term most associated with the NCAA College basketball playoffs which begin every March. This is the tournament where many of us will compete against each other by filling out our playoff brackets (for amusement purposes only!). The lucky one that picks the most winners in the right playoff levels will be victorious.
Have you ever wondered what the odds are of picking the perfect bracket? Maybe it’s the engineer in me but I have. Let’s look at a simple bracket for starters: a 4-team bracket. In a 4-team bracket there are 3 games played and each game has two potential outcomes, so the equation for this is 2 x 2 x 2 = 23 = 8. So in a 4-team bracket there are 8 total bracket combinations to cover all of the potential outcomes. So what about the NCAA tournament? Well this tournament is a 64-team bracket (let’s assume the 4-team play-in games are NOT included). In a 64-team bracket there are 63 games played and there are 2 potential outcomes in each game, so the equation for this is 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2….. = 263. What does this equal? 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 or 9 quintillion.
Ah, but you think you know something about college basketball. After all, a Number 1 seed has never lost a first round game and number 2 seeds rarely lose in the first round as well. Well if you are a round ball guru you’re in luck! Your odds of winning are now only 1:128,000,000,000 or 1 in 128 billion! Just like the famous line in “Dumb and Dumber” goes, “So you’re telling me I have a chance!” But not so fast my friend! To put 128 billion into perspective, if everyone in the United States filled out a different bracket, each person would still only have ¼ of 1% chance of winning. So if your picks don’t stay undefeated for very long, welcome to the crowd.
So what does this have to do with our jobs in the Transportation Division? It has to do about perspective. If you think you’re going to win all of the games in the basketball pool, you’re just kidding yourself. But if you enter the tournament for the entertainment, fun, excitement and just maybe a few bragging rights, then you won’t be disappointed! Our jobs can be a lot like this too. If you think our jobs will always go according to plan, be easily accomplished and won’t require some good old fashioned blood, sweat and tears at times, then you are just kidding yourself. But if you come to work knowing that even though it may be difficult and trying at times, that what we do and how we do it makes a difference in the lives of the public we serve, then you won’t be disappointed because that’s EXACTLY what we’re all about. Not everyone can do your job. So from my perspective, I’m just glad you’re here doing it with me!
Thanks, and be safe out there!
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - February 2014
Another Super Bowl is in the record books. This was supposed to be the game where the unstoppable force meets the immovable object. Most prognosticators were expecting Peyton Manning and his high powered Denver Broncos offense to roll over the Seattle Seahawks’ stout but young defense. But just as the old football aphorism goes, "Offense wins games, but defense wins championships." With a final score of 43 to 8, the game was about as lopsided as it gets.
Maybe it's the old linebacker in me, but I do enjoy watching a great defensive effort. Seattle’s shutdown of Peyton Manning and the Broncos was nothing short of amazing. I would put the Seahawks defense in the same category of the Vikings' Purple People Eaters and Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain.
What was especially satisfying for me was that unlike the famous players that made up the Vikings (Eller, Page, Marshall, and Larsen) and the Steelers (Greene, Greenwood, Holmes and White), the Seattle defense was made up by a bunch of no names (with maybe the exception of Richard Sherman’s mouth). Even the game’s MVP, Linebacker Malcolm Smith, was a lowly 7th round draft pick who spent most of his first two seasons on special teams and wasn’t even the a starter for the Seahawks when this season began. But he exemplified his team. These were regular guys, a lunch pail gang that came to work, did their jobs and went home. Champions.
Isn't that the way it should be for everyone? While there are those maverick CEO's, rock star salespeople, and genius innovators out there, most organizations are only as strong as the entire team. Behind every Jack Welch, Dale Carnegie and Steve Jobs there are a bunch of lunch pail men and women that come to work, do their jobs and go home. Champions.
That's why I am so proud of our Transportation Division here at Anoka County. Just like a great defense prevents an offense to score, our Highway Department prevents crashes and congestion. Our Surveyor's Department and GIS Unit protects most peoples most valuable possession – their property – by administering the county land survey records, re-establish and maintain the official government survey monuments, and review property boundaries surveys and subdivision plans. Our Transit Section enables those without their own means of transportation to get to work, doctor appointments and other essential services. How does all of this work get done day in day out? By our hard working, skilled and dedicated men and women of the Transportation Division - that's how! Just a bunch of regular, lunch pail men and women that come to work, do their jobs and go home.
Champions!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Maybe it's the old linebacker in me, but I do enjoy watching a great defensive effort. Seattle’s shutdown of Peyton Manning and the Broncos was nothing short of amazing. I would put the Seahawks defense in the same category of the Vikings' Purple People Eaters and Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain.
What was especially satisfying for me was that unlike the famous players that made up the Vikings (Eller, Page, Marshall, and Larsen) and the Steelers (Greene, Greenwood, Holmes and White), the Seattle defense was made up by a bunch of no names (with maybe the exception of Richard Sherman’s mouth). Even the game’s MVP, Linebacker Malcolm Smith, was a lowly 7th round draft pick who spent most of his first two seasons on special teams and wasn’t even the a starter for the Seahawks when this season began. But he exemplified his team. These were regular guys, a lunch pail gang that came to work, did their jobs and went home. Champions.
Isn't that the way it should be for everyone? While there are those maverick CEO's, rock star salespeople, and genius innovators out there, most organizations are only as strong as the entire team. Behind every Jack Welch, Dale Carnegie and Steve Jobs there are a bunch of lunch pail men and women that come to work, do their jobs and go home. Champions.
That's why I am so proud of our Transportation Division here at Anoka County. Just like a great defense prevents an offense to score, our Highway Department prevents crashes and congestion. Our Surveyor's Department and GIS Unit protects most peoples most valuable possession – their property – by administering the county land survey records, re-establish and maintain the official government survey monuments, and review property boundaries surveys and subdivision plans. Our Transit Section enables those without their own means of transportation to get to work, doctor appointments and other essential services. How does all of this work get done day in day out? By our hard working, skilled and dedicated men and women of the Transportation Division - that's how! Just a bunch of regular, lunch pail men and women that come to work, do their jobs and go home.
Champions!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - January 2014
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe, relaxing and enjoyable holiday season. I know I had a great one because Santa was very good to me this year. How so? I was fortunate enough to have my personal library expanded with the addition of many classic books and one new one. They are all around the same theme: you are what you think. Your success, health, happiness, and wealth depend on how you make up your mind!
The classics added to my book shelf:
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone
Learned Optimism, How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin E. P. Seligman
A Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
And the new book that I got that I’m especially looking forward to reading:
Still Standing by Anoka County’s very own John Kriesel
While I’m only about a third of the way through reading them, I feel so excited that I just felt compelled to share what I’m learning with you. Motivational speaker and author Denis Waitley probably sums it up best in an article I recently read when he said, “Positive self-expectancy is the first, most identifiable quality of a top-achieving, winning human being. It is pure and simple optimism: real enthusiasm for everything you do. And optimism is expecting the most favorable result from your own actions.”
While the books come at it different ways – James Allen through thought turned to action, Norman Vincent Peale through a deep spiritual faith and the power of prayer – it all comes down to the same basic formula: Winners expect to win and understand that life is a self-fulfilling prophecy. They know that you usually get what you expect in the long run and therefore accept the belief that hope and a deep, unbreakable faith—forged into a fundamental attitude of positive self-expectancy—is the eternal spring from which all creative, motivating energy flows.
In these books you will find the secret of success: there is no secret! Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities. Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. But with sound self confidence you can succeed. Self-confidence and optimism leads to self-realization and successful achievement.
Success is a very individual thing. Success is the way you spend your minutes doing your best for others. It is the way you take the talent you were born with, and the knowledge and skills you have since developed, and use them fully, toward a purpose that makes you feel worthwhile, according to your own individual, internal standards.
The single most outwardly identifiable quality of a winner is positive self-expectancy—optimism. It’s the key to good health. It’s the key to happiness, and it puts the favorable inclination toward the achievement of every goal you set. Positive self-expectancy is the winner’s edge.
I just know that 2014 will be my best year ever. Here’s hoping yours will be too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
The classics added to my book shelf:
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone
Learned Optimism, How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin E. P. Seligman
A Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
And the new book that I got that I’m especially looking forward to reading:
Still Standing by Anoka County’s very own John Kriesel
While I’m only about a third of the way through reading them, I feel so excited that I just felt compelled to share what I’m learning with you. Motivational speaker and author Denis Waitley probably sums it up best in an article I recently read when he said, “Positive self-expectancy is the first, most identifiable quality of a top-achieving, winning human being. It is pure and simple optimism: real enthusiasm for everything you do. And optimism is expecting the most favorable result from your own actions.”
While the books come at it different ways – James Allen through thought turned to action, Norman Vincent Peale through a deep spiritual faith and the power of prayer – it all comes down to the same basic formula: Winners expect to win and understand that life is a self-fulfilling prophecy. They know that you usually get what you expect in the long run and therefore accept the belief that hope and a deep, unbreakable faith—forged into a fundamental attitude of positive self-expectancy—is the eternal spring from which all creative, motivating energy flows.
In these books you will find the secret of success: there is no secret! Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities. Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. But with sound self confidence you can succeed. Self-confidence and optimism leads to self-realization and successful achievement.
Success is a very individual thing. Success is the way you spend your minutes doing your best for others. It is the way you take the talent you were born with, and the knowledge and skills you have since developed, and use them fully, toward a purpose that makes you feel worthwhile, according to your own individual, internal standards.
The single most outwardly identifiable quality of a winner is positive self-expectancy—optimism. It’s the key to good health. It’s the key to happiness, and it puts the favorable inclination toward the achievement of every goal you set. Positive self-expectancy is the winner’s edge.
I just know that 2014 will be my best year ever. Here’s hoping yours will be too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - November 2013
In commemoration of Veteran’s Day this November 11th, I would like to share an article that I recently found in the web edition of Success Magazine excerpted from BJ Armstrong's book 21st Century Mahan: Sound Military Conclusions for the Modern Era . He has lectured on innovation and leadership, including at U.S. Special Operations Command. He is a naval officer and a researcher in War Studies with King’s College, University of London.
Buried in the tomb below the United States Naval Academy chapel lays Captain John Paul Jones. After his heroic naval victories, and his letters about professionalizing the infant service, he is frequently named as the spiritual father of the United States Navy. However, the modern sea service’s intellectual father was Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan—a teacher, mentor and strategist who helped found the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Mahan believed in teaching officers about leadership and foundational skills for making hard choices. Strategy was important; however, none of it mattered if those men weren’t ready to command and lead their organizations in challenging times. Here are three of the key lessons that Mahan sought to instill in leaders he taught:
1. Leadership is an art, not a science. In his book Naval Strategy: Compared and Contrasted with the Principles and Practice of Military Operations on Land, published in 1911, Mahan compared naval officers to artists. He wrote that artists had to learn certain techniques, mediums and skills, but that wasn’t what made their artwork great. In the end “art, out of materials which it finds about, creates new forms in endless variety.” Artists take those foundations and then mix and match them based on inspiration and experience to create a masterpiece. He continued that “art acknowledges principles and even rules; but these are not so much fetters, or bars, which compel its movements aright, as guides which warn when it is going wrong.”
2. Prepare for success by knowing your past. Mahan once wrote, “Heedlessness of conditions, or recklessness of dangers defeats efforts everywhere.” He believed that a leader required sound planning in order to attain victory. Proper planning, in Mahan’s view, required knowledge of history—a leader must know what has worked in the past in order to determine what might work in the future. In Mahan's view there were two ways to truly learn how to lead, through personal experience or from “the experience of others, written for our use.” This applies in business as much as it applies on the quarterdeck of a ship at sea. If a leader doesn’t know the mistakes other companies in their sector have made, or understand their own organization’s past, the result will be a poor foundation for decision-making. Leaders have to make decisions with incomplete knowledge, and understanding the past, the history, will help fill in those gaps with credible estimates.
3. Avoid the administrative mindset. In his first published article Mahan wrote that a focus on science, engineering and administration tended “to promote caution un-duly; substitute calculation for judgment; [and] create trust in formulas instead of trust in one’s self.” Mahan understood the importance of administration and logistics. Administration is required for the successful operation of a navy, and for the smooth running of any organization. However, Mahan reminded his students that “the one test of naval administration is not the satisfactory of economical working of the office, as such, but the readiness of the navy in all points for war.” He wanted his students to always keep the central mission of their organization at the forefront of their mind. The protection of their rice bowl or the minutiae of the paperwork would only lead them astray.
Learning from Mahan, today’s leaders from all sectors, whether private or public, can learn solid lessons from past military thinkers. In the 21st century we are all tempted to think that our challenges are new, our businesses are revolutionary, and our organizations are disruptive, but as the great thinker Bob Marley once said, “In this bright future, you can’t forget your past.” By following Mahan’s advice on the importance of treating leadership decisions as an art instead of a hard and fast science, using the study of history to learn through vicarious experience, and understanding the pitfalls of an administrative focus, you have the tools to become a stronger leader, better prepared to face today’s challenges.
Thanks, especially to all of the Veterans in the Transportation Division, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Buried in the tomb below the United States Naval Academy chapel lays Captain John Paul Jones. After his heroic naval victories, and his letters about professionalizing the infant service, he is frequently named as the spiritual father of the United States Navy. However, the modern sea service’s intellectual father was Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan—a teacher, mentor and strategist who helped found the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Mahan believed in teaching officers about leadership and foundational skills for making hard choices. Strategy was important; however, none of it mattered if those men weren’t ready to command and lead their organizations in challenging times. Here are three of the key lessons that Mahan sought to instill in leaders he taught:
1. Leadership is an art, not a science. In his book Naval Strategy: Compared and Contrasted with the Principles and Practice of Military Operations on Land, published in 1911, Mahan compared naval officers to artists. He wrote that artists had to learn certain techniques, mediums and skills, but that wasn’t what made their artwork great. In the end “art, out of materials which it finds about, creates new forms in endless variety.” Artists take those foundations and then mix and match them based on inspiration and experience to create a masterpiece. He continued that “art acknowledges principles and even rules; but these are not so much fetters, or bars, which compel its movements aright, as guides which warn when it is going wrong.”
2. Prepare for success by knowing your past. Mahan once wrote, “Heedlessness of conditions, or recklessness of dangers defeats efforts everywhere.” He believed that a leader required sound planning in order to attain victory. Proper planning, in Mahan’s view, required knowledge of history—a leader must know what has worked in the past in order to determine what might work in the future. In Mahan's view there were two ways to truly learn how to lead, through personal experience or from “the experience of others, written for our use.” This applies in business as much as it applies on the quarterdeck of a ship at sea. If a leader doesn’t know the mistakes other companies in their sector have made, or understand their own organization’s past, the result will be a poor foundation for decision-making. Leaders have to make decisions with incomplete knowledge, and understanding the past, the history, will help fill in those gaps with credible estimates.
3. Avoid the administrative mindset. In his first published article Mahan wrote that a focus on science, engineering and administration tended “to promote caution un-duly; substitute calculation for judgment; [and] create trust in formulas instead of trust in one’s self.” Mahan understood the importance of administration and logistics. Administration is required for the successful operation of a navy, and for the smooth running of any organization. However, Mahan reminded his students that “the one test of naval administration is not the satisfactory of economical working of the office, as such, but the readiness of the navy in all points for war.” He wanted his students to always keep the central mission of their organization at the forefront of their mind. The protection of their rice bowl or the minutiae of the paperwork would only lead them astray.
Learning from Mahan, today’s leaders from all sectors, whether private or public, can learn solid lessons from past military thinkers. In the 21st century we are all tempted to think that our challenges are new, our businesses are revolutionary, and our organizations are disruptive, but as the great thinker Bob Marley once said, “In this bright future, you can’t forget your past.” By following Mahan’s advice on the importance of treating leadership decisions as an art instead of a hard and fast science, using the study of history to learn through vicarious experience, and understanding the pitfalls of an administrative focus, you have the tools to become a stronger leader, better prepared to face today’s challenges.
Thanks, especially to all of the Veterans in the Transportation Division, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - October 2013
"Other duties as assigned.” How many times have you seen that phrase on a job description? These days every organization is downsizing and right sizing and trying to be as lean as possible. One of the ways they are doing this is by restructuring jobs which may include adding duties, merging responsibilities or changing processes. This means that the duties and responsibilities listed on a person’s current job description may not be an accurate description of the actual work they are doing all of the time.
Some of these “other duties as assigned” actually are assigned by a supervisor or manager. This happens when something has to get done and there isn’t anyone specifically identified to do it. This isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault or problem, it’s just that in today’s ever evolving world “stuff” happens and we need to be nimble enough to react to it quickly and efficiently.
There are, however, many times when “other duties as assigned” are not necessarily assigned by a supervisor or manager. This can happen in a couple of ways. The first way is when someone sees (or foresees) a problem and just takes care of it. This is awesome and good government at its best. I see this over and over again and I thank you all for being such dedicated employees.
The other way that people end up with “other duties as assigned” is through volunteer activities. In addition to the required duties a person may have, every organization still has a lot of needs that have to be dealt with. Working on the Combined Charitable Campaign, County Fair, Reach Committee, Go2 Committee, Webster Committee and several just to name a few. In many ways, volunteers are the glue that holds things together.
With crushing workloads and busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, your organization, your family, and your community. The right match can help you find friends, reach out to the community, learn new skills, and advance your career. Volunteering can also help protect your mental and physical health.
Here’s what volunteering here at work can do for you:
Volunteering helps you make new friends and contacts. One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and expand your network, especially if you are new to an organization. Volunteering increases your social and relationship skills. While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have momentum, it’s easier to branch out and make more friends and contacts.
Volunteering is good for your mind and body. Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals. Volunteering combats depression. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against stress and depression when you’re going through challenging times. Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy. Volunteering is good for your health at any age, but it’s especially beneficial in older adults. Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not, even when considering factors like the health of the participants. Volunteering has also been shown to lessen symptoms of chronic pain or heart disease.
Again, volunteers are the glue that holds every organization together and I thank all of you that step up, take charge and get things done; even if it’s “other duties as assigned”. You are greatly appreciated!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Some of these “other duties as assigned” actually are assigned by a supervisor or manager. This happens when something has to get done and there isn’t anyone specifically identified to do it. This isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault or problem, it’s just that in today’s ever evolving world “stuff” happens and we need to be nimble enough to react to it quickly and efficiently.
There are, however, many times when “other duties as assigned” are not necessarily assigned by a supervisor or manager. This can happen in a couple of ways. The first way is when someone sees (or foresees) a problem and just takes care of it. This is awesome and good government at its best. I see this over and over again and I thank you all for being such dedicated employees.
The other way that people end up with “other duties as assigned” is through volunteer activities. In addition to the required duties a person may have, every organization still has a lot of needs that have to be dealt with. Working on the Combined Charitable Campaign, County Fair, Reach Committee, Go2 Committee, Webster Committee and several just to name a few. In many ways, volunteers are the glue that holds things together.
With crushing workloads and busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, your organization, your family, and your community. The right match can help you find friends, reach out to the community, learn new skills, and advance your career. Volunteering can also help protect your mental and physical health.
Here’s what volunteering here at work can do for you:
Volunteering helps you make new friends and contacts. One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and expand your network, especially if you are new to an organization. Volunteering increases your social and relationship skills. While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have momentum, it’s easier to branch out and make more friends and contacts.
Volunteering is good for your mind and body. Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals. Volunteering combats depression. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against stress and depression when you’re going through challenging times. Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy. Volunteering is good for your health at any age, but it’s especially beneficial in older adults. Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not, even when considering factors like the health of the participants. Volunteering has also been shown to lessen symptoms of chronic pain or heart disease.
Again, volunteers are the glue that holds every organization together and I thank all of you that step up, take charge and get things done; even if it’s “other duties as assigned”. You are greatly appreciated!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
Transportation Division Manager's Message - September 2013
On September 1st, the Transportation Division became a reality. Joined together are the Highway Department, the County Surveyor’s Department, the Transit Unit and the GIS Unit. I am honored to be appointed by the Anoka County Board of Commissioners to be the new Division Manager for this group and I will lead our new division with the very best of my abilities.
As with any change, I know that some of you may be excited for what new possibilities the change can bring but for others it may bring a sense of anxiety as to what does this really mean and how will it affect you personally. Because all of our sections have worked so effectively for so long, you probably won’t see any radical changes, especially right away. However, you may begin to notice several subtle changes. The first one is the title of this article. I changed it from “County Engineer’s” message to “Transportation Division Manager’s” message. In the upcoming months you will see that this monthly newsletter will be expanded to include all of the division’s departments and units. I also plan to include all employees in the division in my monthly “Donuts with Doug” sessions. (Actually, you’ll find out I bring bagels instead of donuts!)
For me, change brings another opportunity to get re-energized, set new goals, and make a fresh start. Over the course of the next several months, I will be making a concerted effort to get acquainted with the people and operations of the Surveyor, Transit and GIS sections in particular since I have had the opportunity to work with only a few of you before. I look forward to introducing myself to you and letting you know a little about me and what makes me tick. Over the next several months and years we will be adapting to our new reality and making those changes needed to continue to hone our production, quality and effectiveness.
I also believe that it is possible to have fun at work too. Make no doubt about it, our jobs are harder than ever and less-than-satisfying days in the office are typically attributed to more work for less people, 24/7 workloads thanks to e-mail and cell phones (and weather!), and other overwhelming factors. People say they are not happy at work, but they are blaming everything around them. Are you the “Debbie Downer” of your group? Playing this terribly depressing, hopeless role isn’t working, which leads to a trait you’ll hopefully see in me and what is expected by me: personal accountability. Highway staff will recognize this as one of our values. While I will do my very best to give you the resources and motivation to make your job meaningful and enjoyable, it takes embracing accountability and taking responsibility for your own job satisfaction.
Cy Wakeman recently published her new book entitled, “The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace”. This workplace consultant shares her candid advice on how to boost personal value and be happier at work. Bottom line—she’ll tell you that it’s all up to you to thrive and be happy at work.
“It has become normal for work to suck,” Wakeman writes. “Many employees feel unrecognized, under-rewarded, and taken advantage of. They want me to understand the scale has tipped—and not in their favor. Their jobs have officially become undoable by the average human being.”
But it doesn’t have to be that way. That dissatisfaction can be transformed by taking control and changing your mindset. Take control over yourself and use that power to get what you want, to improve your work experience and reach your true potential.
Wakeman outlines five reality-based rules to move from an unsatisfied employee to a happy and successful one—a productive worker, a team player, an engaged and valuable employee.
Again, I will work my butt off doing all I can to motivate and provide the resources to let you do your job, but by taking these personal accountability tips into your own life and your own cubicle, truck or office where you work, you will be prepared to go to work tomorrow a new employee with increased value and an energizing love for your job, regardless of what I do. I know you’re up for the challenge of this new change and I look forward to having fun with you as we move forward together.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
As with any change, I know that some of you may be excited for what new possibilities the change can bring but for others it may bring a sense of anxiety as to what does this really mean and how will it affect you personally. Because all of our sections have worked so effectively for so long, you probably won’t see any radical changes, especially right away. However, you may begin to notice several subtle changes. The first one is the title of this article. I changed it from “County Engineer’s” message to “Transportation Division Manager’s” message. In the upcoming months you will see that this monthly newsletter will be expanded to include all of the division’s departments and units. I also plan to include all employees in the division in my monthly “Donuts with Doug” sessions. (Actually, you’ll find out I bring bagels instead of donuts!)
For me, change brings another opportunity to get re-energized, set new goals, and make a fresh start. Over the course of the next several months, I will be making a concerted effort to get acquainted with the people and operations of the Surveyor, Transit and GIS sections in particular since I have had the opportunity to work with only a few of you before. I look forward to introducing myself to you and letting you know a little about me and what makes me tick. Over the next several months and years we will be adapting to our new reality and making those changes needed to continue to hone our production, quality and effectiveness.
I also believe that it is possible to have fun at work too. Make no doubt about it, our jobs are harder than ever and less-than-satisfying days in the office are typically attributed to more work for less people, 24/7 workloads thanks to e-mail and cell phones (and weather!), and other overwhelming factors. People say they are not happy at work, but they are blaming everything around them. Are you the “Debbie Downer” of your group? Playing this terribly depressing, hopeless role isn’t working, which leads to a trait you’ll hopefully see in me and what is expected by me: personal accountability. Highway staff will recognize this as one of our values. While I will do my very best to give you the resources and motivation to make your job meaningful and enjoyable, it takes embracing accountability and taking responsibility for your own job satisfaction.
Cy Wakeman recently published her new book entitled, “The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace”. This workplace consultant shares her candid advice on how to boost personal value and be happier at work. Bottom line—she’ll tell you that it’s all up to you to thrive and be happy at work.
“It has become normal for work to suck,” Wakeman writes. “Many employees feel unrecognized, under-rewarded, and taken advantage of. They want me to understand the scale has tipped—and not in their favor. Their jobs have officially become undoable by the average human being.”
But it doesn’t have to be that way. That dissatisfaction can be transformed by taking control and changing your mindset. Take control over yourself and use that power to get what you want, to improve your work experience and reach your true potential.
Wakeman outlines five reality-based rules to move from an unsatisfied employee to a happy and successful one—a productive worker, a team player, an engaged and valuable employee.
- Don’t hope to be lucky. Choose to be happy. “The root cause of everyone’s dissatisfaction is lack of Personal Accountability and lack of understanding of accountability’s true connection to both results and happiness. You will get results when you stop complaining and blaming and focusing on what is happening ‘to’ you, and focus instead on what you can do within your current reality, and with your current challenges, to compete, deliver, and to succeed.”
- Ditch the drama. “You can fight your reality and create drama, or you can radically accept what is happening and work within that reality to succeed anyway.”
- Buy-in is not optional. Your action, not opinion, adds value. “If you get wholehearted, and commit to action over opinion, you will be on the leading edge of accomplishing your company’s goals.”
- Change is opportunity. “You need to start anticipating and capitalizing on the opportunity inherent in change, and moving toward it quickly and happily. It’s called progress and innovation—it’s how you add value.”
- Succeed anyway. “Your reality is not the reason why you can’t succeed. It is the circumstances under which you must succeed.”
Again, I will work my butt off doing all I can to motivate and provide the resources to let you do your job, but by taking these personal accountability tips into your own life and your own cubicle, truck or office where you work, you will be prepared to go to work tomorrow a new employee with increased value and an energizing love for your job, regardless of what I do. I know you’re up for the challenge of this new change and I look forward to having fun with you as we move forward together.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, Transportation Division Manager
County Engineer's Message - August 2013
Since we just finished another department meeting and summer picnic, I thought I’d reiterate some of the points I made during my presentation while I still have those thoughts in my mind (and turkey taste in my mouth?).
Again, welcome to our numerous new employees: Matt John (Engineer III), Eric Johnson (Equipment Operator), Derek Lustig (Equipment Operator), Ross Tracy (Engineering Tech III), Chad Kosecka (Equipment Operator), Mike Ebensteiner (Equipment Operator), and Jack Forslund (Multimodal Transportation Manager). Welcome to the team! I was also very pleased to announce that Dawn Hill (Office Support Assistant) became a full-time, regular employee, Jim Plemon was promoted to Crew Leader, and Peg Flaig received the SR/WA designation by the International Right-of-Way Association. Congratulations to all!
My favorite part of the meeting was being able to recognize many employees for their contributions to the success of the Highway Department. Hats off to the following years of service award winners:
I also recognized the new members of the newly formed “Go 2 Team”. This is the new group that is taking the place of the Planning Team and the Labor Management Committee which had suspended meetings pending reorganization into one group. This group will be similar to the County’s Focus Committee but will be dealing with issues specific to the Highway Department. This group has already met several times and looks to be the “go to” committee of the department!
The big news at the meeting was more discussion of the formation of the new Division of Transportation. Effective September 1, 2013, the Public Services Division will cease to exist. In its place there will be two new divisions: the Division of Transportation and the Division of Parks and Community Services. The Division of Transportation will consist of the Highway and Surveyor’s Departments, and the GIS and Transit Units. This division will be responsible not only for its core functions of highways, land surveying, GIS and transit, but will also be responsible for airports, pipelines, county ditches, and transmission facilities. The goal of this reorganization is to provide alternatives for improved efficiency, simplified reporting and streamlined operations. This is a great challenge for all of us and an opportunity for continued innovation and performance.
The 2013 construction season is in full swing and while some projects are wrapping up some are just getting started. Now that MnDOT has started several of their projects as well, it seems like you can’t go anywhere without running into construction of some sort. Let’s hope that this mild summer isn’t a predication of an early winter – we could well be paving past Halloween again this year so let’s keep our fingers crossed for a mild fall as well. Our major reconstruction projects on Lexington Avenue, Bunker Lake Boulevard and Viking Boulevard have a long way to go, but I’m confident we’ll be in a good place when snow begins to fall later this year.
Our 2014 budget has been prepared and we look to have another big year next year too. We are on track to start the grade separation of Armstrong Boulevard at TH 10. This is a major project and will be funded from a variety of sources. Putting together the funding for this project is almost as difficult as designing and building it! Next year we will also have a couple of major corridor reconstructions including University Avenue from 109th to Main Street, and Foley Boulevard from TH 10 to Egret. Timing of these two nearby parallel routes will be tricky. Once again we will have a robust resurfacing program which will again include concrete white-topping projects which have been a great success for our system. From an operations side, we had to replenish our depleted salt supplies with a bigger than usual purchase and we are on track to keep replacing our fleet at the appropriate intervals. One of the new additions for 2014 will be the addition of a Centrax Traffic Management System. This federally funded hardware and software will allow us state-of-the-art communications with our traffic signals and will allow our interconnected systems to be more responsive to traffic flows throughout the day. This will be a tremendous help in reducing congestion and squeezing more capacity out of our highways.
While the County Board did vote to repeal the wheelage tax beginning in 2014, our overall budget will not be affected. Through the budget process, our Road & Bridge levy will be increased to replace the lost wheelage tax revenues. And other than some minor levy reductions to account for the voluntary separation program and other minor adjustments, the overall county share of our budget is flat.
It was great seeing everyone again at the meeting and picnic. Thank you to the Reach Committee for putting on another great event. You all deserve it so much!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Again, welcome to our numerous new employees: Matt John (Engineer III), Eric Johnson (Equipment Operator), Derek Lustig (Equipment Operator), Ross Tracy (Engineering Tech III), Chad Kosecka (Equipment Operator), Mike Ebensteiner (Equipment Operator), and Jack Forslund (Multimodal Transportation Manager). Welcome to the team! I was also very pleased to announce that Dawn Hill (Office Support Assistant) became a full-time, regular employee, Jim Plemon was promoted to Crew Leader, and Peg Flaig received the SR/WA designation by the International Right-of-Way Association. Congratulations to all!
My favorite part of the meeting was being able to recognize many employees for their contributions to the success of the Highway Department. Hats off to the following years of service award winners:
- 5 Year Awards: Gina Pizzo, Bob Struckman, Troy Helwig and Troy Goranson
- 15 Year Awards: Steve Kerr, Sandy Jachymowski, Tarryl Herting and Mark Lekson
- 20 Year Awards: Dan Alleman and Damon Raze
- 25 Year Awards: Greg Anderson (Engineering)
- 30 Year Awards: Al Reeves and Jim Christenson
- 40 Year Awards: Greg Anderson (Maintenance)
I also recognized the new members of the newly formed “Go 2 Team”. This is the new group that is taking the place of the Planning Team and the Labor Management Committee which had suspended meetings pending reorganization into one group. This group will be similar to the County’s Focus Committee but will be dealing with issues specific to the Highway Department. This group has already met several times and looks to be the “go to” committee of the department!
The big news at the meeting was more discussion of the formation of the new Division of Transportation. Effective September 1, 2013, the Public Services Division will cease to exist. In its place there will be two new divisions: the Division of Transportation and the Division of Parks and Community Services. The Division of Transportation will consist of the Highway and Surveyor’s Departments, and the GIS and Transit Units. This division will be responsible not only for its core functions of highways, land surveying, GIS and transit, but will also be responsible for airports, pipelines, county ditches, and transmission facilities. The goal of this reorganization is to provide alternatives for improved efficiency, simplified reporting and streamlined operations. This is a great challenge for all of us and an opportunity for continued innovation and performance.
The 2013 construction season is in full swing and while some projects are wrapping up some are just getting started. Now that MnDOT has started several of their projects as well, it seems like you can’t go anywhere without running into construction of some sort. Let’s hope that this mild summer isn’t a predication of an early winter – we could well be paving past Halloween again this year so let’s keep our fingers crossed for a mild fall as well. Our major reconstruction projects on Lexington Avenue, Bunker Lake Boulevard and Viking Boulevard have a long way to go, but I’m confident we’ll be in a good place when snow begins to fall later this year.
Our 2014 budget has been prepared and we look to have another big year next year too. We are on track to start the grade separation of Armstrong Boulevard at TH 10. This is a major project and will be funded from a variety of sources. Putting together the funding for this project is almost as difficult as designing and building it! Next year we will also have a couple of major corridor reconstructions including University Avenue from 109th to Main Street, and Foley Boulevard from TH 10 to Egret. Timing of these two nearby parallel routes will be tricky. Once again we will have a robust resurfacing program which will again include concrete white-topping projects which have been a great success for our system. From an operations side, we had to replenish our depleted salt supplies with a bigger than usual purchase and we are on track to keep replacing our fleet at the appropriate intervals. One of the new additions for 2014 will be the addition of a Centrax Traffic Management System. This federally funded hardware and software will allow us state-of-the-art communications with our traffic signals and will allow our interconnected systems to be more responsive to traffic flows throughout the day. This will be a tremendous help in reducing congestion and squeezing more capacity out of our highways.
While the County Board did vote to repeal the wheelage tax beginning in 2014, our overall budget will not be affected. Through the budget process, our Road & Bridge levy will be increased to replace the lost wheelage tax revenues. And other than some minor levy reductions to account for the voluntary separation program and other minor adjustments, the overall county share of our budget is flat.
It was great seeing everyone again at the meeting and picnic. Thank you to the Reach Committee for putting on another great event. You all deserve it so much!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - July 2013
As you can see from the Feature Article in this month’s newsletter, the Highway Department as well as all of the other departments and units within the Public Services Division will be undergoing quite a transformative change over the next several months. Change, whether it is good or bad, is almost always hard. But one thing is for sure: change is going to happen whether we go along with it or not. To alleviate anyone from having a “helpless” feeling in all of this, I have attached an article from motivational guru Tony Robbins on how to affect POSITIVE changes in your life. Enjoy!
Tony Robbins: How to Change Your Life (7 tips on getting the life you really want)
Life coach Tony Robbins has noticed patterns in what makes people succeed or fail, what makes them happy or sad, and what creates a life of meaning and fulfillment versus a life of frustration and despair. To transform yourself and your life, Robbins says:
1. Don’t live in “No Man’s Land,” that place where you’re not really happy, but you’re not unhappy enough to do anything about it. Don’t passively accept what comes your way; drive your life toward what you really want.
2. See things as they are, not worse. Then see it better than it is, and then make it the way you see it.
3. Don’t avoid failure. Failure is necessary for real learning to occur. Overcoming obstacles gives us psychological strength—the very thing that forms character.
4. Don’t focus only on achievement. Extraordinary accomplishment does not guarantee joy, happiness, love and a sense of meaning. You must also focus on fulfillment.
5. Decide what you will no longer stand for and what you’re committed to. Clarity is power.
6. Take massive action. You have to be willing to do the things you don’t want to do. You have to build a momentum that consistent action produces.
7. Notice what’s working and what’s not working. When it is not working, change your approach. Keep changing until you finally achieve what you are committed to.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Tony Robbins: How to Change Your Life (7 tips on getting the life you really want)
Life coach Tony Robbins has noticed patterns in what makes people succeed or fail, what makes them happy or sad, and what creates a life of meaning and fulfillment versus a life of frustration and despair. To transform yourself and your life, Robbins says:
1. Don’t live in “No Man’s Land,” that place where you’re not really happy, but you’re not unhappy enough to do anything about it. Don’t passively accept what comes your way; drive your life toward what you really want.
2. See things as they are, not worse. Then see it better than it is, and then make it the way you see it.
3. Don’t avoid failure. Failure is necessary for real learning to occur. Overcoming obstacles gives us psychological strength—the very thing that forms character.
4. Don’t focus only on achievement. Extraordinary accomplishment does not guarantee joy, happiness, love and a sense of meaning. You must also focus on fulfillment.
5. Decide what you will no longer stand for and what you’re committed to. Clarity is power.
6. Take massive action. You have to be willing to do the things you don’t want to do. You have to build a momentum that consistent action produces.
7. Notice what’s working and what’s not working. When it is not working, change your approach. Keep changing until you finally achieve what you are committed to.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - June 2013
I usually like to use this space to impart timely information about the department or to provide some educational and/or motivational message to the Highway Department staff. But recently I came across the following blog from motivational speaker and author Mary Rau-Foster that I just had to share it verbatim. Enjoy!
How Would You Perform Your Job If No One Ever Knew?
What happens when others do less than is expected? What is our reaction? Our expectations for the performance of others may be very high. In many cases, we would not settle for less that the best.
We expect airplane mechanics to do their jobs because passenger's lives depend on it. We expect a nurse or doctor to do their best because our health and well-being depends upon it. We expect a sports player to do his or her best because we have paid to be entertained. Yet, we may feel as though doing less than the best in our jobs will not matter. But it does.
Why do we do less than our best at work? When there may seem to be a lack of resources, time, money and people, we may look for ways to cut corners to make ends meet. This can result in a reduction in the quality of our product or service. We may relieve our burden of guilt by thinking that no one will ever know that we did less than the best job.
How do you know if you have truly done your best under the circumstances? Think of your work as a canvas upon which you create a painting. Would you be willing to sign your name to that canvas and display it for all to see? Would you do so with pride or with guilt?
The tools that we use to do our jobs are those of values, ethics and principles. These tools are with us in every aspect of our lives, however some people use their tools only when it's convenient and when using them does not require some extra effort on their part. It is when there is a spotlight on our work that the tools of our personal values, ethics and principles are highlighted and seen by others. How would you feel about being in the spotlight? Would you want your co-workers and children to duplicate your attitude, principles and work ethics?
Why should we do a good job when no one seems to notice or when others around us do not even try to do a good job? It takes self-discipline to curtail any desire to slack off on the job. Just because others are doing less than their best does not mean that you should follow suit. Here are some tips that may help:
At the end of the day, when our duties for the day are over with, there is one person who knows what kind of job that we did... the person staring back at us in the mirror.
Affirmation for the Week: "I am proud of the work that I do, and I confidently sign my name to each project." Mary "Motivator" Rau-Foster
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
How Would You Perform Your Job If No One Ever Knew?
What happens when others do less than is expected? What is our reaction? Our expectations for the performance of others may be very high. In many cases, we would not settle for less that the best.
We expect airplane mechanics to do their jobs because passenger's lives depend on it. We expect a nurse or doctor to do their best because our health and well-being depends upon it. We expect a sports player to do his or her best because we have paid to be entertained. Yet, we may feel as though doing less than the best in our jobs will not matter. But it does.
Why do we do less than our best at work? When there may seem to be a lack of resources, time, money and people, we may look for ways to cut corners to make ends meet. This can result in a reduction in the quality of our product or service. We may relieve our burden of guilt by thinking that no one will ever know that we did less than the best job.
How do you know if you have truly done your best under the circumstances? Think of your work as a canvas upon which you create a painting. Would you be willing to sign your name to that canvas and display it for all to see? Would you do so with pride or with guilt?
The tools that we use to do our jobs are those of values, ethics and principles. These tools are with us in every aspect of our lives, however some people use their tools only when it's convenient and when using them does not require some extra effort on their part. It is when there is a spotlight on our work that the tools of our personal values, ethics and principles are highlighted and seen by others. How would you feel about being in the spotlight? Would you want your co-workers and children to duplicate your attitude, principles and work ethics?
Why should we do a good job when no one seems to notice or when others around us do not even try to do a good job? It takes self-discipline to curtail any desire to slack off on the job. Just because others are doing less than their best does not mean that you should follow suit. Here are some tips that may help:
- Do the job in a manner that you personally would be satisfied with the end result.
- Don't allow the low values and poor work ethics of others to become yours.
- Pat yourself on the back for a job well done, even if no one else seems to acknowledge your good job.
- Ask for feedback from your supervisor about your performance.
- Do a good job only because it is your "right" thing to do, knowing that you will never be embarrassed or worried about how you performed your job.
- Mentally sign your name to each project completed or task performed.
- Ask yourself if you would want your spouse, significant other, children, parents or friends to see what kind of job you did.
At the end of the day, when our duties for the day are over with, there is one person who knows what kind of job that we did... the person staring back at us in the mirror.
Affirmation for the Week: "I am proud of the work that I do, and I confidently sign my name to each project." Mary "Motivator" Rau-Foster
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - May 2013
This Sunday, May 12th, is Mother’s Day and I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to all of the moms of the Highway Department for the awesome job that you do here and at home. You deserve this special day!
But there is one mother that will not be getting any special recognition or gift or thankful platitudes this year – Mother Nature. After spoiling us with the very mild winter of 2011-12, she really unloaded on us this winter. She gave us all she had with regards to frequency, intensity and duration. This Saturday (May 11th) we will have another frost warning so I can’t even say that we’re done with winter yet. Good grief! What’s the most vulgar 4-letter word there is? S-N-O-W!
But while this past winter has taken its toll on our highways, equipment (see photo at right) and our salt supply/budget, I am very proud to say that once again the employees at the Highway Department rose up to the challenge and performed admirably over and over (and over!) again.
So I would also like to offer a tip of my hardhat to everyone who worked long days and nights, who came in on weekends and holidays, and who made personal sacrifices and spent time away from your families to help us carry out our vision “To enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
But there is one mother that will not be getting any special recognition or gift or thankful platitudes this year – Mother Nature. After spoiling us with the very mild winter of 2011-12, she really unloaded on us this winter. She gave us all she had with regards to frequency, intensity and duration. This Saturday (May 11th) we will have another frost warning so I can’t even say that we’re done with winter yet. Good grief! What’s the most vulgar 4-letter word there is? S-N-O-W!
But while this past winter has taken its toll on our highways, equipment (see photo at right) and our salt supply/budget, I am very proud to say that once again the employees at the Highway Department rose up to the challenge and performed admirably over and over (and over!) again.
So I would also like to offer a tip of my hardhat to everyone who worked long days and nights, who came in on weekends and holidays, and who made personal sacrifices and spent time away from your families to help us carry out our vision “To enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - April 2013
Later this month, my daughter will be receiving the sacrament of confirmation at the Cathedral of St. Paul. Besides the awesome feeling of the presence of the Holy Spirit coming into the lives of these young people, just being in the cathedral can give you a special feeling. The Cathedral of Saint Paul has been in existence, in various buildings, for over 170 years. But it was John Ireland, the popular archbishop of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, who helped bring to life the vision of a permanent mother church for Minnesota in 1904. In 1905, Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, a French architect trained at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, was selected to design what we know today as the fourth Cathedral of Saint Paul. But was it just Ireland and Masqueray that “built” the cathedral?
Before I answer that question, I would like to share some thoughts that I recently read by the motivational speaker and author Mary Rau-Foster.
"I feel that what I do is not very significant. It seems like I get very little recognition or respect for my work. Sometimes I wonder why I am working in this particular job. Who cares? What difference does it make? What difference do I make?"
Have you felt like this or heard others express similar statements? I know that I have had those same thoughts... especially during one of those "pity party days." How others perceive our job is important. But unfortunately, we sometimes rely too much on what others think about us and what we are doing.
However, as with anything else, our attitude and belief system have a great impact on our "job self-worth." The following story demonstrates this point very well.
A traveler came upon three individuals working with stone. Curious as to what these workers were doing, the traveler approached the first worker and asked, "What are you doing?" Without the slightest hesitation, the worker replied, "I am a stone cutter and I am cutting stones."
Still unclear of the workers' task, the traveler approached the second worker and asked the same question. To this the second worker thought for a moment, gazed briefly at the traveler and explained, "I am a stone cutter and I am cutting stones to earn money to support my family."
Perplexed by the two different responses, the sojourner approached the third worker and asked, "What are you doing?" Stopping for a moment, the worker stared at the stone in his hand, slowly turned to the traveler, and said, "I am a stone cutter and I AM BUILDING A CATHEDRAL!"
So to answer my earlier question: No, Ireland and Masqueray were not the only ones that built the cathedral. It was through the efforts of many, many designers, craftsman, laborers, clergy and laypeople who worked on this structure. And just like the first two stonecutters in the story above, it is a great disservice to others, and to yourself, to minimize your efforts that provide a beneficial service to others. When you lift your eyes and maintain a bigger vision, like the third stone cutter, your life and your job will be enriched and more satisfying than you can imagine.
So whether your job today is to fill a pothole, fix a stop sign, design a pavement, or any of the hundreds of tasks we perform each day, it all contributes to our “cathedral” which is a safe and efficient highway system for the traveling public of Anoka County.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Before I answer that question, I would like to share some thoughts that I recently read by the motivational speaker and author Mary Rau-Foster.
"I feel that what I do is not very significant. It seems like I get very little recognition or respect for my work. Sometimes I wonder why I am working in this particular job. Who cares? What difference does it make? What difference do I make?"
Have you felt like this or heard others express similar statements? I know that I have had those same thoughts... especially during one of those "pity party days." How others perceive our job is important. But unfortunately, we sometimes rely too much on what others think about us and what we are doing.
However, as with anything else, our attitude and belief system have a great impact on our "job self-worth." The following story demonstrates this point very well.
A traveler came upon three individuals working with stone. Curious as to what these workers were doing, the traveler approached the first worker and asked, "What are you doing?" Without the slightest hesitation, the worker replied, "I am a stone cutter and I am cutting stones."
Still unclear of the workers' task, the traveler approached the second worker and asked the same question. To this the second worker thought for a moment, gazed briefly at the traveler and explained, "I am a stone cutter and I am cutting stones to earn money to support my family."
Perplexed by the two different responses, the sojourner approached the third worker and asked, "What are you doing?" Stopping for a moment, the worker stared at the stone in his hand, slowly turned to the traveler, and said, "I am a stone cutter and I AM BUILDING A CATHEDRAL!"
So to answer my earlier question: No, Ireland and Masqueray were not the only ones that built the cathedral. It was through the efforts of many, many designers, craftsman, laborers, clergy and laypeople who worked on this structure. And just like the first two stonecutters in the story above, it is a great disservice to others, and to yourself, to minimize your efforts that provide a beneficial service to others. When you lift your eyes and maintain a bigger vision, like the third stone cutter, your life and your job will be enriched and more satisfying than you can imagine.
So whether your job today is to fill a pothole, fix a stop sign, design a pavement, or any of the hundreds of tasks we perform each day, it all contributes to our “cathedral” which is a safe and efficient highway system for the traveling public of Anoka County.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - March 2013
Last week we had a departmental meeting prior to our annual chili cook off. Even though most of you were there and have already heard this, I thought that it would still be good to reiterate some of those points here in this column.
What a difference a year makes! At last year's meeting we had to hold it at the Bunker Hills Activity Center because our highway building was right in the middle of its renovation. But this year we were not only able to have the meeting back at the highway facility, but it was held in a real conference room and not out in the garage where we always had to have it to accommodate a group as large as ours. The acoustics were great and we were able to use our new smart board too. It's great to have a facility that finally fits us!
There were no new employees since our last departmental meeting to introduce to the group, but we did re-announce three recent promotions: Harry grams as Construction Engineering Supervisor, Marv Werlinger as Engineering Tech III, and Jeff Foster as Engineering Design Tech III. Congratulations gentlemen!
Our CSAH 14 Design-Build project keeps winning award after award. In addition to the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Award that we previously received, it now has received the Local Government Innovation Award from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Government, the Project of the Year Award from the Minnesota County Engineers Association, an Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota (ACEC/MN), and the Design-Build Merit Award from the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers. In addition, our Radisson Road/Bunker lake Boulevard reconstruction project also received an Honor Award from ACEC/MN. Congrats to all involved in these great projects.
It looks like we are having a "normal" winter - at least as far as snowfall is concerned. We have already doubled last year's snowfall accumulations but were still far behind the totals we got in 2010-11. But what is making this winter a little different is the bitter cold that we have had. As you know regular road salt (sodium chloride) loses its effectiveness especially below 15-degrees. But what really made a difference was the anti-icing we did with our tanker trucks and the pre-wetting of the salt that we did with calcium chloride solution. Because calcium chloride is so much more corrosive than sodium chloride, it has been mixed with molasses to work as a corrosion inhibitor. That's also why this salt looks brown instead of white. Our snow & ice control once again is receiving national attention as the USA Today had a little blurb about our use of alternative chemicals in a recent edition of this nationally distributed newspaper. Hats off to our maintenance section for their great work! And to help us out in snow & ice control efforts in the future, we will be building a joint salt storage facility in Lino Lakes later this year as well.
We will be continuing to re-establish a joint Labor Management Committee and Planning Team. Look for more information regarding its reorganizing and functions in the upcoming months.
The 2013 construction season is going to be another large one. Major corridor projects include the completion of Lexington Avenue north of Main Street, reconstructing Viking Boulevard from CR 65 to Nowthen Boulevard, and the reconstruction and expansion of Bunker Lake Boulevard from Seventh Avenue to Round Lake Boulevard. We will be doing signal/intersection improvements at seven new locations this year in addition to two new signals that are yet to be completed from last year’s program. We will be having another robust resurfacing program this year county wide which includes concrete white topping on Viking Boulevard from University Avenue to TH 65. Additional projects include crack sealing, signal painting, culvert replacements and minor bridge repairs. You know the old saying: there's two seasons in Minnesota - winter and road construction!
With regards to the budget, we are already starting work on the 2014 budget starting with the capital improvement program (CIP). What is new in the 5-year CIP is the inclusion of three round-a-bouts! These are being programmed for Bridge Street in St. Francis at Poppy Street and Lake George Boulevard, and at the intersection of Kettle River Boulevard and Broadway in Columbus.
The legislature is in session and there is plenty of talk of increased funding for transportation including increased gas tax and bonding for highways that could have a significant impact on our budget and CIP. Other tax plans include increasing the tax base but lowering its rate. This could have significant impact on us as well but in a negative way. I will keep you posted on all of these situations.
That’s it for now. Hopefully by next month’s newsletter we’ll be done plowing snow and beginning our construction program in earnest. The fun never stops!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
What a difference a year makes! At last year's meeting we had to hold it at the Bunker Hills Activity Center because our highway building was right in the middle of its renovation. But this year we were not only able to have the meeting back at the highway facility, but it was held in a real conference room and not out in the garage where we always had to have it to accommodate a group as large as ours. The acoustics were great and we were able to use our new smart board too. It's great to have a facility that finally fits us!
There were no new employees since our last departmental meeting to introduce to the group, but we did re-announce three recent promotions: Harry grams as Construction Engineering Supervisor, Marv Werlinger as Engineering Tech III, and Jeff Foster as Engineering Design Tech III. Congratulations gentlemen!
Our CSAH 14 Design-Build project keeps winning award after award. In addition to the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Award that we previously received, it now has received the Local Government Innovation Award from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Government, the Project of the Year Award from the Minnesota County Engineers Association, an Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota (ACEC/MN), and the Design-Build Merit Award from the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers. In addition, our Radisson Road/Bunker lake Boulevard reconstruction project also received an Honor Award from ACEC/MN. Congrats to all involved in these great projects.
It looks like we are having a "normal" winter - at least as far as snowfall is concerned. We have already doubled last year's snowfall accumulations but were still far behind the totals we got in 2010-11. But what is making this winter a little different is the bitter cold that we have had. As you know regular road salt (sodium chloride) loses its effectiveness especially below 15-degrees. But what really made a difference was the anti-icing we did with our tanker trucks and the pre-wetting of the salt that we did with calcium chloride solution. Because calcium chloride is so much more corrosive than sodium chloride, it has been mixed with molasses to work as a corrosion inhibitor. That's also why this salt looks brown instead of white. Our snow & ice control once again is receiving national attention as the USA Today had a little blurb about our use of alternative chemicals in a recent edition of this nationally distributed newspaper. Hats off to our maintenance section for their great work! And to help us out in snow & ice control efforts in the future, we will be building a joint salt storage facility in Lino Lakes later this year as well.
We will be continuing to re-establish a joint Labor Management Committee and Planning Team. Look for more information regarding its reorganizing and functions in the upcoming months.
The 2013 construction season is going to be another large one. Major corridor projects include the completion of Lexington Avenue north of Main Street, reconstructing Viking Boulevard from CR 65 to Nowthen Boulevard, and the reconstruction and expansion of Bunker Lake Boulevard from Seventh Avenue to Round Lake Boulevard. We will be doing signal/intersection improvements at seven new locations this year in addition to two new signals that are yet to be completed from last year’s program. We will be having another robust resurfacing program this year county wide which includes concrete white topping on Viking Boulevard from University Avenue to TH 65. Additional projects include crack sealing, signal painting, culvert replacements and minor bridge repairs. You know the old saying: there's two seasons in Minnesota - winter and road construction!
With regards to the budget, we are already starting work on the 2014 budget starting with the capital improvement program (CIP). What is new in the 5-year CIP is the inclusion of three round-a-bouts! These are being programmed for Bridge Street in St. Francis at Poppy Street and Lake George Boulevard, and at the intersection of Kettle River Boulevard and Broadway in Columbus.
The legislature is in session and there is plenty of talk of increased funding for transportation including increased gas tax and bonding for highways that could have a significant impact on our budget and CIP. Other tax plans include increasing the tax base but lowering its rate. This could have significant impact on us as well but in a negative way. I will keep you posted on all of these situations.
That’s it for now. Hopefully by next month’s newsletter we’ll be done plowing snow and beginning our construction program in earnest. The fun never stops!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - February 2013
This weekend is Super Bowl Sunday! I’m sure many of you will be hearing Hut!, Hut!, Hut! coming from your TV sets, but will it be from the game between the San Francisco Forty-Niners and the Baltimore Ravens or will it be from some amped out Pizza Hut commercial? In the past decade or so it seems that the commercials during the Super Bowl are more watched than the game itself, and at $4 million per 30-second commercial, most advertisers are hoping that is the fact of the matter. (Want to find out if someone is more interested in the game or the commercials? Watch when they go to the bathroom!)
As a true lover of the game of football itself, I find all of this a little disheartening. It used to be about the GAME. But lately it’s become more about who’s singing the national anthem, who’s doing the halftime performance, the commercials, who tweets what during the game, who’s in the crowd, etc. Why do I bring this up in this Highway Department Newsletter? Because just like the focus of the Super Bowl has shifted from the GAME to all of the fluff, it seems that this is what’s happening in our road and bridge business.
Our focus used to be building and maintaining good roads and bridges. That was what the people wanted, that’s what they cheered about. That was the GAME! While there are still those out there that still want this, it seems to not be so much of the focus anymore. Instead we have to deal with all of the fluff. What fluff am I talking about? How about the environmental regulations, budgetary constraints, labor provisions, political overtures, project audits, inspection documentation, contract management, cost sharing agreements, data requests, public hearings, lawsuits, media coverage, and a whole assortment of tweets, blogs and viral YouTube videos!
Let’s drill down on the environmental regulations all by itself. On a typical reconstruction project, here are the items we have to analyze, minimize and/or mitigate before a single grain of sand is disturbed: Land Use; Cover Types; Fish, Wildlife and Ecologically Sensitive Resources; Physical Impacts on Water Resources; Water Use; Water-related Land Use Management District; Erosion and Sedimentation; Water Quality: Surface Water and Runoff; Water Quality: Wastewaters; Geologic Hazards and Soil; Solid Wastes, Hazardous Wastes, Storage Tanks; Traffic; Vehicle-Related Air Emissions; Stationary Source Air Emissions; Odors, Noise and Dust; Nearby Resources; Visual Impacts; Compatibility with Plans and Land Use Regulations; Impact on Infrastructure and Public Services; Cumulative Potential Effects; Other Potential Environmental Impacts; Summary of Issues; RGU Certification; Social Impacts; Considerations Relating to Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Environmental Justice; Economic Impacts; Relocation; Right of Way; and 4f/6f Property.
Despite all of this “fluff”, I am proud to say that at the end of the day we still accomplish a great amount of work and still deliver the GAME: a safe and effective road and bridge system.
After all, at the Anoka County Highway Department, Our Passion is Your Safe Way Home!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
As a true lover of the game of football itself, I find all of this a little disheartening. It used to be about the GAME. But lately it’s become more about who’s singing the national anthem, who’s doing the halftime performance, the commercials, who tweets what during the game, who’s in the crowd, etc. Why do I bring this up in this Highway Department Newsletter? Because just like the focus of the Super Bowl has shifted from the GAME to all of the fluff, it seems that this is what’s happening in our road and bridge business.
Our focus used to be building and maintaining good roads and bridges. That was what the people wanted, that’s what they cheered about. That was the GAME! While there are still those out there that still want this, it seems to not be so much of the focus anymore. Instead we have to deal with all of the fluff. What fluff am I talking about? How about the environmental regulations, budgetary constraints, labor provisions, political overtures, project audits, inspection documentation, contract management, cost sharing agreements, data requests, public hearings, lawsuits, media coverage, and a whole assortment of tweets, blogs and viral YouTube videos!
Let’s drill down on the environmental regulations all by itself. On a typical reconstruction project, here are the items we have to analyze, minimize and/or mitigate before a single grain of sand is disturbed: Land Use; Cover Types; Fish, Wildlife and Ecologically Sensitive Resources; Physical Impacts on Water Resources; Water Use; Water-related Land Use Management District; Erosion and Sedimentation; Water Quality: Surface Water and Runoff; Water Quality: Wastewaters; Geologic Hazards and Soil; Solid Wastes, Hazardous Wastes, Storage Tanks; Traffic; Vehicle-Related Air Emissions; Stationary Source Air Emissions; Odors, Noise and Dust; Nearby Resources; Visual Impacts; Compatibility with Plans and Land Use Regulations; Impact on Infrastructure and Public Services; Cumulative Potential Effects; Other Potential Environmental Impacts; Summary of Issues; RGU Certification; Social Impacts; Considerations Relating to Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Environmental Justice; Economic Impacts; Relocation; Right of Way; and 4f/6f Property.
Despite all of this “fluff”, I am proud to say that at the end of the day we still accomplish a great amount of work and still deliver the GAME: a safe and effective road and bridge system.
After all, at the Anoka County Highway Department, Our Passion is Your Safe Way Home!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - January 2013
I recently read an article from my friend and business mentor Bart Ward in his weekly publication of The Corner that really struck a chord with me. In his article he said, “You may not be able to control the markets, world events, other people, etc. The one change that everyone can make is a change in attitude. Every morning when you get up, you approach the world with a particular attitude—be it positive, negative or somewhere in between. I was once told, by a corporate executive of an S&P 100 company, that he "never knew a successful pessimist".” Mr. Ward goes on to suggest that everyone should read the classic book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Having previously read this book myself, I would wholeheartedly agree!
Think and Grow Rich is a 1937 motivational personal development and self-help book written by Napoleon Hill and inspired by a suggestion from business tycoon Andrew Carnegie. While the title implies that this book deals only with how to get rich, the author explains that the philosophy taught in the book can be used to help people succeed in all lines of work and to do or be almost anything they want.
If you think that this book is irrelevant in today’s tough times - think again. The book was first published in 1937 during the Great Depression. So it probably is even more relevant today than ever! At Andrew Carnegie's bidding, Hill studied the characteristics of super achievers from the time and Think and Grow Rich provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement. It is noted in the book, that an individual with desire, faith, and persistence can reach great heights by eliminating all negative energy and thoughts and focusing at the greater goals in hand.
To give you a little taste of the book, I thought I’d provide these great quotes:
“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”
“You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.”
“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.”
“Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do. More than five hundred of the most successful men this country has ever known told the author their greatest success came just one step beyond the point at which defeat had overtaken them.”
“Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.”
“The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.”
“More gold had been mined from the mind of men than the earth itself”
“To win the big stakes in this changed world, you must catch the spirit of the great pioneers of the past, whose dreams have given to civilization all that it has of value, the spirit that serves as the life-blood of our own country – your opportunity and mine, to develop and market our talents.”
“We refuse to believe that which we don't understand.”
“Neglecting to broaden their view has kept some people doing one thing all their lives.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartbreak, carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“Opportunity has a sly habit of slipping in the back door, and often comes disguised as misfortune, or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many people fail to recognize opportunity.”
As we embark upon a new year I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. But don’t just rely on my best wishes, pick up a copy of Think and Grow Rich and make your happiness, healthiness and prosperity your own reality!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Think and Grow Rich is a 1937 motivational personal development and self-help book written by Napoleon Hill and inspired by a suggestion from business tycoon Andrew Carnegie. While the title implies that this book deals only with how to get rich, the author explains that the philosophy taught in the book can be used to help people succeed in all lines of work and to do or be almost anything they want.
If you think that this book is irrelevant in today’s tough times - think again. The book was first published in 1937 during the Great Depression. So it probably is even more relevant today than ever! At Andrew Carnegie's bidding, Hill studied the characteristics of super achievers from the time and Think and Grow Rich provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement. It is noted in the book, that an individual with desire, faith, and persistence can reach great heights by eliminating all negative energy and thoughts and focusing at the greater goals in hand.
To give you a little taste of the book, I thought I’d provide these great quotes:
“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”
“You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.”
“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.”
“Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do. More than five hundred of the most successful men this country has ever known told the author their greatest success came just one step beyond the point at which defeat had overtaken them.”
“Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.”
“The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.”
“More gold had been mined from the mind of men than the earth itself”
“To win the big stakes in this changed world, you must catch the spirit of the great pioneers of the past, whose dreams have given to civilization all that it has of value, the spirit that serves as the life-blood of our own country – your opportunity and mine, to develop and market our talents.”
“We refuse to believe that which we don't understand.”
“Neglecting to broaden their view has kept some people doing one thing all their lives.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartbreak, carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“Opportunity has a sly habit of slipping in the back door, and often comes disguised as misfortune, or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many people fail to recognize opportunity.”
As we embark upon a new year I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. But don’t just rely on my best wishes, pick up a copy of Think and Grow Rich and make your happiness, healthiness and prosperity your own reality!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - December 2012
Another year is ending, and we are already preparing for a new one. 2013 is looking to be a new and exciting year and I can’t wait to get started! Starting a new year brings a feeling of renewed energy and optimism. We are great at setting out new goals and embarking on new projects because they are fun and exciting. Sticking with them is hard. And finishing the old, stale stuff is next to impossible. But before we embark on the New Year let’s create a powerful ending to 2012.
2012 should be recognized as one of the most, if not THE most productive year in our history. What is so remarkable is the fact that we did the majority of this work while we were displaced with our facility expansion and renovation project. We were scattered, crammed, disconnected, too hot, too cold, too noisy, etc., etc. Yet despite all of that inconvenience we managed to not only carry on, but to do more than ever before! It was worth the hassle though. With a new fleet maintenance garage and a renovated everything else, we now have a safe and efficient workspace for all of our highway staff.
Make no doubt about it – we did get a little lucky too. Remember the winter that wasn’t? (If only EVERY winter could be like that!) Not only did it allow us to complete our facility project months early, it gave us a great jump on the construction season as well. In fact, our Main Street reconstruction project in Blaine and Coon Rapids really only shut down for a couple of weeks over the Christmas holiday. 2012 saw our largest construction program ever with over $54 million worth of highway and bridge reconstruction and rehabilitation projects. Highlighting this effort was the single largest construction project in our history: the $34 million CSAH 14 Design/Build project.
A couple other “firsts” were produced this past year. We have installed “flashing yellow” traffic signals at various locations including 7th Avenue and TH 10 in Anoka, Bunker Lake Boulevard and TH 65 in Ham Lake, and 221st Avenue and TH 65 in East Bethel. We experimented with a pothole spray patch truck this year and plan to purchase one in 2013. Our sign techs made a cone drop/pickup platform for the back of a pickup truck. In Engineering, we are incorporating a “Safety Edge” in our paving operations now. In the Multimodal Group we expanded our public involvement processes to include Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn social networks. They also held “tent” public information meetings, used door hangers and promoted “Safe Driving Pledges” for varying activities of the department. Our Commute Solutions Group went electronic with their newsletter saving printing and postage costs for over 2,000 subscribers.
Roads and bridges weren’t the only “new” assets for the Highway Department either. We had quite a large influx of new personnel too. This past year we welcomed Brent Anderson (Fleet), Dean Bratland (Maintenance), Quinten Tucker (Fleet), Tom McLaughlin (Signals), Brad Morriem (Maintenance), and Matt Parent (Multi-Modal) to the department. Great additions one and all!
All eight sections of the highway department: administration, maintenance, signs, signal, fleet, engineering, traffic and multi-modal, made great contributions in allowing us to achieve our Vision, Mission and Goals. Our greatest asset and resource always has been and always will be the people of the Highway Department. It is through all of your hard work and dedication that we are able to achieve so much in such an innovative and cost effective way.
May all of you have a very merry Christmas, and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
P.S. I would like to take this opportunity to personally recognize our Construction Manager Charles Cadenhead for all of his work for us over his short career at the Highway Department. He will be leaving to pursue other opportunities in the private sector but like I’ve been saying, “He’s given us 10 years of work during the 4-1/2 years of his employment with the county!” Thanks again Charles, and best wishes on your new endeavors!
2012 should be recognized as one of the most, if not THE most productive year in our history. What is so remarkable is the fact that we did the majority of this work while we were displaced with our facility expansion and renovation project. We were scattered, crammed, disconnected, too hot, too cold, too noisy, etc., etc. Yet despite all of that inconvenience we managed to not only carry on, but to do more than ever before! It was worth the hassle though. With a new fleet maintenance garage and a renovated everything else, we now have a safe and efficient workspace for all of our highway staff.
Make no doubt about it – we did get a little lucky too. Remember the winter that wasn’t? (If only EVERY winter could be like that!) Not only did it allow us to complete our facility project months early, it gave us a great jump on the construction season as well. In fact, our Main Street reconstruction project in Blaine and Coon Rapids really only shut down for a couple of weeks over the Christmas holiday. 2012 saw our largest construction program ever with over $54 million worth of highway and bridge reconstruction and rehabilitation projects. Highlighting this effort was the single largest construction project in our history: the $34 million CSAH 14 Design/Build project.
A couple other “firsts” were produced this past year. We have installed “flashing yellow” traffic signals at various locations including 7th Avenue and TH 10 in Anoka, Bunker Lake Boulevard and TH 65 in Ham Lake, and 221st Avenue and TH 65 in East Bethel. We experimented with a pothole spray patch truck this year and plan to purchase one in 2013. Our sign techs made a cone drop/pickup platform for the back of a pickup truck. In Engineering, we are incorporating a “Safety Edge” in our paving operations now. In the Multimodal Group we expanded our public involvement processes to include Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn social networks. They also held “tent” public information meetings, used door hangers and promoted “Safe Driving Pledges” for varying activities of the department. Our Commute Solutions Group went electronic with their newsletter saving printing and postage costs for over 2,000 subscribers.
Roads and bridges weren’t the only “new” assets for the Highway Department either. We had quite a large influx of new personnel too. This past year we welcomed Brent Anderson (Fleet), Dean Bratland (Maintenance), Quinten Tucker (Fleet), Tom McLaughlin (Signals), Brad Morriem (Maintenance), and Matt Parent (Multi-Modal) to the department. Great additions one and all!
All eight sections of the highway department: administration, maintenance, signs, signal, fleet, engineering, traffic and multi-modal, made great contributions in allowing us to achieve our Vision, Mission and Goals. Our greatest asset and resource always has been and always will be the people of the Highway Department. It is through all of your hard work and dedication that we are able to achieve so much in such an innovative and cost effective way.
May all of you have a very merry Christmas, and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
P.S. I would like to take this opportunity to personally recognize our Construction Manager Charles Cadenhead for all of his work for us over his short career at the Highway Department. He will be leaving to pursue other opportunities in the private sector but like I’ve been saying, “He’s given us 10 years of work during the 4-1/2 years of his employment with the county!” Thanks again Charles, and best wishes on your new endeavors!
County Engineer's Message - November 2012
If you’re like me, you’ve probably had your fill of election campaign commercials. As Election Day draws closer we get bombarded with advertisement after advertisement. But even more than the annoying frequency of these ads, what really gets me riled up is all of the negativity and distortion that comes with an “attack” ad. Why can’t candidates just focus on themselves, their accomplishments and their record, instead of tearing down and bashing their opponents? I guess what my parents taught me – “if you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything” – is old fashioned and out-of-date. Or is it?
In a recent ESPN interview, the University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban talked about his demanding style, the expectations he puts on his players, and his team’s chances of winning this year’s national title. “You coach against perfection, not your opponent and you’ll find you win quite a few.”
Similarly, legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden used a similar motto 40 years ago. “Don’t focus on your opponent. Focus instead on what you are capable of doing,” was one of Wooden’s many golden lessons.
Both coaches built teams of great respect and success. Both believed that perfection should be demanded at all times. Both believed that success didn’t begin with simply trying to beat everyone else, but rather in trying to be so well-prepared that the opposition didn’t stand a chance.
Saban believes that if you focus on your personal performance on each play, you will find that the scoreboard is in your favor more times than not. Saban has eliminated the distractions of championship predictions by challenging his players to focus solely on where they will be at the end of each play. If his team perfects how they execute each play, then the sum of perfection will most likely equal victory.
Don Yaeger is a leadership/motivational speaker, seven-time New York Times Best-selling author and longtime associate editor of Sports Illustrated. He captures the essence of this philosophy when he says, “Too many of us are focused strictly on the end result when each play deserves that same kind of attention. We should all strive to be extraordinary and that starts with a focus on our own capabilities instead of those of our opponents. The myriad of distractions, predictions, and feigned finish lines only create room for disappointment, failure and lack of preparation.”
What “play” do you have in front of you today that deserves your full attention?
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
In a recent ESPN interview, the University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban talked about his demanding style, the expectations he puts on his players, and his team’s chances of winning this year’s national title. “You coach against perfection, not your opponent and you’ll find you win quite a few.”
Similarly, legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden used a similar motto 40 years ago. “Don’t focus on your opponent. Focus instead on what you are capable of doing,” was one of Wooden’s many golden lessons.
Both coaches built teams of great respect and success. Both believed that perfection should be demanded at all times. Both believed that success didn’t begin with simply trying to beat everyone else, but rather in trying to be so well-prepared that the opposition didn’t stand a chance.
Saban believes that if you focus on your personal performance on each play, you will find that the scoreboard is in your favor more times than not. Saban has eliminated the distractions of championship predictions by challenging his players to focus solely on where they will be at the end of each play. If his team perfects how they execute each play, then the sum of perfection will most likely equal victory.
Don Yaeger is a leadership/motivational speaker, seven-time New York Times Best-selling author and longtime associate editor of Sports Illustrated. He captures the essence of this philosophy when he says, “Too many of us are focused strictly on the end result when each play deserves that same kind of attention. We should all strive to be extraordinary and that starts with a focus on our own capabilities instead of those of our opponents. The myriad of distractions, predictions, and feigned finish lines only create room for disappointment, failure and lack of preparation.”
What “play” do you have in front of you today that deserves your full attention?
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - October 2012
It’s no secret that I love football, especially college football. With the good start of the Gophers and my beloved Iowa State Cyclones it has been an especially fun start to the season. One of the mysteries of the game though is the formula used to determine the BCS rankings which will be coming out after this weekend’s games. But after looking into it, understanding the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) formula is easier than it seems. Let’s break down the two elements that make up this controversial ranking system:
1.) Human Element: The BCS consists of two human elements, or polls from which two-thirds of the BCS formula is taken. The two polls are the Harris Interactive College Football Poll and the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. The human element is used is as follows: First, take the Harris Interactive, which includes 115 voters. All 115 voters vote on teams 1-25 and points are awarded on a reverse basis, 25 for a first-place vote, 24 for a second-place vote, 23 for a third-place vote, and so on until one point is awarded for a 25th-place vote. If all 115 voters decided to vote one team first, the team would be awarded 115 times 25 points, or 2875 Harris Poll Points. Therefore, a perfect score in the eyes of the Harris Poll voters is a 2875. The BCS takes the votes received by a team and divides that number by the perfect score (2875) for a decimal value of 1.000 or less. The same calculation is mirrored with the ESPN/USA Today Coach’s Poll. The Coach’s Poll consists of 59 voters, and the scale scoring for votes mirrors that of the Harris Poll’s. Therefore, in the Coach’s Poll, the perfect score is 59 times 25, or 1475. The BCS then completes the same calculation and divides the score received by a team by the perfect score, 1475.
2.) Computer Element: The second part of the BCS calculations is derived from six computer rankings posted weekly. The six computer polls, managed by people, newspapers and the BCS itself are: Anderson & Hester, Richard Billingsley, Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey, Jeff Sagarin’s USA Today and Peter Wolfe. The BCS aggregates the standings of each of the six computer polls and awards teams 25 points for a first-place standing on a computer poll, 24 for a second, 23 for a third, and so on, just as in the human element, until one point is given for a 25th-place vote. The BCS takes the six point values and removes the lowest and highest point values given to a specific team. Four point values are left, which the BCS adds together.
Because a perfect score would mean receiving four first-place votes, or four 25 point values, the BCS divides the team’s four computer ranking point values by 100 to arrive at the composite computer ranking value.
Final Calculation: The BCS completes the procedure by averaging the three values it received from the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, the USA Today Poll and the Computer Polls. The final BCS Ranking is a decimal between .0000 and 1.0000.
Why do I bring all of this up (besides the fact that I LOVE this kind of stuff)? It’s because this is also the time of year for our annual performance evaluations. And just like the BCS poll which uses a methodology for rating college football teams, the Highway Department has a methodology for rating employee performance. Similarly to the BCS ratings which use two main elements, our performance evaluations use two main elements too:
1. Performance Element: Our evaluations use three “performance” ratings:
2. Behavior Element: Our evaluations use three “behavioral” ratings:
These six criteria are rated within a 15-interval scale from “Does Not Meet Requirements” to “Consistently Exceeds Job Requirements”. Using these six criteria, employee ratings are not only based on one’s ability to get the job done, but the manner in which one goes about it. Our performance evaluations will also review each employee’s Work Outcome Statement for the past and upcoming year, review the progress made on last year’s goals, and set up goals for the upcoming year.
I brag to everyone that I can of the great employees that we have at the Highway Department and we are truly recognized as a leader and innovator amongst county highway departments in the state of Minnesota and beyond. But even so, I encourage all employees to genuinely take the time to review the ratings, comments and goals that are included in these reviews and reflect on them. We all have room to grow and improve. I am excited about all that we have accomplished and I look forward to many great things yet to come – all due to the outstanding and always improving Highway Department staff!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
1.) Human Element: The BCS consists of two human elements, or polls from which two-thirds of the BCS formula is taken. The two polls are the Harris Interactive College Football Poll and the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. The human element is used is as follows: First, take the Harris Interactive, which includes 115 voters. All 115 voters vote on teams 1-25 and points are awarded on a reverse basis, 25 for a first-place vote, 24 for a second-place vote, 23 for a third-place vote, and so on until one point is awarded for a 25th-place vote. If all 115 voters decided to vote one team first, the team would be awarded 115 times 25 points, or 2875 Harris Poll Points. Therefore, a perfect score in the eyes of the Harris Poll voters is a 2875. The BCS takes the votes received by a team and divides that number by the perfect score (2875) for a decimal value of 1.000 or less. The same calculation is mirrored with the ESPN/USA Today Coach’s Poll. The Coach’s Poll consists of 59 voters, and the scale scoring for votes mirrors that of the Harris Poll’s. Therefore, in the Coach’s Poll, the perfect score is 59 times 25, or 1475. The BCS then completes the same calculation and divides the score received by a team by the perfect score, 1475.
2.) Computer Element: The second part of the BCS calculations is derived from six computer rankings posted weekly. The six computer polls, managed by people, newspapers and the BCS itself are: Anderson & Hester, Richard Billingsley, Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey, Jeff Sagarin’s USA Today and Peter Wolfe. The BCS aggregates the standings of each of the six computer polls and awards teams 25 points for a first-place standing on a computer poll, 24 for a second, 23 for a third, and so on, just as in the human element, until one point is given for a 25th-place vote. The BCS takes the six point values and removes the lowest and highest point values given to a specific team. Four point values are left, which the BCS adds together.
Because a perfect score would mean receiving four first-place votes, or four 25 point values, the BCS divides the team’s four computer ranking point values by 100 to arrive at the composite computer ranking value.
Final Calculation: The BCS completes the procedure by averaging the three values it received from the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, the USA Today Poll and the Computer Polls. The final BCS Ranking is a decimal between .0000 and 1.0000.
Why do I bring all of this up (besides the fact that I LOVE this kind of stuff)? It’s because this is also the time of year for our annual performance evaluations. And just like the BCS poll which uses a methodology for rating college football teams, the Highway Department has a methodology for rating employee performance. Similarly to the BCS ratings which use two main elements, our performance evaluations use two main elements too:
1. Performance Element: Our evaluations use three “performance” ratings:
- Job Knowledge – Consider knowledge of present job gained through experience, education, or training; and the amount of supervision required.
- Productivity – Consider amount of acceptable work performed without sacrificing quality.
- Quality – Consider the accuracy and reliability of results regardless of value. Consider thoroughness and acceptability of work product.
2. Behavior Element: Our evaluations use three “behavioral” ratings:
- Cooperation – Consider dependability, cooperation, willingness to carry out assignments and accept responsibility; reaction to instructions.
- Initiative – Consider the origination and development of useful ideas and the ability to act independently.
- Teamwork & Collaboration – Extent to which employee demonstrates cooperation and joint efforts with work team and other employees; contributes to group efforts and demonstrates positive working relationships in the department.
These six criteria are rated within a 15-interval scale from “Does Not Meet Requirements” to “Consistently Exceeds Job Requirements”. Using these six criteria, employee ratings are not only based on one’s ability to get the job done, but the manner in which one goes about it. Our performance evaluations will also review each employee’s Work Outcome Statement for the past and upcoming year, review the progress made on last year’s goals, and set up goals for the upcoming year.
I brag to everyone that I can of the great employees that we have at the Highway Department and we are truly recognized as a leader and innovator amongst county highway departments in the state of Minnesota and beyond. But even so, I encourage all employees to genuinely take the time to review the ratings, comments and goals that are included in these reviews and reflect on them. We all have room to grow and improve. I am excited about all that we have accomplished and I look forward to many great things yet to come – all due to the outstanding and always improving Highway Department staff!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - September 2012
It’s been a little over two months now that we have been back into our newly renovated Highway Facility, but I still get goose bumps every time I walk into the building. While we are still working on the “punchlist” items to finalize the project, I can proudly say that this project has been a huge success.
Even though we did add 23,000 square feet of additional space for the new Fleet Services building (highlighted on the front of this newsletter), the majority of the project involved renovating the space within our existing shell (walls and roof). What is truly amazing is how much larger our newly renovated space seems to be. The architectural design creatively reused and repositioned much of the facility to maximize space and create a safer and more effective workspace for all. Again, it seems like the architects created space where none really existed before.
I kind of liken it to the situation shown graphically below. We begin with a given set of geometric shapes that add up to a set total area. But if we rearrange the shapes into a seemingly similar shape, it appears that we gain space!!
Even though we did add 23,000 square feet of additional space for the new Fleet Services building (highlighted on the front of this newsletter), the majority of the project involved renovating the space within our existing shell (walls and roof). What is truly amazing is how much larger our newly renovated space seems to be. The architectural design creatively reused and repositioned much of the facility to maximize space and create a safer and more effective workspace for all. Again, it seems like the architects created space where none really existed before.
I kind of liken it to the situation shown graphically below. We begin with a given set of geometric shapes that add up to a set total area. But if we rearrange the shapes into a seemingly similar shape, it appears that we gain space!!
But unlike the little puzzle above, our facility project didn’t use any math tricks to make it work (have you figured it out?). Instead, it was done through the hard work of our architect, construction manager, facilities management staff and the invaluable input from our highway staff. Once again, the sum of everyone working together is far greater than each one of us working individually.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - August 2012
Last night my family and I watched the closing ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic Games. What a fun and exciting 2-1/2 weeks of great competition! Go USA! Being a former athlete (heavy emphasis on former), I have always thought the life and sports paralleled each other. I recently ran across this article written by Judith Rich who is a well-known teacher in the field of transformation and consciousness. Her work is focused on the awakening of one’s dormant inner resources, empowering profound personal and professional breakthroughs for individuals and organizations. I would like to share excerpts of that article with you.
Cultivating the Heart of a Champion
Watching the amazing Olympic athletes competing in their chosen sports this past week, I am struck by what it takes to achieve greatness at this level. What is it that inspires someone to have such a clear vision, concentrate on that vision with a laser-like focus, overcome Olympic-sized obstacles and be willing to make the sacrifices required to fulfill their dreams?
Becoming an Olympic champion is a team sport. Even for those competing as individuals, it really does take a village. Just to make it to the Olympic Games, the athletes and their loved ones have devoted years to the pursuit of a single dream. Many of these young people left their homes and families to go live with coaches or be near facilities where they could train with the kind of intensity required of a champion. Families often put their own dreams on the back burner in order to support the athlete.
To the athlete, being on the team is just the beginning. It's winning that counts. But let us not overlook the fact that there is the dark side of winning. It's not all roses and medals to be sure. In the games called Olympics or the game called "Life" there will always be those for whom the price of winning is too high. There will be those who sacrificed too much of what turned out to matter the most: their families, their health, their peace of mind, and sometimes even their integrity.
And for those who do finally make it to the podium, we can't help but feel great pride along with them, regardless of their nationality, for these champions represent what's possible when one brings an Olympic level of inspiration, passion, focus and dedication to one's life.
They remind us of the courage it takes for anyone to conquer their own mountains and make it through the valleys and never give up. And when they cry tears of joy, we cry right along with them, for their joy is our own, played out in front of the world. We cry because something in the human spirit is cracked open and lifted up, and for that brief moment, we're right there on the podium with them. There is something exquisite and beautiful about witnessing this kind of human triumph.
And when they fail to make it, our hearts break along with theirs. We too feel the pain of their disappointment, for we know how many times we have fallen short of our own dreams, perhaps even giving them up in the face of failure. There is something touching and poignant about witnessing defeat in our own backyard or on the world stage. We ache for those whose efforts have fallen short even as we ache for that part of ourselves.
"My mother used to tell us in the mornings, 'Carl, put on your shoes; Oscar, you put on your prosthetic legs' ... So I grew up not really thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes." -- South African runner Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed "Blade Runner" because he races on carbon fiber prosthetic blades.
Sometimes life requires that we lose a round or two in the game…just to make sure we're committed. Just to keep us humble or to get us back on track. Just to carve out character, deliver a lesson, force us to become creative, or see if we really mean it. Just to see if we're in it for the right reasons. Just to see if our heart is pure.
What does it take to be a champion?
The truth is, each of us is called to become a champion in our own lives. We're called to become the very best version of ourselves we can possibly be and to live our best life. Our "job," as humans, is to do the work we came to the planet to do, to discover and develop our gifts and then share those gifts with the world.
Our call might not lead to the pinnacle in the world of sports. We might not be awarded a medal or have our picture on the cover of magazines or cereal boxes. We might never become rich or famous. The "world" we occupy might only be our personal world. It doesn't matter.
We each are called to take up our lives and live them with the degree of commitment and dedication on display at these Olympic Games. We're called to live with the passion of a champion, to be inspired and to inspire others. We're called to give ourselves to our highest good, live up to our highest ideals, and hold nothing back.
What could be possible if we did?
And every four years, when the Olympic games come back around, and we're called to witness the arrival of the torch that traveled through every continent of the world to light the Olympic flame, we're reminded once again that the true spirit of the Olympics is not extinguished when the flame goes out at the closing ceremony. The flame of the champion lives on within each and every one of us as we go about our daily lives, facing them with courage and with boldness.
The truth is, you already are a champion. Now, go live like one. Put on your uniform and take your place on the field. Live your life full out, with all the passion and dedication you can muster. Let your heart burst with courage, and have faith in yourself. Know that whatever you commit yourself to 100 percent, the game is already won.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Last night my family and I watched the closing ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic Games. What a fun and exciting 2-1/2 weeks of great competition! Go USA! Being a former athlete (heavy emphasis on former), I have always thought the life and sports paralleled each other. I recently ran across this article written by Judith Rich who is a well-known teacher in the field of transformation and consciousness. Her work is focused on the awakening of one’s dormant inner resources, empowering profound personal and professional breakthroughs for individuals and organizations. I would like to share excerpts of that article with you.
Cultivating the Heart of a Champion
Watching the amazing Olympic athletes competing in their chosen sports this past week, I am struck by what it takes to achieve greatness at this level. What is it that inspires someone to have such a clear vision, concentrate on that vision with a laser-like focus, overcome Olympic-sized obstacles and be willing to make the sacrifices required to fulfill their dreams?
Becoming an Olympic champion is a team sport. Even for those competing as individuals, it really does take a village. Just to make it to the Olympic Games, the athletes and their loved ones have devoted years to the pursuit of a single dream. Many of these young people left their homes and families to go live with coaches or be near facilities where they could train with the kind of intensity required of a champion. Families often put their own dreams on the back burner in order to support the athlete.
To the athlete, being on the team is just the beginning. It's winning that counts. But let us not overlook the fact that there is the dark side of winning. It's not all roses and medals to be sure. In the games called Olympics or the game called "Life" there will always be those for whom the price of winning is too high. There will be those who sacrificed too much of what turned out to matter the most: their families, their health, their peace of mind, and sometimes even their integrity.
And for those who do finally make it to the podium, we can't help but feel great pride along with them, regardless of their nationality, for these champions represent what's possible when one brings an Olympic level of inspiration, passion, focus and dedication to one's life.
They remind us of the courage it takes for anyone to conquer their own mountains and make it through the valleys and never give up. And when they cry tears of joy, we cry right along with them, for their joy is our own, played out in front of the world. We cry because something in the human spirit is cracked open and lifted up, and for that brief moment, we're right there on the podium with them. There is something exquisite and beautiful about witnessing this kind of human triumph.
And when they fail to make it, our hearts break along with theirs. We too feel the pain of their disappointment, for we know how many times we have fallen short of our own dreams, perhaps even giving them up in the face of failure. There is something touching and poignant about witnessing defeat in our own backyard or on the world stage. We ache for those whose efforts have fallen short even as we ache for that part of ourselves.
"My mother used to tell us in the mornings, 'Carl, put on your shoes; Oscar, you put on your prosthetic legs' ... So I grew up not really thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes." -- South African runner Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed "Blade Runner" because he races on carbon fiber prosthetic blades.
Sometimes life requires that we lose a round or two in the game…just to make sure we're committed. Just to keep us humble or to get us back on track. Just to carve out character, deliver a lesson, force us to become creative, or see if we really mean it. Just to see if we're in it for the right reasons. Just to see if our heart is pure.
What does it take to be a champion?
The truth is, each of us is called to become a champion in our own lives. We're called to become the very best version of ourselves we can possibly be and to live our best life. Our "job," as humans, is to do the work we came to the planet to do, to discover and develop our gifts and then share those gifts with the world.
Our call might not lead to the pinnacle in the world of sports. We might not be awarded a medal or have our picture on the cover of magazines or cereal boxes. We might never become rich or famous. The "world" we occupy might only be our personal world. It doesn't matter.
We each are called to take up our lives and live them with the degree of commitment and dedication on display at these Olympic Games. We're called to live with the passion of a champion, to be inspired and to inspire others. We're called to give ourselves to our highest good, live up to our highest ideals, and hold nothing back.
What could be possible if we did?
And every four years, when the Olympic games come back around, and we're called to witness the arrival of the torch that traveled through every continent of the world to light the Olympic flame, we're reminded once again that the true spirit of the Olympics is not extinguished when the flame goes out at the closing ceremony. The flame of the champion lives on within each and every one of us as we go about our daily lives, facing them with courage and with boldness.
The truth is, you already are a champion. Now, go live like one. Put on your uniform and take your place on the field. Live your life full out, with all the passion and dedication you can muster. Let your heart burst with courage, and have faith in yourself. Know that whatever you commit yourself to 100 percent, the game is already won.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - June/July 2012
Over the Memorial Day weekend, the Golden Gate Bridge celebrated its 75th anniversary. This bridge which has been heralded as an engineering marvel since it opened in 1937, was built across a strait that critics said was too treacherous to be bridged. At a little more than three-fourths of a mile in length, the Golden Gate Bridge would become the world's longest suspension span. It had to be light enough to hang from its own cables, but still strong enough to withstand the strait's fierce winds and the possibility of earthquakes. Some said it was impossible.
Eleven men died during construction from 1933 to 1937. The conditions were difficult, cold, foggy and windy, and workers who helped construct supports for the south tower had to contend with dangerous tides. Engineers also had to calculate all the potential forces on the bridge without the help of computers.
But as amazing as the original design and construction of the bridge itself, the generations of engineers who have overseen it all these years say keeping it up and open has been something of a marvel unto itself. Crews had to install a bracing system after high winds lashed and twisted the span in the 1950s, raising fears it would collapse. Years later, they had to replace vertical cables when they were found to have corroded in the bridge's damp, foggy climate, potentially destabilizing the span. It is currently in the midst of a seismic upgrade that has seen many of its key structures replaced or modified. Plans for a moveable barrier to separate north and southbound traffic and a net system to prevent suicides are also moving forward. All of the cables were replaced in the mid-1970s. Bridge pylons have been reinforced with steel and towers under the bridge's two approaches were replaced, all while keeping the bridge open and its appearance unchanged. Retrofitting the suspension span is the project's final phase.
"When (one of the bridge's designers) made his final speech during opening day ceremonies in 1937, he said, 'I present to you a bridge that will last forever,'" said Daniel Mohn, the bridge's former chief engineer, who co-authored a book about the span. "What he should have said is, 'I present to you a bridge that will last forever if properly maintained.'"
At the Anoka County Highway Department, it should also be recognized that maintaining the county highway and bridge infrastructure is a major part of what we do. If we never reconstructed a new road or bridge ever again we would still be a very busy department. Sure, it is the construction projects that get all of the pomp and circumstance when they are completed – and these accomplishments should be recognized for the design, construction and funding that it takes to get them built. And while there are no “grand openings” of our maintenance activities, these activities should be heralded as well.
At the Anoka county Highway Department, our vision is to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion. Through the combined efforts of our project delivery side of our organization and the maintenance side of our organization, we are meeting that vision. Congratulations to everyone for making the Anoka County Highway Department a recognized leader in county highway departments throughout the state and nation!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Eleven men died during construction from 1933 to 1937. The conditions were difficult, cold, foggy and windy, and workers who helped construct supports for the south tower had to contend with dangerous tides. Engineers also had to calculate all the potential forces on the bridge without the help of computers.
But as amazing as the original design and construction of the bridge itself, the generations of engineers who have overseen it all these years say keeping it up and open has been something of a marvel unto itself. Crews had to install a bracing system after high winds lashed and twisted the span in the 1950s, raising fears it would collapse. Years later, they had to replace vertical cables when they were found to have corroded in the bridge's damp, foggy climate, potentially destabilizing the span. It is currently in the midst of a seismic upgrade that has seen many of its key structures replaced or modified. Plans for a moveable barrier to separate north and southbound traffic and a net system to prevent suicides are also moving forward. All of the cables were replaced in the mid-1970s. Bridge pylons have been reinforced with steel and towers under the bridge's two approaches were replaced, all while keeping the bridge open and its appearance unchanged. Retrofitting the suspension span is the project's final phase.
"When (one of the bridge's designers) made his final speech during opening day ceremonies in 1937, he said, 'I present to you a bridge that will last forever,'" said Daniel Mohn, the bridge's former chief engineer, who co-authored a book about the span. "What he should have said is, 'I present to you a bridge that will last forever if properly maintained.'"
At the Anoka County Highway Department, it should also be recognized that maintaining the county highway and bridge infrastructure is a major part of what we do. If we never reconstructed a new road or bridge ever again we would still be a very busy department. Sure, it is the construction projects that get all of the pomp and circumstance when they are completed – and these accomplishments should be recognized for the design, construction and funding that it takes to get them built. And while there are no “grand openings” of our maintenance activities, these activities should be heralded as well.
At the Anoka county Highway Department, our vision is to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion. Through the combined efforts of our project delivery side of our organization and the maintenance side of our organization, we are meeting that vision. Congratulations to everyone for making the Anoka County Highway Department a recognized leader in county highway departments throughout the state and nation!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - May 2012
It’s that time of year when many students are graduating from high school or college. While they are finishing school, they are commencing on a new start to a new chapter in their life. If you go to the graduation ceremonies, you get to hear a commencement address by some important person. Most of these speeches are real yawners. Some, though, can be pretty inspirational. Take for instance my high school graduation – 1980, Canton (OH) Central Catholic High School – I can’t remember the name of the speaker (Chancellor from nearby Kent State University??), but I still to this day remember what she said, “Go forth and carry on; and carry on like you’ve never carried on before!” I’m sure she had something else in mind but I can assure you that over the next couple of weeks us newly graduated seniors carried on like never before! Since I draw a lot of my inspiration and motivation from the world of sports, I thought I’d share some excerpts from some of the greats at commencement ceremonies in years past.
Joe Paterno, Former Penn State Football Coach; Graduation Speech at Penn State Univ., 1973
"Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger but it won’t taste good."
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach; St. Vincent’s College, 2008
"You must continue to dream the wild dream that you dreamed when you were young."
Billie Jean King, former tennis player; Commencement Address at U. of Massachusetts, 2000
"The most important words that have helped me in life when things have gone right or when things have gone wrong are accept responsibility. ... Like in tennis, every ball that comes to me is a decision. Do I slice it, do I hit cross-court, do I hit topspin, do I hit sidespin, do I lob? What do I do? But I have to accept responsibility for that. And that's where sports teaches us to put it on the line, so to speak, and live it."
Brian Kenny, Sportscaster for ESPN; Commencement Speech at Ohio Northern University, 2007
"There's no there. That elusive 'there' with the job, the beach house, the dream, it's not out there. There is here. It's in you... right now."
Larry Lucchino, Boston Red Sox President; Commencement Speech at Boston University, 2008
"Life is not about warming yourself by the fire, life is about building the fire. And generosity is the match...If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap, but if you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody."
Woody Hayes, former Ohio State football coach; Commencement Speech at Ohio State, 1986
"In football we always said that the other team couldn't beat us. We had to be sure that we didn't beat ourselves. And that's what people have to do, too--make sure they don't beat themselves."
Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner; Commencement Speech at UMass-Lowell, 2010
"It is very common ... to tell graduates: dream and dream big. I say do more than that. When you dream you are in an unconscious state. It ends. You wake up. It’s not real. You need to create a vision. This takes determination, and a plan that takes your dream to a destination. "
Bobby Knight, College Basketball Coach; Commencement Speech at the Trine University, 2010
"I don't believe in luck, I believe in preparation."
Now go forth and carry on; and carry on like you’ve never carried on before!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Joe Paterno, Former Penn State Football Coach; Graduation Speech at Penn State Univ., 1973
"Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger but it won’t taste good."
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach; St. Vincent’s College, 2008
"You must continue to dream the wild dream that you dreamed when you were young."
Billie Jean King, former tennis player; Commencement Address at U. of Massachusetts, 2000
"The most important words that have helped me in life when things have gone right or when things have gone wrong are accept responsibility. ... Like in tennis, every ball that comes to me is a decision. Do I slice it, do I hit cross-court, do I hit topspin, do I hit sidespin, do I lob? What do I do? But I have to accept responsibility for that. And that's where sports teaches us to put it on the line, so to speak, and live it."
Brian Kenny, Sportscaster for ESPN; Commencement Speech at Ohio Northern University, 2007
"There's no there. That elusive 'there' with the job, the beach house, the dream, it's not out there. There is here. It's in you... right now."
Larry Lucchino, Boston Red Sox President; Commencement Speech at Boston University, 2008
"Life is not about warming yourself by the fire, life is about building the fire. And generosity is the match...If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap, but if you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody."
Woody Hayes, former Ohio State football coach; Commencement Speech at Ohio State, 1986
"In football we always said that the other team couldn't beat us. We had to be sure that we didn't beat ourselves. And that's what people have to do, too--make sure they don't beat themselves."
Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner; Commencement Speech at UMass-Lowell, 2010
"It is very common ... to tell graduates: dream and dream big. I say do more than that. When you dream you are in an unconscious state. It ends. You wake up. It’s not real. You need to create a vision. This takes determination, and a plan that takes your dream to a destination. "
Bobby Knight, College Basketball Coach; Commencement Speech at the Trine University, 2010
"I don't believe in luck, I believe in preparation."
Now go forth and carry on; and carry on like you’ve never carried on before!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - April 2012
Hello, how are you doing? I bet I already know the answer: you’re doing “fine”. But are you really?
Right now, more than 100 million Americans secretly feel frustrated and bored with their lives. You may be one of them if…
If any of the above sounds familiar, there’s clearly something missing from your life. In Mel Robbins book, Stop Saying You’re Fine – Discover a More Powerful You she helps you discover what it is and how to win it back. She presents a five step method for becoming powerful and getting what you want.
Step 1: Face it, you are not fine. To regain control over your life you must stop pretending. Convincing yourself that you are fine is a great strategy for keeping yourself stuck. Stop it.
Step 2: Admit what you want. Admitting what you really want is the way to harness your desires and develop momentum. Admitting it focuses your attention and gives you something to look forward to and to push toward.
Step 3: Go public with what you want. Communicating is one of the most productive forms of action you can take. When you share your ideas or ask for someone’s help, you’re learning subtle new skills about yourself and others. And at the same time, you’re advancing your own personal agenda and taking concrete steps towards your goals.
Step 4: Zoom out and create a map. The only way you’re going to get where you want to be is if you use a map and zoom out to get some perspective on where you stand in relation to the life you want. You need a map to help you break down the path between where you are right now and where you want to be. If you don’t have a map, even if you are fully committed to change, chances are you’ll get lost.
Step 5: Lean in to change. With your map you’ll know exactly what you have to do. But chances are your resistance will rear its ugly head again and your brain will start doing everything it can do to sabotage you. If you don’t immediately push through you will soon be trapped inside your own head. So how do you force yourself to make a move? You lean in. Leaning in is a philosophy about change that will change your life. To get an object that’s standing still to move in a new direction and start rolling – that first bit of motion is just the most subtle shift in weight. It’s not a jump. It’s not a leap. It’s simply a small motion. But when you lean in toward the thing you want, gravity takes over, momentum builds, and you begin to become a more powerful you.
Don’t go through life just being fine anymore. Follow the five steps above and take control of your life so that the next time someone asks how you’re doing, you can truthfully answer, “Absolutely great!”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Right now, more than 100 million Americans secretly feel frustrated and bored with their lives. You may be one of them if…
- You’ve come to regard yourself as “your own worst enemy”
- You’ve developed a cluttered, mostly unvarying daily routine that seems endless
- You and your significant other treat each other like roommates
- You constantly daydream and wonder, “Is this all there is?”
- You worry that no matter what you do to (fill in the blank), the battle is already lost
- You have a tendency when asked how you’re doing to just say, “Fine”.
If any of the above sounds familiar, there’s clearly something missing from your life. In Mel Robbins book, Stop Saying You’re Fine – Discover a More Powerful You she helps you discover what it is and how to win it back. She presents a five step method for becoming powerful and getting what you want.
Step 1: Face it, you are not fine. To regain control over your life you must stop pretending. Convincing yourself that you are fine is a great strategy for keeping yourself stuck. Stop it.
Step 2: Admit what you want. Admitting what you really want is the way to harness your desires and develop momentum. Admitting it focuses your attention and gives you something to look forward to and to push toward.
Step 3: Go public with what you want. Communicating is one of the most productive forms of action you can take. When you share your ideas or ask for someone’s help, you’re learning subtle new skills about yourself and others. And at the same time, you’re advancing your own personal agenda and taking concrete steps towards your goals.
Step 4: Zoom out and create a map. The only way you’re going to get where you want to be is if you use a map and zoom out to get some perspective on where you stand in relation to the life you want. You need a map to help you break down the path between where you are right now and where you want to be. If you don’t have a map, even if you are fully committed to change, chances are you’ll get lost.
Step 5: Lean in to change. With your map you’ll know exactly what you have to do. But chances are your resistance will rear its ugly head again and your brain will start doing everything it can do to sabotage you. If you don’t immediately push through you will soon be trapped inside your own head. So how do you force yourself to make a move? You lean in. Leaning in is a philosophy about change that will change your life. To get an object that’s standing still to move in a new direction and start rolling – that first bit of motion is just the most subtle shift in weight. It’s not a jump. It’s not a leap. It’s simply a small motion. But when you lean in toward the thing you want, gravity takes over, momentum builds, and you begin to become a more powerful you.
Don’t go through life just being fine anymore. Follow the five steps above and take control of your life so that the next time someone asks how you’re doing, you can truthfully answer, “Absolutely great!”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - March 2012
Since we just finished another department meeting and chili cook-off, I thought I’d reiterate some of the points I made during my presentation while I still have those thoughts in my mind (and taste in my mouth?).
Again, welcome to Bob Trick (Equipment Operator) and Brent Anderson (Mechanic) who were introduced as new employees. By the time you get this newsletter, we will have also added Ardean Bratland (Equipment Operator) and Quinton Tucker (Mechanic) to our staff. Welcome to the team!
My favorite part of the meeting was being able to recognize many employees for their contributions to the success of the Highway Department. Hats off to the following award winners and county achievement award nominees:
IRWA “Employer of Year”: Curt Kobilarcsik, Richard Erickson, Lorelei Stone, Peg Flaig and Pam Johnson
County Achievement Award Nominees:
I was also very happy to announce that even though our building project started two months late (due to a second rebidding) the great weather that we’ve had this winter not only allowed us to catch up but actually get ahead of our initial schedule. The office area should be completed in April, but we won’t be able to move back in until the entire HVAC system is installed for the entire building and we’ll need a partial occupancy permit from the building inspector. I’m looking to a May/June move in. The sign, signal and fleet areas have also made substantial progress. These areas should be completed in June and the entire project should be fully completed in July.
I also announced that the Planning Team and the Labor Management Committee have suspended meetings pending a reorganization into one group. We will be conducting a series of joint meetings to refocus the group’s purpose, to set up the new committee’s organization, and develop the roles and responsibilities of the committee members. More will follow in the coming months.
I briefly talked about the upcoming construction season. As you can tell from the feature article in this newsletter, we will be having another HUGE construction season highlighted by the completion of the Main Street project.
With regards to redistricting, while the federal and state office holder’s districts have been redefined, the local districts and precincts are yet to be defined. There is a special county board meeting scheduled for May 1, 2012 where the board will have a presentation on the new redistricting.
We have already started the 2013 budget process beginning with the breakdown of our services and their priority. Next is the capital improvements program (CIP) budget and new personnel requests. Concurrently we will be working on our regular operating budget. While at the budget kick-off meeting we were told that the budget preparation will not be as tough as last year, we can still expect it to be “flat”. I don’t know at this time what that might mean for employee cost of living and merit increases. I know this economy has been tough on everyone – several of you have had spouses that were laid off and too many of you are working second jobs to make ends meet. I know that the “atta boys” can only go so far, but thank you for your continued outstanding service to Anoka County and the public we serve. I firmly believe that the VALUE we bring is worth every cent in cost (plus more!).
Congratulations to all of the award winners at the chili cook-off and thanks again to everyone on the Reach Committee for organizing this great event once again.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Again, welcome to Bob Trick (Equipment Operator) and Brent Anderson (Mechanic) who were introduced as new employees. By the time you get this newsletter, we will have also added Ardean Bratland (Equipment Operator) and Quinton Tucker (Mechanic) to our staff. Welcome to the team!
My favorite part of the meeting was being able to recognize many employees for their contributions to the success of the Highway Department. Hats off to the following award winners and county achievement award nominees:
IRWA “Employer of Year”: Curt Kobilarcsik, Richard Erickson, Lorelei Stone, Peg Flaig and Pam Johnson
County Achievement Award Nominees:
- Performance – Centerline Newsletter: Sherree Hitzemann
- Innovation – Interactive Construction Mapping Tool: Jesse Johnson, Matt Parent (and John Slusarczyk from GIS)
- Customer Service – Communication with Property Owners affected by Construction: Jason Orcutt, Gina Pizzo, Brett Voth, Nick Dobda, Elizabeth Markose, Dan Frey and Mario Naji
- Innovation – Concrete Overlays: Charles Cadenhead, Jason Orcutt, Harry Grams, Brett Voth and Jeff Foster
- Teamwork & Innovation – Rebranding TMO to Commute Solutions and Cost Effective Electronic Communication Tool: Renee Sande, Katie Kastan (and Paul Burtness, Dave Schwenk and Martha Weaver from Public Information)
I was also very happy to announce that even though our building project started two months late (due to a second rebidding) the great weather that we’ve had this winter not only allowed us to catch up but actually get ahead of our initial schedule. The office area should be completed in April, but we won’t be able to move back in until the entire HVAC system is installed for the entire building and we’ll need a partial occupancy permit from the building inspector. I’m looking to a May/June move in. The sign, signal and fleet areas have also made substantial progress. These areas should be completed in June and the entire project should be fully completed in July.
I also announced that the Planning Team and the Labor Management Committee have suspended meetings pending a reorganization into one group. We will be conducting a series of joint meetings to refocus the group’s purpose, to set up the new committee’s organization, and develop the roles and responsibilities of the committee members. More will follow in the coming months.
I briefly talked about the upcoming construction season. As you can tell from the feature article in this newsletter, we will be having another HUGE construction season highlighted by the completion of the Main Street project.
With regards to redistricting, while the federal and state office holder’s districts have been redefined, the local districts and precincts are yet to be defined. There is a special county board meeting scheduled for May 1, 2012 where the board will have a presentation on the new redistricting.
We have already started the 2013 budget process beginning with the breakdown of our services and their priority. Next is the capital improvements program (CIP) budget and new personnel requests. Concurrently we will be working on our regular operating budget. While at the budget kick-off meeting we were told that the budget preparation will not be as tough as last year, we can still expect it to be “flat”. I don’t know at this time what that might mean for employee cost of living and merit increases. I know this economy has been tough on everyone – several of you have had spouses that were laid off and too many of you are working second jobs to make ends meet. I know that the “atta boys” can only go so far, but thank you for your continued outstanding service to Anoka County and the public we serve. I firmly believe that the VALUE we bring is worth every cent in cost (plus more!).
Congratulations to all of the award winners at the chili cook-off and thanks again to everyone on the Reach Committee for organizing this great event once again.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - February 2012
Unfortunately (at least for me) the college football season is over. Congratulations go out to Jon Olson and Andrew Witter as their alma mater, North Dakota State Univ. Bison, just won the FCS National Championship! Since I like to continuously feed my mind motivating and inspirational material, I thought I’d use this space this month to share with you the wisdom from a few of the greatest college football coaches in history. Enjoy!
“Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy........than to fumble THIS football" John Heisman / Georgia Tech
"Show me a good and gracious loser.......and I'll show you a failure." Knute Rockne / Notre Dame
"It isn't necessary to see a good tackle.....You can hear it! Knute Rockne / Notre Dame
"The only qualifications for a lineman are to be big and dumb. To be a back, you only have to be dumb." Knute Rockne / Notre Dame
"I've found that prayers work best ........when you have big players." Knute Rockne / Notre Dame
"I make my practices real hard ........because if a player is a quitter.....I want him to quit in practice, not in a game." Bear Bryant / Alabama
"If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold.......you gotta know the password, "Roll, tide, roll!" Bear Bryant / Alabama
"In Alabama, an atheist is.........someone who doesn't believe in Bear Bryant." Wally Butts / Georgia
"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it." Lou Holtz / Notre Dame
"Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated." Lou Holtz / Notre Dame
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you." Woody Hayes / Ohio State
"Always remember .....Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David." Shug Jordan / Auburn
"My advice to defensive players: Take the shortest route to the ball and arrive in a bad humor." Bowden Wyatt / Tennessee
"Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel." Bobby Bowden / Florida State
"Football is NOT a contact sport - it is a collision sport. Dancing IS a contact sport." Duffy Daugherty / Michigan State
"If lessons are learned in defeat.............our team is getting a great education." Murray Warmath / Minnesota
Now that was something to warm you up on a cold winter day!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - January 2012
As the year 2011 winds down, I would like to thank each and every one of you for making this past year truly remarkable. We started the year battling one of the toughest winters in Minnesota state history. When we weren't plowing snow, we were loading it up and hauling it away to make room for the next snow event. It seemed like it would never end!
Eventually it finally did stop snowing but this past spring had such the perfect blend of rain and freeze-thaw cycles that our roads literally exploded. No time to rest as we valiantly did our best to hold our roads together. Fortunately, this past summer we performed the largest construction and pavement rehabilitation program in highway department history! Not only did we build and repave more miles of roadway, we tried new methods too. We performed our first two "whitetopping" projects. The very first one on Viking Boulevard even won a concrete paving award! In another new and innovative method to deliver highway projects, Anoka County was the first Minnesota county and one of the very few counties nationally to use the "design-build" method for highway construction. Our project on Main Street will be accomplished in 15 months in what would have normally been four years or more!
The summer gave us some very unpleasant surprises as well. In a matter of weeks, we had some of the heaviest rains to hit Minnesota. They were so heavy that a railroad bridge as well as a section of East River Road and 49th Avenue were washed out. They're probably somewhere in the New Orleans delta area by now! I had never seen anything like this before. Again, we responded magnificently to these horrific events.
We were very fortunate that this past fall and early part of the winter have been warm and dry. We were able to catch up on maintenance and construction projects and we are now in great shape to handle whatever Mother Nature throws at us this winter.
In addition to all of the events above, we broke ground on our new highway facility expansion and renovation project! Remarkably, even though we were performing record breaking work, we did it while we were packing, moving and being squeezed and confined in our work areas. Wow!
The above list of events and performance is only the tip of the iceberg of ALL that happened this year at the Highway Department. Each and every one of you in each of the department's eight sections (Administration, Maintenance, Signs, Signals, Fleet, Engineering, Traffic and Planning/TMO) played a critical role and did a great job of delivering our Vision: To enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion. We were able to do this by living our values and fulfilling our missions.
Thank you all for the great work that you do and the dedication you have for Anoka County and the public we serve. I am so proud of our department and our reputation throughout the state is one of innovation, effectiveness and high production. Congratulations!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Eventually it finally did stop snowing but this past spring had such the perfect blend of rain and freeze-thaw cycles that our roads literally exploded. No time to rest as we valiantly did our best to hold our roads together. Fortunately, this past summer we performed the largest construction and pavement rehabilitation program in highway department history! Not only did we build and repave more miles of roadway, we tried new methods too. We performed our first two "whitetopping" projects. The very first one on Viking Boulevard even won a concrete paving award! In another new and innovative method to deliver highway projects, Anoka County was the first Minnesota county and one of the very few counties nationally to use the "design-build" method for highway construction. Our project on Main Street will be accomplished in 15 months in what would have normally been four years or more!
The summer gave us some very unpleasant surprises as well. In a matter of weeks, we had some of the heaviest rains to hit Minnesota. They were so heavy that a railroad bridge as well as a section of East River Road and 49th Avenue were washed out. They're probably somewhere in the New Orleans delta area by now! I had never seen anything like this before. Again, we responded magnificently to these horrific events.
We were very fortunate that this past fall and early part of the winter have been warm and dry. We were able to catch up on maintenance and construction projects and we are now in great shape to handle whatever Mother Nature throws at us this winter.
In addition to all of the events above, we broke ground on our new highway facility expansion and renovation project! Remarkably, even though we were performing record breaking work, we did it while we were packing, moving and being squeezed and confined in our work areas. Wow!
The above list of events and performance is only the tip of the iceberg of ALL that happened this year at the Highway Department. Each and every one of you in each of the department's eight sections (Administration, Maintenance, Signs, Signals, Fleet, Engineering, Traffic and Planning/TMO) played a critical role and did a great job of delivering our Vision: To enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion. We were able to do this by living our values and fulfilling our missions.
Thank you all for the great work that you do and the dedication you have for Anoka County and the public we serve. I am so proud of our department and our reputation throughout the state is one of innovation, effectiveness and high production. Congratulations!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - December 2011
The “Planning Team” is one of the key resources the Highway Department has to change the culture of the department. Several years ago the department established a vision, a set of values and a mission for each of the eight different sections within the department. Over the past year, the Planning Team has been promoting the values of the department: Collaboration/Teamwork, Respect, Communication, Integrity, and Personal Accountability.
In the course of the presentation of the values there were some grumblings that the values are meaningless if no one actually subscribed to them. In an effort to get to the bottom of this apparent discontent, a series of workshops were conducted by the co-chairs of the Planning Team with each section (without supervisors). What was very disturbing was the comment that the managers/supervisors were “talking the talk” but not “walking the walk”.
This concern was talked about at a Delta Team (managers and supervisors) Meeting this past fall. We discussed how this was not acceptable for any employee and especially the Delta Team. To address this issue, we talked about incorporating all five values into each employee’s annual work performance evaluation. We would be replacing the existing three behavioral criteria with the five values. The concern about this idea was the “subjectivity” of the evaluations, especially since it is only one supervisor doing the evaluating. The group felt that a more objective view would be made if the review was done not only by the employee’s supervisor, but by the peers, subordinates and others that the employee interacts with inside and outside of the department. This type of evaluation has been around for a long time. It is known as a 360⁰ Review. As a trial, and so as to not add too much extra work on our already overloaded staff, it was decided that we would conduct 360⁰ Reviews on just the Management Team (nine in all including myself).
Recently the Management Team received the results of the 360⁰ Review process. The process was an essential way to receive feedback and development focus, and provide recommendations regarding our skill strengths and development needs. I want to thank everyone that was asked to participate in this effort. I know that your time is very precious and you have many other priorities. But because of your contributions, each manager will be preparing an action plan to expand our core strengths and address our development needs. It is my priority for 2012 to make sure the managers, including myself, are “walking the talk”. I hope you will all see a difference.
In the future, I hope to expand the 360⁰ Review for all of the supervisors and potentially to all staff. While the 360⁰ Review may just reinforce what you already knew or suspected, it may reveal performance issues and behaviors that you are not aware of, especially the more interpersonal related ones. I believe that these are the areas that people in the department seem to have the most concern about – not getting along with your boss, peer or subordinate. Connie Podesta, speaker and author of Life Would Be Easy If It Weren't for Other People, says there are three main reasons people don’t get along: 1.) “Somebody could be exhibiting some form of manipulation, and we get it that we’re being somehow pressured and we feel pressured into doing something the way they want it to be done. So we resist that.” 2.) True, malicious intentions could be behind the discord, but more often than not, people simply aren’t aware that they’re being aggravating. “Some people just don’t behave appropriately,” Podesta says. “They exhibit values that we don’t have. Maybe we’re hard workers and they’re lazy, and maybe we’re organized and they’re messy.” 3.) Her third reason is a bit more surprising. “Maybe they’re too much like you, which is scarier. Some people push your buttons because they’re doing things just like you do them, and you don’t like it,” she says. “For example, if somebody is a very controlling person and they come up against somebody else who is very controlling, neither of them can stand that in one another.” And of course, the fight for control is epic.
The behaviors and attitudes of others can confound us. As we attempt to understand them, it is tempting to give up and emotionally retreat in an effort to reduce the level of frustration that we feel. While this provides temporary relief, it is not the answer.
What can we do to change others? While the360⁰ Review will give each person insight on what some of the issues are and how to address them, the simple, but complex, answer is that we can't change others. It is fully up to the individual to make the change. While it is going to be my job to keep track of the progress of each manager in their development plan and take the appropriate action if they don’t, it is still up to each manager to make the change.
So is there nothing else you can do at this point? Of course not! We ALL can make changes in our interactions with each other. When WE change, we may well see the desired change in others. In other words, we must become the change that we wish to see. We all must work on improving our human relations and behavioral skills. In reading an inspirational e-mail from Mary Rau-Foster, she included this snippet from an unknown author that I found to be especially timely.
A Brief Course in Human Relations
The SIX most important words: "I admit I made a mistake."
The FIVE most important words: "You did a good job."
The FOUR most important words: "What is your opinion?"
The THREE most important words: "If you please."
The TWO most important words: "Thank You."
The ONE MOST important word: "We"
The LEAST important word: "I"
So as we usher out the past year, I am excited about 2012 for several reasons. But most importantly, not only will we have a better facility to work in, but we will also have better people to work with.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
In the course of the presentation of the values there were some grumblings that the values are meaningless if no one actually subscribed to them. In an effort to get to the bottom of this apparent discontent, a series of workshops were conducted by the co-chairs of the Planning Team with each section (without supervisors). What was very disturbing was the comment that the managers/supervisors were “talking the talk” but not “walking the walk”.
This concern was talked about at a Delta Team (managers and supervisors) Meeting this past fall. We discussed how this was not acceptable for any employee and especially the Delta Team. To address this issue, we talked about incorporating all five values into each employee’s annual work performance evaluation. We would be replacing the existing three behavioral criteria with the five values. The concern about this idea was the “subjectivity” of the evaluations, especially since it is only one supervisor doing the evaluating. The group felt that a more objective view would be made if the review was done not only by the employee’s supervisor, but by the peers, subordinates and others that the employee interacts with inside and outside of the department. This type of evaluation has been around for a long time. It is known as a 360⁰ Review. As a trial, and so as to not add too much extra work on our already overloaded staff, it was decided that we would conduct 360⁰ Reviews on just the Management Team (nine in all including myself).
Recently the Management Team received the results of the 360⁰ Review process. The process was an essential way to receive feedback and development focus, and provide recommendations regarding our skill strengths and development needs. I want to thank everyone that was asked to participate in this effort. I know that your time is very precious and you have many other priorities. But because of your contributions, each manager will be preparing an action plan to expand our core strengths and address our development needs. It is my priority for 2012 to make sure the managers, including myself, are “walking the talk”. I hope you will all see a difference.
In the future, I hope to expand the 360⁰ Review for all of the supervisors and potentially to all staff. While the 360⁰ Review may just reinforce what you already knew or suspected, it may reveal performance issues and behaviors that you are not aware of, especially the more interpersonal related ones. I believe that these are the areas that people in the department seem to have the most concern about – not getting along with your boss, peer or subordinate. Connie Podesta, speaker and author of Life Would Be Easy If It Weren't for Other People, says there are three main reasons people don’t get along: 1.) “Somebody could be exhibiting some form of manipulation, and we get it that we’re being somehow pressured and we feel pressured into doing something the way they want it to be done. So we resist that.” 2.) True, malicious intentions could be behind the discord, but more often than not, people simply aren’t aware that they’re being aggravating. “Some people just don’t behave appropriately,” Podesta says. “They exhibit values that we don’t have. Maybe we’re hard workers and they’re lazy, and maybe we’re organized and they’re messy.” 3.) Her third reason is a bit more surprising. “Maybe they’re too much like you, which is scarier. Some people push your buttons because they’re doing things just like you do them, and you don’t like it,” she says. “For example, if somebody is a very controlling person and they come up against somebody else who is very controlling, neither of them can stand that in one another.” And of course, the fight for control is epic.
The behaviors and attitudes of others can confound us. As we attempt to understand them, it is tempting to give up and emotionally retreat in an effort to reduce the level of frustration that we feel. While this provides temporary relief, it is not the answer.
What can we do to change others? While the360⁰ Review will give each person insight on what some of the issues are and how to address them, the simple, but complex, answer is that we can't change others. It is fully up to the individual to make the change. While it is going to be my job to keep track of the progress of each manager in their development plan and take the appropriate action if they don’t, it is still up to each manager to make the change.
So is there nothing else you can do at this point? Of course not! We ALL can make changes in our interactions with each other. When WE change, we may well see the desired change in others. In other words, we must become the change that we wish to see. We all must work on improving our human relations and behavioral skills. In reading an inspirational e-mail from Mary Rau-Foster, she included this snippet from an unknown author that I found to be especially timely.
A Brief Course in Human Relations
The SIX most important words: "I admit I made a mistake."
The FIVE most important words: "You did a good job."
The FOUR most important words: "What is your opinion?"
The THREE most important words: "If you please."
The TWO most important words: "Thank You."
The ONE MOST important word: "We"
The LEAST important word: "I"
So as we usher out the past year, I am excited about 2012 for several reasons. But most importantly, not only will we have a better facility to work in, but we will also have better people to work with.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - November 2011
By the time you read this article, you would have made a decision about the new health insurance plans that you were to choose from for next year. For many of us it became an exercise in reviewing the past and trying to foresee the future. If you kept good records, reviewing the past wasn’t too hard. But predicting the future? Good luck. At a time when it seems that there are more and more factors that seem to be out of our control which creates a lot of stress and anxiety, there is hope!
Recently, I ran across an article written by the late Jim Rohn who is regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of our time. I would like to present this article for your benefit.
The Major Key to Your Better Future Is YOU by Jim Rohn
Of all the things that can have an effect on your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. We can talk about sales growth, profit growth, asset growth, but all of this probably will not happen without personal growth. It’s really the open door to it all. In fact I’d like to have you memorize a most important phrase. Here it is, “The major key to your better future is YOU.”
Let me repeat that. “The major key to your better future is YOU.” Put that someplace you can see it every day, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, at the office, anywhere where you can see it every day. The major key to your better future is YOU. Try to remember that every day you live and think about it. The major key is YOU.
Now, there are many things that will help your better future. If you belong to a strong, dynamic, progressive company, that would help. If the company has good products and services you are proud of, that would certainly help. If there were good sales aids, that would help, good training would certainly help. If there is strong leadership, that will certainly help. All of these things will help, and of course, if it doesn’t storm, that will help. If your car doesn’t break down, that will help. If the kids don’t get sick, that will help. If the neighbors stay halfway civil, that will help. If your relatives don’t bug you, that will help. If it isn’t too cold, if it isn’t too hot, all those things will help your better future. And if prices don’t go much higher and if taxes don’t get much heavier, that will help. And if the economy stays stable, those things will all help. We could go on and on with the list; but remember this, the list of things that I’ve just covered and many more—all put together—play a minor role in your better future.
The major key to your better future is you. Lock your mind onto that. This is a super-important point to remember. The major key is you. A friend of mine has always answered when asked, “How do you develop an above-average income?” by saying, “Simple. Become an above-average person. Work on you.” My friend says, “Develop an above-average handshake.” He says, “A lot of people want to be successful, and they don’t even work on their handshake. As easy as that would be to start, they let it slide. They don’t understand.” My friend says, “Develop an above-average smile. Develop an above-average excitement. Develop an above-average dedication. Develop an above-average interest in other people.” He says, “To have more, become more.” Remember; work harder on yourself than you do on your job. For a long time in my life, I didn’t have this figured out.
Strangely enough, with two different people in the same company, one may earn an extra $100 a month, and the other may earn a $1,000. What could possibly be the difference? If the products were the same, if the training was the same, if they both had the same literature, the same tools. If they both had the same teacher, the same compensation plan, if they both attended the same meetings, why would one person earn the $100 per month and the other person earn the $1000?
Remember, here is the difference: The difference is personal—inside, not outside, inside.
You see the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. Someone once said, “The magic is not in the products. The magic is not in the literature. The magic is not in the film. There isn’t a magic meeting, but the magic that makes things better is inside you.” And personal growth makes this magic work for you.
The magic is in believing. The magic is in daring. The magic is in trying. The real magic is in persevering. The magic is in accepting. It’s in working. The magic is in thinking. There is magic in a handshake. There is magic in a smile. There is magic in excitement and determination. There is real magic in compassion and caring and sharing. There is unusual magic in strong feeling. You see, all that comes from inside, not outside. So the difference is inside you. The real difference is you. You are the major key to your better future.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Recently, I ran across an article written by the late Jim Rohn who is regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of our time. I would like to present this article for your benefit.
The Major Key to Your Better Future Is YOU by Jim Rohn
Of all the things that can have an effect on your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. We can talk about sales growth, profit growth, asset growth, but all of this probably will not happen without personal growth. It’s really the open door to it all. In fact I’d like to have you memorize a most important phrase. Here it is, “The major key to your better future is YOU.”
Let me repeat that. “The major key to your better future is YOU.” Put that someplace you can see it every day, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, at the office, anywhere where you can see it every day. The major key to your better future is YOU. Try to remember that every day you live and think about it. The major key is YOU.
Now, there are many things that will help your better future. If you belong to a strong, dynamic, progressive company, that would help. If the company has good products and services you are proud of, that would certainly help. If there were good sales aids, that would help, good training would certainly help. If there is strong leadership, that will certainly help. All of these things will help, and of course, if it doesn’t storm, that will help. If your car doesn’t break down, that will help. If the kids don’t get sick, that will help. If the neighbors stay halfway civil, that will help. If your relatives don’t bug you, that will help. If it isn’t too cold, if it isn’t too hot, all those things will help your better future. And if prices don’t go much higher and if taxes don’t get much heavier, that will help. And if the economy stays stable, those things will all help. We could go on and on with the list; but remember this, the list of things that I’ve just covered and many more—all put together—play a minor role in your better future.
The major key to your better future is you. Lock your mind onto that. This is a super-important point to remember. The major key is you. A friend of mine has always answered when asked, “How do you develop an above-average income?” by saying, “Simple. Become an above-average person. Work on you.” My friend says, “Develop an above-average handshake.” He says, “A lot of people want to be successful, and they don’t even work on their handshake. As easy as that would be to start, they let it slide. They don’t understand.” My friend says, “Develop an above-average smile. Develop an above-average excitement. Develop an above-average dedication. Develop an above-average interest in other people.” He says, “To have more, become more.” Remember; work harder on yourself than you do on your job. For a long time in my life, I didn’t have this figured out.
Strangely enough, with two different people in the same company, one may earn an extra $100 a month, and the other may earn a $1,000. What could possibly be the difference? If the products were the same, if the training was the same, if they both had the same literature, the same tools. If they both had the same teacher, the same compensation plan, if they both attended the same meetings, why would one person earn the $100 per month and the other person earn the $1000?
Remember, here is the difference: The difference is personal—inside, not outside, inside.
You see the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. Someone once said, “The magic is not in the products. The magic is not in the literature. The magic is not in the film. There isn’t a magic meeting, but the magic that makes things better is inside you.” And personal growth makes this magic work for you.
The magic is in believing. The magic is in daring. The magic is in trying. The real magic is in persevering. The magic is in accepting. It’s in working. The magic is in thinking. There is magic in a handshake. There is magic in a smile. There is magic in excitement and determination. There is real magic in compassion and caring and sharing. There is unusual magic in strong feeling. You see, all that comes from inside, not outside. So the difference is inside you. The real difference is you. You are the major key to your better future.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - October 2011
Our good friend and colleague Larry Anderson died in the late evening of Friday, September 30, 2011 surrounded by his loving family after a long and courageous struggle with cancer. We will miss Larry dearly, but his memory will not be forgotten. Even though his physical body didn’t survive, his legacy will.
At his funeral services, and in between my tears and emotions, I spoke of how Larry was not just a fixer of trucks and equipment, but a fixer of people. He was a master mechanic of people. What I will remember Larry for was the way he could effectively influence his group and his peers to achieve their maximum potential. He encouraged them to stretch beyond their current limitations to multiplied levels of productivity, higher employee satisfaction, and greater leadership capacity. The big, bright and beautiful truck we had in the processional may have been a symbol of his legacy, but it is the people and the culture that he left behind that will be his legacy.
What will our legacies be?
It’s been said that life turns on small things. Sometimes it’s hard to see how small choices can change your life. But when compounded over time, the little things can make the biggest difference. Yes, some people’s legacies are created in one big bold event for which they will be remembered. But for most of us, it will all boil down to the little things that matter most.
We need to be able to identify the small but positive choices in our lives to allow us to reach our goals. Many times we don’t realize how the little choices in our lives can have lasting effects. We too often are focused on the bigger events, such as what career we choose, the big promotion we’re gunning for, or the big payday. Those things are easy to see coming. The little things, however, can go unnoticed unless we understand how important they can be.
The little things that lead to success are mostly easy to do. You just have to do them - to make small, positive choices. It might be as simple as showing up to meetings on time, prioritizing your workload, or using some of your spare time to help someone else. To make a difference one small step at a time consistently over and over again can be a method to create your legacy.
Larry Anderson can be an example and inspiration for all of us, not from all of the big and bold initiatives that he performed, but in the many, positive small things that he did over and over again that created such a profound effect on all of us. What are we going to be remembered for after our time at the Highway Department is over? What about the time with our families, our communities? I have said before that I believe that a man’s (or woman’s) greatest contribution is that his (or her) life made a difference. That it mattered.
Larry Anderson’s did. I hope that you live your life so that yours does too.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
At his funeral services, and in between my tears and emotions, I spoke of how Larry was not just a fixer of trucks and equipment, but a fixer of people. He was a master mechanic of people. What I will remember Larry for was the way he could effectively influence his group and his peers to achieve their maximum potential. He encouraged them to stretch beyond their current limitations to multiplied levels of productivity, higher employee satisfaction, and greater leadership capacity. The big, bright and beautiful truck we had in the processional may have been a symbol of his legacy, but it is the people and the culture that he left behind that will be his legacy.
What will our legacies be?
It’s been said that life turns on small things. Sometimes it’s hard to see how small choices can change your life. But when compounded over time, the little things can make the biggest difference. Yes, some people’s legacies are created in one big bold event for which they will be remembered. But for most of us, it will all boil down to the little things that matter most.
We need to be able to identify the small but positive choices in our lives to allow us to reach our goals. Many times we don’t realize how the little choices in our lives can have lasting effects. We too often are focused on the bigger events, such as what career we choose, the big promotion we’re gunning for, or the big payday. Those things are easy to see coming. The little things, however, can go unnoticed unless we understand how important they can be.
The little things that lead to success are mostly easy to do. You just have to do them - to make small, positive choices. It might be as simple as showing up to meetings on time, prioritizing your workload, or using some of your spare time to help someone else. To make a difference one small step at a time consistently over and over again can be a method to create your legacy.
Larry Anderson can be an example and inspiration for all of us, not from all of the big and bold initiatives that he performed, but in the many, positive small things that he did over and over again that created such a profound effect on all of us. What are we going to be remembered for after our time at the Highway Department is over? What about the time with our families, our communities? I have said before that I believe that a man’s (or woman’s) greatest contribution is that his (or her) life made a difference. That it mattered.
Larry Anderson’s did. I hope that you live your life so that yours does too.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - August/September 2011
The Minnesota state shutdown is over (for the next two years at least). The federal debt crisis is over (for now). In looking in from the outside at these two critical moments in our state’s and country’s history, what may be even more troubling than the solutions proposed by each side was the manner in which they conducted their business.
I have always felt that a diversity of opinion creates a platform for the very best solution for the majority of those affected. Defining and getting your highest priorities is a skillful art requiring steadfastness AND compromise. But while someone may criticize another’s positions (which is to be expected), when did everyone start to throw the personal attacks on each other with such wild and reckless abandon? How can we expect our leaders to really deal (and resolve) the state’s and nation’s problem when they create so much animosity amongst each other?
This may seem a little cheesy, but I am going to propose that our leaders read an excerpt from Ann Landers which she periodically reprints which should help us to get along with each other.
Ten Commandments of How to Get Along With People
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
I have always felt that a diversity of opinion creates a platform for the very best solution for the majority of those affected. Defining and getting your highest priorities is a skillful art requiring steadfastness AND compromise. But while someone may criticize another’s positions (which is to be expected), when did everyone start to throw the personal attacks on each other with such wild and reckless abandon? How can we expect our leaders to really deal (and resolve) the state’s and nation’s problem when they create so much animosity amongst each other?
This may seem a little cheesy, but I am going to propose that our leaders read an excerpt from Ann Landers which she periodically reprints which should help us to get along with each other.
Ten Commandments of How to Get Along With People
- Keep skid chains on your tongue; always say less than you think. Cultivate a low, persuasive voice. How you say it counts more than what you say.
- Make promises sparingly, and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs.
- Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word to or about somebody. Praise good work, regardless of who did it. If criticism is needed, criticize helpfully, never spitefully.
- Be interested in others; their pursuits, their work, their homes and families. Make merry with those who rejoice; with those who weep, mourn. Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel that you regard him as a person of importance.
- Be cheerful. Don't burden or depress those around you by dwelling on your minor aches and pains and small disappointments. Remember, everyone is carrying some kind of a load.
- Keep an open mind. Discuss but don't argue. It is a mark of a superior mind to be able to disagree without being disagreeable.
- Let your virtues speak for themselves. Refuse to talk of another's vices. Discourage gossip. It is a waste of valuable time and can be extremely destructive.
- Be careful of another's feelings. Wit and humor at the other person's expense are rarely worth it and may hurt when least expected.
- Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you. Remember, the person who carried the message may not be the most accurate reporter in the world. Simply live so that nobody will believe them. Disordered nerves and bad digestion are a common cause of backbiting.
- Don't be too anxious about the credit due you. Do your best, and be patient. Forget about yourself, and let others "remember." Success is much sweeter that way.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - July 2011
The Highway Department, through the hard work of the Planning Team, has developed a list of values which we feel represents what is important to us as an organization. These values help us achieve our goals and give us purpose. Employee decisions and actions should demonstrate these core behaviors.
In looking at the current mess at the capital with the state shutdown still on and no budget bill, I thought it would be interesting to compare our values with the action of the Governor and our Legislators. Below I have listed our departmental values along with our definition and one of the examples that the Planning Team provided to exemplify that value. Let’s see how the folks in St. Paul stack up.
COMMUNICATION
Our Definition: The conscious and consistent exchange of information to create a shared understanding to allow all employees to be knowledgeable and successful in daily operations.
Example: Listen – communication must be given AND received.
Fischer’s Editorial: What I see in St. Paul is a lot of communication given (talking) but no communication received (listening). Did the two opposing sides in this conflict not know what the other side’s top priorities were? Helloooooo – is there anyone listening out there?!
PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Our Definition: To accept responsibility and take ownership of one’s own actions to achieve results.
Example: Be willing to offer solutions and stop blaming others.
Fischer’s Editorial: Who’s responsible for the budget stalemate and state shutdown – the Governor or the Legislature? This is an easy question because both answers are correct! The Legislature had from January through May to prepare a budget that would be accepted by the Governor. They failed. Once again we have history repeating itself. The same thing happened in 2005 but with the political parties reversed. That Governor held all the trump cards in that card game then and this Governor holds all the trump cards now. Is this a new revelation to anyone?
RESPECT
Our Definition: To treat all people with equality and dignity - the public we serve as well as our colleagues, supervisors and subordinates. To appreciate all contributions.
Examples: Consider all opinions - don’t assume you know it all. Appreciate others skill sets and talents.
Fischer’s Editorial: We believe that a diversity of opinion is a good thing. It helps create a balance to weigh different options to each other in an attempt to get the best result. Someone’s opinions are neither right nor wrong – they are just opinions. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. I wish our elected officials in St. Paul would stop bad mouthing each other, respect their differences, and get their jobs done.
COLLABORATION/TEAMWORK
Our Definition: To willingly cooperate and coordinate with one another to act in the best interest of ACHD and the public we serve.
Examples: Be willing to keep an open mind and be flexible as changes occur.
Fischer’s Editorial: When did compromise become a bad word? My online dictionary defines compromise as a settlement of differences by mutual concessions; an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims, principles, etc., by reciprocal modification of demands. Nobody gets everything that they want. Never has been that way, never will be that way. This has been a constant in American politics since day one. Deal with it.
INTEGRITY
Our Definition: Be ethical, speak the truth; and honor commitments – even when no one is watching.
Examples: Try to be the person that your dog thinks you are!
Fischer’s Editorial: I love that one so I just had to share it with you! But some of our other examples are right on the mark for how our elected folks in St. Paul should act such as: 1.) Actions speak louder than words - don’t say one thing and do another. 2.) Provide service beyond our own needs and wants - make decisions based on public safety and the county’s best interest. 3.) Be conscious of how decisions affect others. 4.) Do the right thing, even if it’s difficult.
While we may not be able to control anything that’s going on in St. Paul, we can control what we’re doing at the Anoka County Highway Department. By living our values, we can be the type of organization that produces results and conducts its business in the professional manner which our public deserves.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
In looking at the current mess at the capital with the state shutdown still on and no budget bill, I thought it would be interesting to compare our values with the action of the Governor and our Legislators. Below I have listed our departmental values along with our definition and one of the examples that the Planning Team provided to exemplify that value. Let’s see how the folks in St. Paul stack up.
COMMUNICATION
Our Definition: The conscious and consistent exchange of information to create a shared understanding to allow all employees to be knowledgeable and successful in daily operations.
Example: Listen – communication must be given AND received.
Fischer’s Editorial: What I see in St. Paul is a lot of communication given (talking) but no communication received (listening). Did the two opposing sides in this conflict not know what the other side’s top priorities were? Helloooooo – is there anyone listening out there?!
PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Our Definition: To accept responsibility and take ownership of one’s own actions to achieve results.
Example: Be willing to offer solutions and stop blaming others.
Fischer’s Editorial: Who’s responsible for the budget stalemate and state shutdown – the Governor or the Legislature? This is an easy question because both answers are correct! The Legislature had from January through May to prepare a budget that would be accepted by the Governor. They failed. Once again we have history repeating itself. The same thing happened in 2005 but with the political parties reversed. That Governor held all the trump cards in that card game then and this Governor holds all the trump cards now. Is this a new revelation to anyone?
RESPECT
Our Definition: To treat all people with equality and dignity - the public we serve as well as our colleagues, supervisors and subordinates. To appreciate all contributions.
Examples: Consider all opinions - don’t assume you know it all. Appreciate others skill sets and talents.
Fischer’s Editorial: We believe that a diversity of opinion is a good thing. It helps create a balance to weigh different options to each other in an attempt to get the best result. Someone’s opinions are neither right nor wrong – they are just opinions. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. I wish our elected officials in St. Paul would stop bad mouthing each other, respect their differences, and get their jobs done.
COLLABORATION/TEAMWORK
Our Definition: To willingly cooperate and coordinate with one another to act in the best interest of ACHD and the public we serve.
Examples: Be willing to keep an open mind and be flexible as changes occur.
Fischer’s Editorial: When did compromise become a bad word? My online dictionary defines compromise as a settlement of differences by mutual concessions; an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims, principles, etc., by reciprocal modification of demands. Nobody gets everything that they want. Never has been that way, never will be that way. This has been a constant in American politics since day one. Deal with it.
INTEGRITY
Our Definition: Be ethical, speak the truth; and honor commitments – even when no one is watching.
Examples: Try to be the person that your dog thinks you are!
Fischer’s Editorial: I love that one so I just had to share it with you! But some of our other examples are right on the mark for how our elected folks in St. Paul should act such as: 1.) Actions speak louder than words - don’t say one thing and do another. 2.) Provide service beyond our own needs and wants - make decisions based on public safety and the county’s best interest. 3.) Be conscious of how decisions affect others. 4.) Do the right thing, even if it’s difficult.
While we may not be able to control anything that’s going on in St. Paul, we can control what we’re doing at the Anoka County Highway Department. By living our values, we can be the type of organization that produces results and conducts its business in the professional manner which our public deserves.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - June 2011
As everyone knows all too well there is a lot of uncertainty floating around right now. Will the state approve a budget without a shut-down? Will our housing values rebound? Will the job market open up? Will I be able to afford college for my kids? Definitely, there is a lot of worry and anxiety out there right now, but most of these issues are out of our control. What can we control? Our own actions and attitude. In times of uncertainty we can rely on the fact that we know what we are here to do. We know what our job is and what responsibilities we have. We know all of this because we have a Vision, specific Missions for each of the department’s sections, and a set of Values with which to live by.
So amongst all of the uncertainties out there, we have our anchor - we have our focus. We are here for very good reasons and we perform exceptionally well. We provide a necessary service and enhance the quality of life for our citizens, businesses, and travelling public.
And that is the one thing that I AM certain.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
So amongst all of the uncertainties out there, we have our anchor - we have our focus. We are here for very good reasons and we perform exceptionally well. We provide a necessary service and enhance the quality of life for our citizens, businesses, and travelling public.
And that is the one thing that I AM certain.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - May 2011
A few weeks ago I attended the National Association of County Engineers annual conference in Minneapolis. It was a great opportunity to meet county engineers from around the country and to attend many excellent training sessions. One of the sessions that I attended really struck a chord with me. It was a session entitled, “When Generations Collide” presented by Seth Mattison of an organization called BridgeWorks. While I think we are all aware that there are multiple generations within our workplace, he really brought home many of the differences these generations were influenced by and the very unique communication styles of each generation.
Do different generations really communicate so differently? You bet, especially when it comes to face-to-face meetings and telephone calls vs. email, texting and even tweeting. Before we tackle how to better communicate no matter what the generation, here’s a quick breakdown of each generation group:
Think of Traditionalists as survivors of the both world wars with little technical knowledge but with much work ethic and personal values. To communicate with this generation you may have to prod a little as they tend to not offer opinions without being asked. These hard workers are trainable and prefer written instructions to aid them. They do enjoy learning as they go and don’t like to waste too much time chatting around the water cooler. If a Traditionalist tells you a job will be done at a certain time, be assured it will, unless others keep changing the game. Be sure that this generation prefers a good face-to-face conversation instead of an email or communicating through a third party.
Perhaps the Baby Boomers are the generation most acceptable to change. Life started off great for this age group and they were allowed to explore their identities. This group did experience the rise and fall of many companies and have changed jobs due to force or circumstances, not because they wanted change. Baby Boomers have ample knowledge of technology but most still prefer a phone call or face-to-face meeting than an email. This group reads body language well and while they do like a show-me atmosphere, they also like written back up plans. Think of Baby Boomers as the memo generation. Because this group became the first work-aholics, they tend to expect more from co-workers, especially in the form of follow up, documenting, and organizing. Baby Boomers are great team workers.
Gen Xers aren’t afraid of technology and love new gadgets, even if it takes a little longer than a Millennial to understand how it all works. Communication is often short and to the point, and email is their preferred method. Gen Xers strive for feedback from supervisors and offer feedback in return. They can also be offended if not kept informed and feel left out. Each of their days will include communication time with family or friends to ensure they are handling the work/life balance they desire.
Millennials want to jump right in and see, feel, and touch every bit of technology placed before them. They will use short, quick emails as well as texting and mobile phone apps to communicate and are often shocked when others don’t. As far as communication, keep it simple and let the Millennial go at it so to speak. They enjoy a creative workplace and like to think outside the box. If a new way is needed, they are most likely to find the correct resource. Stern talking or talking down to is not accepted well by this age group as they expect everyone to be on the same level. As with the Gen Xers, visuals, albeit even shorter visuals, are more effective than document reading. You’ll never get a memo from a Millennial and innovation should be encouraged.
If you’re like me you now realize why communicating decisions to such a diverse group as ours can be problematic. For the Traditionalists, “No news is good news”, and they’ll leave the decision making up to those in charge. For the Baby Boomers, they want make the decision and feel they have earned the authority to make it. For the Gen Xers, they’ll accept the decision on their own terms and if not supported, will be the most critical of it. Finally, for the Millennials, they want to have a continuous input into the decision and will want feedback on how they’re doing with it.
So in conclusion let me say, “Thanks for getting us started” (to the Traditionalists), “Thanks for the extra effort in getting so much done” (to the Baby Boomers), “Thanks for getting things done easier and faster” (to the Gen Xers), and “OMG, U R GR8! (to the Millennials).
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Do different generations really communicate so differently? You bet, especially when it comes to face-to-face meetings and telephone calls vs. email, texting and even tweeting. Before we tackle how to better communicate no matter what the generation, here’s a quick breakdown of each generation group:
- Traditionalists – This group includes everyone born before 1945. In our Highway Department today, we have three (3 out of 107) employees in this group. Traditionalists respect authority and expect respect for a job well done. They are hard workers and stick to instructions given. While some of this generation may not be happy with all aspects of their jobs, they tend to follow the chain of command, don’t complain, are quiet, and realize a good paycheck means hard work. Traditionalists will usually stay with one company most of their career.
- Baby Boomers – Born between 1946 and 1964, the Baby Boomer generation makes up the majority of today’s workforce. At the Highway Department 58 out of our 107 employees are in this group. Think of this generation as those who dropped out and then dropped back in. While the 1970s were fun, this group did learn to respect authority and often hold higher management positions. They offer more ideas than Traditionalists and expect to lead, not follow.
- Generation Xers – This group was born between 1965 and 1982. At the Highway Department 39 out of our 107 employees are in this group making it the second largest generation group. They know and understand technology and want to use it. Gen Xers may have lots of career interests and paths. They demand individuality and like multi-tasking. Gen Xers often tend to think in the “grass is greener” mode and work/life balance is very important.
- Millennials or Gen Y – Born between 1983 and 2000, Millennials make up only a small percentage of the current workforce but is on the rise every year. At the Highway Department 7 out of our 107 employees are in this group. Boring or menial tasks are not for the millennial worker. They not only expect technology in every form, but demand it. They would be lost without the Internet or gadgets that do everything from email to finding directions to where to eat out at night. A dress code is not especially important to the Gen Y group and they tend to seek out jobs where their creativity is most important, noticed, and rewarded.
Think of Traditionalists as survivors of the both world wars with little technical knowledge but with much work ethic and personal values. To communicate with this generation you may have to prod a little as they tend to not offer opinions without being asked. These hard workers are trainable and prefer written instructions to aid them. They do enjoy learning as they go and don’t like to waste too much time chatting around the water cooler. If a Traditionalist tells you a job will be done at a certain time, be assured it will, unless others keep changing the game. Be sure that this generation prefers a good face-to-face conversation instead of an email or communicating through a third party.
Perhaps the Baby Boomers are the generation most acceptable to change. Life started off great for this age group and they were allowed to explore their identities. This group did experience the rise and fall of many companies and have changed jobs due to force or circumstances, not because they wanted change. Baby Boomers have ample knowledge of technology but most still prefer a phone call or face-to-face meeting than an email. This group reads body language well and while they do like a show-me atmosphere, they also like written back up plans. Think of Baby Boomers as the memo generation. Because this group became the first work-aholics, they tend to expect more from co-workers, especially in the form of follow up, documenting, and organizing. Baby Boomers are great team workers.
Gen Xers aren’t afraid of technology and love new gadgets, even if it takes a little longer than a Millennial to understand how it all works. Communication is often short and to the point, and email is their preferred method. Gen Xers strive for feedback from supervisors and offer feedback in return. They can also be offended if not kept informed and feel left out. Each of their days will include communication time with family or friends to ensure they are handling the work/life balance they desire.
Millennials want to jump right in and see, feel, and touch every bit of technology placed before them. They will use short, quick emails as well as texting and mobile phone apps to communicate and are often shocked when others don’t. As far as communication, keep it simple and let the Millennial go at it so to speak. They enjoy a creative workplace and like to think outside the box. If a new way is needed, they are most likely to find the correct resource. Stern talking or talking down to is not accepted well by this age group as they expect everyone to be on the same level. As with the Gen Xers, visuals, albeit even shorter visuals, are more effective than document reading. You’ll never get a memo from a Millennial and innovation should be encouraged.
If you’re like me you now realize why communicating decisions to such a diverse group as ours can be problematic. For the Traditionalists, “No news is good news”, and they’ll leave the decision making up to those in charge. For the Baby Boomers, they want make the decision and feel they have earned the authority to make it. For the Gen Xers, they’ll accept the decision on their own terms and if not supported, will be the most critical of it. Finally, for the Millennials, they want to have a continuous input into the decision and will want feedback on how they’re doing with it.
So in conclusion let me say, “Thanks for getting us started” (to the Traditionalists), “Thanks for the extra effort in getting so much done” (to the Baby Boomers), “Thanks for getting things done easier and faster” (to the Gen Xers), and “OMG, U R GR8! (to the Millennials).
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - April 2011
I think I picked the right year not to participate in the basketball tournament. Talk about March Madness! As we head into the Final Four this weekend you have to scratch your head and wonder what happened. The last four teams still playing are What?ler(Butler), VC Who? (VCU), U Can’t! (U Conn) and KenYukky (Kentucky). Where are all the No.1 seeded teams? Where are all the No.2 seeded teams?! If you have more than two teams still playing in your bracket you’re an idiot.
But don’t tell that to the Bulldogs, Rams, Huskies and Wildcats. It’s no surprise to them - they expected to be in the Final Four. I guess that someone forgot to send them the memo that Ohio State or Kansas was supposed to walk away with the championship. They wrote their own script and it has made for one heck of an exciting tournament.
What is compelling these unlikely teams to succeed when no one expected them to do so? In watching these teams play, I feel they had a tremendous desire to win and succeed. This is exactly what they have been working so hard perfecting their skill for all those years. They’ve seen this situation in their minds ever since they started playing in their school playground.
Their desire was not a hope. It was not a wish! It was a keen, pulsating desire which transcended everything else. It was definite. These teams are succeeding because they chose a definite goal and then placed all of their energy into that goal.
The desire to achieve a clearly defined goal is one of the most powerful recipes for success there has ever been. This is not new. In fact, one of the founders of motivational literature, Napoleon Hill, wrote about this in his 1937 classic Think and Grow Rich. Think and Grow Rich teaches ordinary people how to achieve greatness in today’s world as much as it did in 1937. It teaches the secrets of how your subconscious mind and attitudes affect your success. It shows that “what the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
Just like the four teams that are competing for the NCAA Championship, there is a definite method for turning desire into real success.
Step 1: Fix in your mind the EXACT goal you desire. Don’t say “I want to be rich”. Pick a definite amount that you desire to achieve.
Step 2: Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for this goal you desire. (There is no such thing as “something for nothing”)!
Step3: Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the goal you desire.
Step 4: Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once to put the plan into action.
Step 5: Write out a clear, concise statement of steps 1 to 4 to memorialize your desire.
Step 6: Read your written statement about twice daily. As you read it, see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of your desired goal.
This isn’t my recipe for success. It is the plan Napoleon Hill derived from 20 years of research studying men like Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, James T. Hill, Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, John D. Rockefeller and many other great achievers. I am confident that it is also the same plan that is being used by Butler, Virginia Commonwealth, Kentucky and Connecticut.
Do you want to achieve spectacular success in your life? Don’t just sit around hoping that success will magically appear in your life. Instead, turn that hope into a burning desire, develop your plan and take action. Then you will be celebrating your own Final Four, but it won’t be March Madness that got you there!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
But don’t tell that to the Bulldogs, Rams, Huskies and Wildcats. It’s no surprise to them - they expected to be in the Final Four. I guess that someone forgot to send them the memo that Ohio State or Kansas was supposed to walk away with the championship. They wrote their own script and it has made for one heck of an exciting tournament.
What is compelling these unlikely teams to succeed when no one expected them to do so? In watching these teams play, I feel they had a tremendous desire to win and succeed. This is exactly what they have been working so hard perfecting their skill for all those years. They’ve seen this situation in their minds ever since they started playing in their school playground.
Their desire was not a hope. It was not a wish! It was a keen, pulsating desire which transcended everything else. It was definite. These teams are succeeding because they chose a definite goal and then placed all of their energy into that goal.
The desire to achieve a clearly defined goal is one of the most powerful recipes for success there has ever been. This is not new. In fact, one of the founders of motivational literature, Napoleon Hill, wrote about this in his 1937 classic Think and Grow Rich. Think and Grow Rich teaches ordinary people how to achieve greatness in today’s world as much as it did in 1937. It teaches the secrets of how your subconscious mind and attitudes affect your success. It shows that “what the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
Just like the four teams that are competing for the NCAA Championship, there is a definite method for turning desire into real success.
Step 1: Fix in your mind the EXACT goal you desire. Don’t say “I want to be rich”. Pick a definite amount that you desire to achieve.
Step 2: Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for this goal you desire. (There is no such thing as “something for nothing”)!
Step3: Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the goal you desire.
Step 4: Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once to put the plan into action.
Step 5: Write out a clear, concise statement of steps 1 to 4 to memorialize your desire.
Step 6: Read your written statement about twice daily. As you read it, see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of your desired goal.
This isn’t my recipe for success. It is the plan Napoleon Hill derived from 20 years of research studying men like Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, James T. Hill, Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, John D. Rockefeller and many other great achievers. I am confident that it is also the same plan that is being used by Butler, Virginia Commonwealth, Kentucky and Connecticut.
Do you want to achieve spectacular success in your life? Don’t just sit around hoping that success will magically appear in your life. Instead, turn that hope into a burning desire, develop your plan and take action. Then you will be celebrating your own Final Four, but it won’t be March Madness that got you there!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - March 2011
We just finished another wonderful department meeting and chili cook-off, so while I still have the thoughts in my head (and taste in my mouth!?), I would like to reiterate some of the points I brought up at the meeting regarding our 2011-12 budget situation. As I mentioned, our budget situation is very dependent on the state’s budget crisis. At the time of the meeting, the state was looking at a $6.2 billion deficit (latest projections put it at $5 billion). Assuming a 50% decrease in the state’s contribution to county program aid, the impact to Anoka County would be $7.55 million. Assuming across the board reductions of 6.56%, this would translate into a $1.2 million hit for our Public Services Division and an $850,000 hit for the Highway Department. Therefore, we are in the process of identifying cuts for 2011 that could be made now (and to be carried forward as permanent cuts) in the event of this possibility.
For the 2011 budget reduction and 2012 budget preparation, every person, program, expense and revenue opportunity will be examined. I think you have already seen some of this review with: the on-line suggestion box, identification of mandates, and some personnel restructuring.
This is a time of great stress for everyone. It is an emotional time. I’m included. I’m very proud of what we do and how we do it. But the reality is that we are once again being asked to change and adapt to this new reality.
What is the best way to come out of this? By showing our value. You can look at something by how much money it costs or by how much value it brings. Take our snow & ice control efforts for example. We offer our travelling public a great service in providing a safe and efficient way for them to get to work, school and recreation. We save them time and money in the process. But it costs money to provide this service, but I feel it is still a great value.
In addition to the value that we provide to our travelling public, values are also a guiding force in how we set our priorities, make our decisions, and how we interact with each other in delivering our services. A couple of years ago, the Planning Team developed a departmental vision, mission statements, and a set of values for us. Over the past several months, the Planning Team revisited these values. The timing of this could not have been better. In these stressful times it’s easy to abandon our values by blaming others, putting a spot-light on other people’s shortcomings or flaws, etc. I could go to the budget reduction meetings and point out all of the deficiencies of the other “not so important” departments. But I’m going to focus on the value that our department brings and not lower myself and this department into a petty tattle-tailing event. Again, I’m very proud of what we do and how we do it. Sure, we’ll always be in a mode of optimizing ourselves and refocusing on our priorities, but let’s do it by living our values.
On the front of this newsletter our departmental values are listed. These values will be tested as we work through these uncertain times and make the tough decisions that need to be made. Together, by living these values, I am confident that we will move forward consistent with our vision to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
For the 2011 budget reduction and 2012 budget preparation, every person, program, expense and revenue opportunity will be examined. I think you have already seen some of this review with: the on-line suggestion box, identification of mandates, and some personnel restructuring.
This is a time of great stress for everyone. It is an emotional time. I’m included. I’m very proud of what we do and how we do it. But the reality is that we are once again being asked to change and adapt to this new reality.
What is the best way to come out of this? By showing our value. You can look at something by how much money it costs or by how much value it brings. Take our snow & ice control efforts for example. We offer our travelling public a great service in providing a safe and efficient way for them to get to work, school and recreation. We save them time and money in the process. But it costs money to provide this service, but I feel it is still a great value.
In addition to the value that we provide to our travelling public, values are also a guiding force in how we set our priorities, make our decisions, and how we interact with each other in delivering our services. A couple of years ago, the Planning Team developed a departmental vision, mission statements, and a set of values for us. Over the past several months, the Planning Team revisited these values. The timing of this could not have been better. In these stressful times it’s easy to abandon our values by blaming others, putting a spot-light on other people’s shortcomings or flaws, etc. I could go to the budget reduction meetings and point out all of the deficiencies of the other “not so important” departments. But I’m going to focus on the value that our department brings and not lower myself and this department into a petty tattle-tailing event. Again, I’m very proud of what we do and how we do it. Sure, we’ll always be in a mode of optimizing ourselves and refocusing on our priorities, but let’s do it by living our values.
On the front of this newsletter our departmental values are listed. These values will be tested as we work through these uncertain times and make the tough decisions that need to be made. Together, by living these values, I am confident that we will move forward consistent with our vision to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - February 2011
I’ve been doing a lot of reading this past couple of months and would like to share with you several of the concepts I learned about. In fact, let’s see if I can tie them together into this monthly column. I am going to talk about trust, change/diversity, fear, courage, serenity and finally trust again.
In his book, “The Trust Edge”, author David Horsager talks about the eight “Pillars of Trust”: competency, commitment, clarity, connection, compassion, character, consistency and contribution. When it comes to trust, it is easy to give trust to those people or things that we have become familiar with and have exhibited the eight pillars of trust. But a lot is going on in the world right now that we are not familiar with. There is a lot of change going on. There is a lot of diversity in philosophy and ideals in all aspects of our lives. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying diversity is bad. In fact it is critical to innovation, creativity and success. As Horsager noted of the old saying, “If we are both the same, one of us is not needed.” But while change and diversity is great for creativity, it has the inherent attribute to undermine trust. It takes us out of our comfort zone. It can cause us to experience fear.
So how do we deal with fear? Leadership expert John C. Maxwell has some very good insight into this issue. First of all, everyone will have some level of fear in their lives that they have to deal with and in fact, he says that studies have shown that we all carry the same amount of fear. But the difference lies in what you choose to fear and summoning up the courage to deal with it. If we all carry the same amount of fear, wouldn’t it be more productive to save our courageous effort and moments on the important stuff? Sometimes we can get bogged down in the trivial and mundane. As the title of Richard Carlson’s bestseller encourages, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and it’s all small stuff”. To do this effectively will lead to a feeling of serenity.
How to tell the difference between the trivial and the important is the hard part. Sometimes it all rolls back to trust. I couldn’t put it anymore eloquently than Reinhold Niebuhr wrote in his famous prayer:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
In his book, “The Trust Edge”, author David Horsager talks about the eight “Pillars of Trust”: competency, commitment, clarity, connection, compassion, character, consistency and contribution. When it comes to trust, it is easy to give trust to those people or things that we have become familiar with and have exhibited the eight pillars of trust. But a lot is going on in the world right now that we are not familiar with. There is a lot of change going on. There is a lot of diversity in philosophy and ideals in all aspects of our lives. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying diversity is bad. In fact it is critical to innovation, creativity and success. As Horsager noted of the old saying, “If we are both the same, one of us is not needed.” But while change and diversity is great for creativity, it has the inherent attribute to undermine trust. It takes us out of our comfort zone. It can cause us to experience fear.
So how do we deal with fear? Leadership expert John C. Maxwell has some very good insight into this issue. First of all, everyone will have some level of fear in their lives that they have to deal with and in fact, he says that studies have shown that we all carry the same amount of fear. But the difference lies in what you choose to fear and summoning up the courage to deal with it. If we all carry the same amount of fear, wouldn’t it be more productive to save our courageous effort and moments on the important stuff? Sometimes we can get bogged down in the trivial and mundane. As the title of Richard Carlson’s bestseller encourages, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and it’s all small stuff”. To do this effectively will lead to a feeling of serenity.
How to tell the difference between the trivial and the important is the hard part. Sometimes it all rolls back to trust. I couldn’t put it anymore eloquently than Reinhold Niebuhr wrote in his famous prayer:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - January 2011
Happy New Year! Well, it is a new year, but is it happy? More importantly, are YOU happy? Do you even know what does or would make you happy? Believe it or not but Harvard researchers have found that most of us think we know what makes us happy, but typically we’re wrong!
Most people think that success leads to happiness, but in Shawn Acher’s new book, “The Happiness Advantage” he has concluded that just the opposite is true: happiness leads to success in every aspect of your life including work, health, friendship, sociability, creativity and energy. This is not just an emotional cause and effect but our brains are literally hardwired to make us perform at our best NOT when they are negative or even neutral, but when they are positive. Another physiological explanation is that feeling happy releases dopamine and serotonin which make us perform at higher levels. So feeling happy actually puts us in the most optimal state to help us build more intellectual, social and physical resources.
Think about it. Who are you more drawn to: the curmudgeonly downer who complains about everything and blames everyone (but himself) for his lot in life; or are you more attracted to the optimistic, supportive, and grateful person that seems to be going places?
There are many traps to happiness. One that Darren Hardy of Success magazine writes about is the trap of postponing happiness – the “When I (fill in the blank), I will be happy” syndrome. The reality is happiness isn’t something to be acquired in the future. You are either happy now or not; “then” never arrives. Living and striving for “then” results in a constant state of unhappiness. I see this as people wishing their lives away. Now is the only time you have to be happy. If you can’t be happy now, you most certainly will not be happy later.
Obviously, there are many reasons that can make us unhappy such as the economy, the snow, the Vikings, etc., but that doesn’t mean we have succumb to these downers. The reality is that happiness creates. It is not derived from the outside, but is derived from within. Happiness is a state of mind that you choose to be in (or not). What is one of the best ways to live in happiness? To live in gratitude. Remember what I wrote about last month? When you are able to take a step back and focus on all of the good things in your life, that’s where happiness begins. And once you start opening your eyes to all of the positives in your life, you see more and more reasons and experiences that bring you increased joy. Reasons to be happy.
I wish everyone a healthy, prosperous and HAPPY new year!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Most people think that success leads to happiness, but in Shawn Acher’s new book, “The Happiness Advantage” he has concluded that just the opposite is true: happiness leads to success in every aspect of your life including work, health, friendship, sociability, creativity and energy. This is not just an emotional cause and effect but our brains are literally hardwired to make us perform at our best NOT when they are negative or even neutral, but when they are positive. Another physiological explanation is that feeling happy releases dopamine and serotonin which make us perform at higher levels. So feeling happy actually puts us in the most optimal state to help us build more intellectual, social and physical resources.
Think about it. Who are you more drawn to: the curmudgeonly downer who complains about everything and blames everyone (but himself) for his lot in life; or are you more attracted to the optimistic, supportive, and grateful person that seems to be going places?
There are many traps to happiness. One that Darren Hardy of Success magazine writes about is the trap of postponing happiness – the “When I (fill in the blank), I will be happy” syndrome. The reality is happiness isn’t something to be acquired in the future. You are either happy now or not; “then” never arrives. Living and striving for “then” results in a constant state of unhappiness. I see this as people wishing their lives away. Now is the only time you have to be happy. If you can’t be happy now, you most certainly will not be happy later.
Obviously, there are many reasons that can make us unhappy such as the economy, the snow, the Vikings, etc., but that doesn’t mean we have succumb to these downers. The reality is that happiness creates. It is not derived from the outside, but is derived from within. Happiness is a state of mind that you choose to be in (or not). What is one of the best ways to live in happiness? To live in gratitude. Remember what I wrote about last month? When you are able to take a step back and focus on all of the good things in your life, that’s where happiness begins. And once you start opening your eyes to all of the positives in your life, you see more and more reasons and experiences that bring you increased joy. Reasons to be happy.
I wish everyone a healthy, prosperous and HAPPY new year!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - December 2010
As 2010 comes to a close, it is a perfect opportunity to reflect on all of the events of the past year. We can do this two different ways. It seems that human nature gives us the tendency to focus on the negative things in our lives. We want to blame the weather, our in-laws, the government, our boss, our employer – everyone but ourselves. But by focusing on all of the things that went wrong this past year and not taking any responsibility or action to change anything is destructive and depressing. Despite the many things that we can gripe about, we are still very blessed to where we are, what we do and who we’re with each day and we should be thankful for these gifts.
Gratitude is one of the highest states of emotion we can experience. How would you like to stop waking up feeling miserable anticipating another day of drudgery and instead start each day feeling a sense of peace and thanks for all the good that is in your life? If you do, then I suggest you go on a “gratitude diet”. For the next ten days, start each morning by writing down 10 things that you are grateful for and then refer back to them when you are feeling down or frustrated. I will guarantee that you will see that your life is getting better and the answers are coming and problems are being resolved.
The following 15 gratitude statements can help you get started on your gratitude diet.
I am grateful for my life.
I am grateful for all my experiences and what they have taught me.
I am grateful for my ability to choose how I respond to my life.
I am grateful for the opportunity to change.
I am grateful for my loved ones.
I am grateful for this amazing planet and all the richness it offers me.
I am grateful for my freedom.
I am grateful that I can change the way I feel.
I am grateful for all the blessings I have received.
I am grateful that I am never alone.
I am grateful that God is watching out for me.
I am grateful for all I have learned this year.
I am grateful for all the answers and help that have been given to me.
I am grateful I am finding answers and resources and that I am free to change and grow.
I am grateful for all of the hard working men and women of the Anoka County Highway Department who make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each and every day.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Gratitude is one of the highest states of emotion we can experience. How would you like to stop waking up feeling miserable anticipating another day of drudgery and instead start each day feeling a sense of peace and thanks for all the good that is in your life? If you do, then I suggest you go on a “gratitude diet”. For the next ten days, start each morning by writing down 10 things that you are grateful for and then refer back to them when you are feeling down or frustrated. I will guarantee that you will see that your life is getting better and the answers are coming and problems are being resolved.
The following 15 gratitude statements can help you get started on your gratitude diet.
I am grateful for my life.
I am grateful for all my experiences and what they have taught me.
I am grateful for my ability to choose how I respond to my life.
I am grateful for the opportunity to change.
I am grateful for my loved ones.
I am grateful for this amazing planet and all the richness it offers me.
I am grateful for my freedom.
I am grateful that I can change the way I feel.
I am grateful for all the blessings I have received.
I am grateful that I am never alone.
I am grateful that God is watching out for me.
I am grateful for all I have learned this year.
I am grateful for all the answers and help that have been given to me.
I am grateful I am finding answers and resources and that I am free to change and grow.
I am grateful for all of the hard working men and women of the Anoka County Highway Department who make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each and every day.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - November 2010
Sometimes a person receives a sign that a change has or is about to occur. Sometimes there is no sign at all. But recently, I think we all noticed a change by the obvious “lack” of a sign. Or more specifically, the lack of all of the election signs that have graced our landscape for the past four months or so. What this lack of signs is telling us is that the election is over. What the election is telling us is that things are going to change.
Anoka County has seen one of the most dramatic election turnovers that I can recall. In my unofficial tally of election results (not including Judges, Hospital or Soil Boards), I find that we will have 42 newly elected officials representing all or parts of Anoka County. These new officials include: 1 Governor, 6 State Senators, 3 State Representatives, 3 County Commissioners, 1 County Sheriff, 1 County Attorney, 7 Mayors, 16 Council Members, and 4 School Board Members.
In addition, there are big changes in the federal and state legislatures that will also have a direct impact on us here in Anoka County, most notably the loss of Minnesota’s senior legislator Jim Oberstar who was the Chair of the House Transportation Committee. How these changes will impact us here at the Highway Department is yet to be determined. Therefore, we need to be vigilant in our efforts to keep transportation a top priority in Anoka County. To reiterate our raison d’être (reason for existence), I would like to share once again our Vision, Mission and Values of the Anoka County Highway Department:
Our Vision is to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.
Each section of the department contributes to this vision with teams of skilled professionals fulfilling a specific Mission:
We will live our Values by striving to have a work environment consisting of:
At the Anoka County Highway Department, our passion is your safe way home.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Anoka County has seen one of the most dramatic election turnovers that I can recall. In my unofficial tally of election results (not including Judges, Hospital or Soil Boards), I find that we will have 42 newly elected officials representing all or parts of Anoka County. These new officials include: 1 Governor, 6 State Senators, 3 State Representatives, 3 County Commissioners, 1 County Sheriff, 1 County Attorney, 7 Mayors, 16 Council Members, and 4 School Board Members.
In addition, there are big changes in the federal and state legislatures that will also have a direct impact on us here in Anoka County, most notably the loss of Minnesota’s senior legislator Jim Oberstar who was the Chair of the House Transportation Committee. How these changes will impact us here at the Highway Department is yet to be determined. Therefore, we need to be vigilant in our efforts to keep transportation a top priority in Anoka County. To reiterate our raison d’être (reason for existence), I would like to share once again our Vision, Mission and Values of the Anoka County Highway Department:
Our Vision is to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.
Each section of the department contributes to this vision with teams of skilled professionals fulfilling a specific Mission:
- The Maintenance Section protects, preserves and improves travel on our highway system.
- The Signal Services Section enhances our highway system by implementing traffic control technology to minimize delays and maximize safety.
- The Sign Services Section provides highway users with effective guidance through the ongoing installation, repair and maintenance of traffic control devices.
- The Fleet Services Section supports the highway operations by providing highly effective and efficient maintenance of the fleet and equipment.
- The Engineering Section, through collaborative partnerships, delivers high quality, cost-effective highway projects.
- The Planning Section directs and facilitates mid and long range projects and plans to meet public needs.
- The Traffic Services Section provides traffic engineering analysis and evaluations to monitor and plan for safer highways.
- The Administration Section provides direction and support for all Highway Department operations.
We will live our Values by striving to have a work environment consisting of:
- Collaboration/Teamwork
- Respect
- Communication
- Integrity
- Personal Accountability
At the Anoka County Highway Department, our passion is your safe way home.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - October 2010
In today’s world there are so many things that we can complain about. The economy, the environment, our jobs, our lack of jobs, the media, politicians: all of these forces and many more are constantly bombarding us with gloom and doom. We are being told what to think. If so-and-so is elected to office the country will be in ruins, the icecaps will melt and the world will come to an end – oh wait, that’s not until 2012. And this is all true because, “I am (fill in the blank) and I approve this message!”
Give me a break.
As Jim Rohn, the late, great motivational speaker and personal development guru would say, “Stand guard at the door of your mind!” We BECOME who we are from what we DO. We DO what we do from what we THINK. So the key then is to weed out all of the garbage and nurture and grow the flowers and fruits of good, useful and pure thoughts.
This is not a new concept. In his classic masterpiece, As a Man Thinketh first published in 1902, James Allen explores the concept of thoughts eventually giving birth to circumstances. Or in other words, how thought shapes a person’s character, circumstances and destiny. Can a person achieve a better life with better thoughts? Here’s what Mr. Allen says in his book:
“All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. In a justly ordered universe, where loss of equipoise would mean total destruction, individual responsibility must be absolute. A man’s weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another man’s; they are brought about by himself, and not another; and they can only be altered by himself, never by another. His condition is also his own, and not another man’s. His suffering and his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.
He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs neither to oppressor nor oppressed. He is free.
A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts…
Achievement, of whatever kind, is the crown of effort, the diadem of thought. By the aid of self control, resolution, purity, righteousness, and well-directed thought a man ascends.”
Wow, pretty powerful and liberating stuff! I’m not going to tell you what to think about this – that is entirely up to you. But, if you think life is miserable – guess what? It is! However, I choose to think that things are pretty doggone good and I look forward to a great future. After all, a person’s destiny is not only in his own hands, it must be in his mind too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Give me a break.
As Jim Rohn, the late, great motivational speaker and personal development guru would say, “Stand guard at the door of your mind!” We BECOME who we are from what we DO. We DO what we do from what we THINK. So the key then is to weed out all of the garbage and nurture and grow the flowers and fruits of good, useful and pure thoughts.
This is not a new concept. In his classic masterpiece, As a Man Thinketh first published in 1902, James Allen explores the concept of thoughts eventually giving birth to circumstances. Or in other words, how thought shapes a person’s character, circumstances and destiny. Can a person achieve a better life with better thoughts? Here’s what Mr. Allen says in his book:
“All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. In a justly ordered universe, where loss of equipoise would mean total destruction, individual responsibility must be absolute. A man’s weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another man’s; they are brought about by himself, and not another; and they can only be altered by himself, never by another. His condition is also his own, and not another man’s. His suffering and his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.
He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs neither to oppressor nor oppressed. He is free.
A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts…
Achievement, of whatever kind, is the crown of effort, the diadem of thought. By the aid of self control, resolution, purity, righteousness, and well-directed thought a man ascends.”
Wow, pretty powerful and liberating stuff! I’m not going to tell you what to think about this – that is entirely up to you. But, if you think life is miserable – guess what? It is! However, I choose to think that things are pretty doggone good and I look forward to a great future. After all, a person’s destiny is not only in his own hands, it must be in his mind too!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - August/September 2010
On June 4, 2010 a legend passed away. John Wooden was the former basketball coach at UCLA for decades winning an unprecedented 10 national championships, compiled an 88-game winning streak, developed the athletic careers of scores of future hall-of-famers and accomplished countless other basketball milestones during his prolific career. Many people still look to “Coach” for guidance in not only basketball but in leadership, ethics and mentorship. What is remarkable is the fact that he ended his basketball career after the 1975 season, yet still was sought out by many right up to his passing at the age of 99.
John Wooden was noted for his numerous books and lectures on a wide variety of topics. In a memorial article written by Don Yeager in Success magazine, several of his quotes were listed. I would like to share these with you.
Thanks Coach for your dedication and inspiration in helping others achieve success in all facets of their life. Your legacy will live on through all of those that you have touched. I hope that we all can put his words of wisdom to use in bettering ourselves and our communities. That’s the type of winning that Coach Wooden would be most proud.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
John Wooden was noted for his numerous books and lectures on a wide variety of topics. In a memorial article written by Don Yeager in Success magazine, several of his quotes were listed. I would like to share these with you.
Thanks Coach for your dedication and inspiration in helping others achieve success in all facets of their life. Your legacy will live on through all of those that you have touched. I hope that we all can put his words of wisdom to use in bettering ourselves and our communities. That’s the type of winning that Coach Wooden would be most proud.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - July 2010
I hope that everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Fourth of July holiday weekend. Besides the parades, fireworks and backyard cookouts, you couldn’t help but notice all of the campaign signs that are already sprouting up in front yards across the county. What a great way to celebrate our foundation by perpetuating our role as citizens by electing our political leaders. We are in a time of great change – especially here at the county level with three open seats on the county board. In our form of government (republic), we elect our leaders to be representatives of us. They are elected to lead by serving.
Servant leadership is a philosophy and practice of leadership, coined and defined by Robert Greenleaf and supported by many leadership and management writers such as James Autry, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, and others. Servant-leaders achieve results for their organizations or constituents by giving priority attention to the needs of those they serve. Servant-leaders are often seen as humble stewards of their organization's resources (human, financial and physical). In the book, “Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership”, authors James W. Sipe and Don M. Frick outline the characteristics of true servant leaders:
As you contemplate your choices for elected office this August in the primaries and in November in the general election, I hope you base your choices on candidates that exhibit these qualities. And these aren’t qualities that only elected officials should exercise. Anyone in a leadership role, from boss to coach to church leader to parent to you name it, these are qualities that we should expect from everyone.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Servant leadership is a philosophy and practice of leadership, coined and defined by Robert Greenleaf and supported by many leadership and management writers such as James Autry, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, and others. Servant-leaders achieve results for their organizations or constituents by giving priority attention to the needs of those they serve. Servant-leaders are often seen as humble stewards of their organization's resources (human, financial and physical). In the book, “Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership”, authors James W. Sipe and Don M. Frick outline the characteristics of true servant leaders:
- Person of Character – Makes insightful, ethical, and principle-centered decisions. Maintains integrity, demonstrates humility, and serves a higher purpose.
- Puts People First – Helps others meet their highest priority development needs. Displays a servant’s heart, is mentor-minded, and shows care and concern.
- Skilled Communicator – Listens earnestly and speaks effectively. Demonstrates empathy, invites feedback, and communicates persuasively.
- Compassionate Collaborator – Strengthens relationships, supports diversity, and creates a sense of belonging. Expresses appreciation, builds teams and communities, and negotiates conflict.
- Has Foresight – Imagines possibilities, anticipates the future, and proceeds with clarity and purpose. Visionary, displays creativity, and takes courageous, decisive action.
- Systems Thinker – Thinks and acts strategically, leads change effectively, and balances the whole with the sum of its parts. Comfortable with complexity, demonstrates adaptability, and considers the “greater good”.
- Leads with Moral Authority – Worthy of respect, inspires confidence, and establishes quality standards for performance. Accepts and delegates responsibility, shares power and control, creates a culture of accountability.
As you contemplate your choices for elected office this August in the primaries and in November in the general election, I hope you base your choices on candidates that exhibit these qualities. And these aren’t qualities that only elected officials should exercise. Anyone in a leadership role, from boss to coach to church leader to parent to you name it, these are qualities that we should expect from everyone.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - June 2010
The 2010 Minnesota Legislative Session has come to an end and we are getting a pretty clear indication of the impacts will be for Anoka County in general and the Highway Department specifically. While I will be talking more about the impacts to our 2010 and 2011 budgets in next month’s newsletter, I would like to discuss some of the legislation that passed (or didn’t pass) that will have an impact on us here at the Anoka County Highway Department.
The Legislature acted early on a bonding bill this session, sending a bill with projects totaling nearly $1 billion to Governor Pawlenty. The Governor signed the bill but not before line item vetoing projects totaling $320M. Transportation related projects that affect Anoka County that were authorized include the following:
• Local Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation $66M
• Northstar Commuter Rail extension $1M
• Local Road Wetland Replacement $2.5M
Also, the bonding bill accelerated the sale of $100M in bonds authorized in FY2017 and $100M
authorized in FY2018 to FY2011 and FY2012 in order to speed up projects that otherwise would
have had to wait for funding.
In separate legislation, the Legislature authorized Mn/DOT to sell an additional $100M in trunk highway bonds in fiscal year 2011 with $70M designated for trunk highway interchanges (split evenly between Greater Minnesota and the metropolitan area) and $30M for new trunk highway construction.
Once again the importance of the recent passage of the MVST constitutional amendment was emphasized when the Legislature tackled the state’s budget deficit. Transportation funding received relatively modest cuts. As part of the compromise legislation to balance the state budget passed in the special session, Metropolitan Council bus transit operations were cut by $1.5M in FY10 and a little over $10M in FY11. In an earlier supplemental budget bill that the Governor signed into law last March, metro transit was cut by $12.9M in FY2011 with $7M of that cut being a one time cut and the rest is a reduction in the base level of funding.
TRANSPORTATION & RISK MANAGEMENT
An agreement was reached on the omnibus transportation policy bill that includes most of the provisions that were in the 2009 omnibus bill that was vetoed last year by Governor Pawlenty. The provisions that the Governor objected to were removed from the bill. There were several new provisions added as well. Some of the major provisions agreed to include the following:
• Increases from $600,000 to $1M the amount provided to the Minnesota grade crossing safety account, with a corresponding decrease in the amount provided to the trunk highway account.
• Exempts propane and heating oil haulers from seasonal weight exemptions under certain conditions.
• Modifies Mn/DOT’s mission and goals to make them more specific and measurable. The changes include direction to provide transit service in all counties in the state, ensuring that the state’s transportation infrastructure is maintained, reduced fatalities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the share of trips taken by transit and walking.
• Establishes a Minnesota Council on Transportation Access to make recommendations for improving transit access throughout the state.
• All new trunk highway bridge projects must include bicycle and pedestrian accommodations if both sides of the bridge are located in a city where the bridge links a trail or bikeway.
• Expands Mn/DOT’s authority to authorize use of shoulders on divided highways by transit buses throughout the state.
• Requires Mn/DOT to evaluate its disadvantaged business enterprise program and recommend necessary changes.
• Requires Mn/DOT to require standards for roundabout designs.
• Eliminates requirement that a property owner must be facing hardship circumstances to qualify for a loan under the right-of-way acquisition loan fund.
The omnibus transportation policy bill included a provision that requires Mn/DOT to establish a complete streets policy for Minnesota. It will apply to new Mn/DOT construction, reconstruction, and repaving projects. It will not require retrofits. Local governments are encouraged but not required to establish a complete street policy for their jurisdiction.
• A law was passed which reduces the interest rate on judgment and eminent domain awards against or for the state and local governments from 10% to 4% (for judgments in excess of $50,000 that are entered in property tax appeals and eminent domain proceedings).
Bills That Did Not Pass:
Anoka County, along with other local government organizations, was successful in defeating several bills that would have imposed new mandates and increased the costs of building and maintaining county and local transportation infrastructure including the following:
• A new requirement that recipients of state bonding projects (local governments) submit reports on the number of jobs created and the total number of hours worked by individuals from low income, rural areas and communities of color.
• A new requirement that Mn/DOT obtain highway and bridge prioritization reports from local governments regarding highway and bridge project requests.
• A DNR initiative that would allow money to be shifted from the state park road account to be used for public roads and trails in the park system for public safety and natural resource preservation.
• A proposal that would allow a landowner who has an easement on that person’s land as a result of the eminent domain process to pursue removal of the easement through the judicial process.
Two other bills that passed a policy committee but were not enacted were:
• A proposal that would allow counties to keep a portion of fines assessed for excess vehicle weight violations.
• A prohibition on the use of hand-held cell phones when operating a motor vehicle.
So you can see that it was a very busy session and one that will have impacts on transportation systems in Anoka County. But regardless of what was done or what wasn’t done, our Vision is unwavering:
Our Vision is to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
The Legislature acted early on a bonding bill this session, sending a bill with projects totaling nearly $1 billion to Governor Pawlenty. The Governor signed the bill but not before line item vetoing projects totaling $320M. Transportation related projects that affect Anoka County that were authorized include the following:
• Local Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation $66M
• Northstar Commuter Rail extension $1M
• Local Road Wetland Replacement $2.5M
Also, the bonding bill accelerated the sale of $100M in bonds authorized in FY2017 and $100M
authorized in FY2018 to FY2011 and FY2012 in order to speed up projects that otherwise would
have had to wait for funding.
In separate legislation, the Legislature authorized Mn/DOT to sell an additional $100M in trunk highway bonds in fiscal year 2011 with $70M designated for trunk highway interchanges (split evenly between Greater Minnesota and the metropolitan area) and $30M for new trunk highway construction.
Once again the importance of the recent passage of the MVST constitutional amendment was emphasized when the Legislature tackled the state’s budget deficit. Transportation funding received relatively modest cuts. As part of the compromise legislation to balance the state budget passed in the special session, Metropolitan Council bus transit operations were cut by $1.5M in FY10 and a little over $10M in FY11. In an earlier supplemental budget bill that the Governor signed into law last March, metro transit was cut by $12.9M in FY2011 with $7M of that cut being a one time cut and the rest is a reduction in the base level of funding.
TRANSPORTATION & RISK MANAGEMENT
An agreement was reached on the omnibus transportation policy bill that includes most of the provisions that were in the 2009 omnibus bill that was vetoed last year by Governor Pawlenty. The provisions that the Governor objected to were removed from the bill. There were several new provisions added as well. Some of the major provisions agreed to include the following:
• Increases from $600,000 to $1M the amount provided to the Minnesota grade crossing safety account, with a corresponding decrease in the amount provided to the trunk highway account.
• Exempts propane and heating oil haulers from seasonal weight exemptions under certain conditions.
• Modifies Mn/DOT’s mission and goals to make them more specific and measurable. The changes include direction to provide transit service in all counties in the state, ensuring that the state’s transportation infrastructure is maintained, reduced fatalities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the share of trips taken by transit and walking.
• Establishes a Minnesota Council on Transportation Access to make recommendations for improving transit access throughout the state.
• All new trunk highway bridge projects must include bicycle and pedestrian accommodations if both sides of the bridge are located in a city where the bridge links a trail or bikeway.
• Expands Mn/DOT’s authority to authorize use of shoulders on divided highways by transit buses throughout the state.
• Requires Mn/DOT to evaluate its disadvantaged business enterprise program and recommend necessary changes.
• Requires Mn/DOT to require standards for roundabout designs.
• Eliminates requirement that a property owner must be facing hardship circumstances to qualify for a loan under the right-of-way acquisition loan fund.
The omnibus transportation policy bill included a provision that requires Mn/DOT to establish a complete streets policy for Minnesota. It will apply to new Mn/DOT construction, reconstruction, and repaving projects. It will not require retrofits. Local governments are encouraged but not required to establish a complete street policy for their jurisdiction.
• A law was passed which reduces the interest rate on judgment and eminent domain awards against or for the state and local governments from 10% to 4% (for judgments in excess of $50,000 that are entered in property tax appeals and eminent domain proceedings).
Bills That Did Not Pass:
Anoka County, along with other local government organizations, was successful in defeating several bills that would have imposed new mandates and increased the costs of building and maintaining county and local transportation infrastructure including the following:
• A new requirement that recipients of state bonding projects (local governments) submit reports on the number of jobs created and the total number of hours worked by individuals from low income, rural areas and communities of color.
• A new requirement that Mn/DOT obtain highway and bridge prioritization reports from local governments regarding highway and bridge project requests.
• A DNR initiative that would allow money to be shifted from the state park road account to be used for public roads and trails in the park system for public safety and natural resource preservation.
• A proposal that would allow a landowner who has an easement on that person’s land as a result of the eminent domain process to pursue removal of the easement through the judicial process.
Two other bills that passed a policy committee but were not enacted were:
• A proposal that would allow counties to keep a portion of fines assessed for excess vehicle weight violations.
• A prohibition on the use of hand-held cell phones when operating a motor vehicle.
So you can see that it was a very busy session and one that will have impacts on transportation systems in Anoka County. But regardless of what was done or what wasn’t done, our Vision is unwavering:
Our Vision is to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - May 2010
Can you feel it? You can’t see it, smell it, or touch it but can you feel it? It’s invisible yet heavy enough to crush your spirit and ruin your health. What am I talking about? Stress. The world has changed and I’m talking about everything – economy, work, family, recreation – everything. Sometimes it feels as if there is no relief in sight. Yet many people are moving forward without breaking from the rivet busting stress they’re under. How do they do it? I ran across the following list from Will Marre that identifies eight things that modern day successful persons do to keep positive, creative and collaborative.
So what’s the best thing we can do? Take back our life. It’s way too precious to waste.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
- Gratitude. New brain research is clear that counting our blessings stimulates both positive electrical (nerve) energy and chemical highs (hormones) that stimulate optimism. According to Dr. Jim Loehr the most powerful way to practice gratitude is to stop, think, feel and write. He suggests keeping a gratitude journal to write down whatever we’re grateful for. The act of writing cements the feeling so we maximize the benefit. Feel your gratitude.
- Reflection. Productive people produce what they value. It isn’t the volume of work they produce; it’s the valued impact of their work that matters. As we get hypnotized by deadlines and the choking torrent of emails, texts and conference calls we lose our will to say no or even nothing at all. What stirs our resolve to do things that matter is to daily reflect on what our best contribution is. Deep breathing combined with “What’s the most important thing I can do today?” question aimed at domains of our career, relationships and lifestyle keeps us at the top of our game. What do you really, really desire?
- Self-Select Our Goals. We are bombarded by other people’s urgencies. Some we cannot ignore. But many others tempt us because they present problems we know how to solve. And successful problem solving makes us feel valued. But much of the time we’re just being used. Saying no to other people’s urgencies to create time to invest in our important goals will create far more value for you and others. We’re not other people’s maids. We need to train them to clean up their own messes. Choose your goals.
- Proactive Time Blocks. In the new book, Making Ideas Happen (Portfolio 2010), researcher Scott Belsky tells that super creative people construct multi-hour blocks of uninterrupted time to study, digest and create opportunities, leapfrog problems, gain insights and direction unavailable if we only have our heads down pulling stone blocks to the pyramids. Create regularly scheduled creative time.
- Reactive Time Blocks. We all swim in an electric storm of emails, texts and tweets. Belsky tells us that the hyper-productive stars of creative businesses like Google and Disney manage all the traffic with daily “power hours” where 30 minutes in the mid-morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon are dedicated to responding. Many of these people’s main work area doesn’t include their computer which receives email. That’s on another table away from their real work. Barricade yourself from unwanted, unnecessary interruptions.
- Short Deadline. Another trick creatives have found accelerates good work is to break big jobs down into short deadlines and mini projects. Short deadlines cause you to think clearly. You ignore the extraneous and get to what matters. Change your deadlines to one hour, one day, one week.
- Choose – Act – Adapt. We never have all the information we need. Work is like an active battlefield with conditions changing faster than a teenager’s plans. So make a choice. Get started, learn what you need to learn and adapt your responses to what’s working. Plans are just predictions. And now we’re all like the weatherman. We don’t know what next week will bring. Thinking we do is fatal. Just start. Now.
- Over-Invest In Your “Best 7”. We can only have 7 “real” relationships at a time. Social research is clear that what it takes to create trust and intimacy with other humans consumes our mental and emotional bandwidth in big chunks. The limit of human intimacy where emotional honesty is high, defensiveness is low and trust is delicious is 7 people at most. Recently Harvard researchers learned 25% of adults have zero trusted friends. Zero. Okay that’s bad. What makes life worth living is what makes life worth loving. But trust and intimacy doesn’t come without investing our time and fully present attention in those we value and who can reciprocate. Call your best friend now, set up a time to meet this week. Relax. Waste some time together.
So what’s the best thing we can do? Take back our life. It’s way too precious to waste.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - April 2010
My family had Chinese carryout the other day and while we were eating our fortune cookies, my youngest daughter handed me her fortune which said, “The road to success is always under construction.” After I got over the fact that she got the cool highway related fortune and I got some lame, trivial one, I got to thinking more about her fortune: “The road to success is always under construction.” Hmmmm.
By now it is no surprise that I’m an ardent student of leadership and success. I read all that I can get my hands on regarding the subject. From politicians, to business executives, to athletes, to popes; I love to read about success and leadership. In all of these readings, I do find one common thread: continual learning and self-improvement. I have never read a book where someone has said, “I know it all and there’s nothing else to learn!”
Harvey Mackay, the great local business leader and author of Swimming with the Sharks has an admitted 20 or so “coaches” in his life. From speech coach to tennis coach and everything in between, he is in a constant state of learning. Continual self-improvement. “The road to success is always under construction.”
John C. Maxwell, the pre-eminent author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership has come out with a 10th anniversary edition of the book that adds another two chapters (laws), has six chapters that are 50% revised, and five chapters that are 75% revised! And this is from the world renowned expert on the subject? Continual learning. “The road to success is always under construction.”
Robin Sharma, author of The Leader Who Had No Title has identified The 7 Fundamentals of Personal Leadership that I would like to share with you:
1. Learning. Read from books that will inspire you, strengthen your character and remind you of the examples of the greatest leaders of our world. Also, listen to audiobooks on subjects ranging from businesses excellence, team building and innovation to wellness, relationships and personal motivation.
2. Affirmations. One of the single best ways to re-script limiting beliefs and failure programs within your mind is through the consistent repetition of positive statements about the leader you want to become and the achievements you commit to create. For example, reciting the affirmation “Today I am focused, excellent and stunningly passionate in all I do” a number of times at the beginning of your day will create the mindset of a champion and a winning emotional state for you.
3. Visualization. The mind works through pictures. All outer achievements begin within the mind. All progress is nothing more than invisible creative made visible. So during your personal leadership hour, make time to close your eyes and-like any good elite athlete does-envision yourself realizing your goals, playing at your best and fully awakening your inner leader.
4. Journaling. Writing in a journal is a remarkably strong way to become a clearer thinker, to build massive amounts of self-awareness and to record your intended outcomes. During your hour of personal development, note your insights, feelings, hopes and dreams. Also process through any frustrations you might be experiencing and go deep into your fears. Your journal is also a place to express gratitude for all you have and to memorialize your journey through life.
5. Goal-Setting. Setting and then reconnecting with your goals on a regular basis is a powerful success discipline. Goals generate hope and positive energy. And when you experience adversity-and we all do from time to time-clearly articulated goals offer you a North Star to guide you out of the rough seas into calmer waters.
6. Exercise. Remember that doing something physical each day boosts brain function, fuels far higher energy levels, helps you manage stress more effectively and keeps you in the game longer.
7. Nutrition. What you eat determines how well you’ll perform. Leadership is influenced by your diet. By eating like a winner, your energy will remain at peak and your moods will stay positive. Please also remember that by eating less food, you’ll be able to do better work.
None of these fundamentals come all by themselves. They take work. They take effort. And the journey never ends – there is always room for more learning, more self-improvement. But this is not a bad thing, but a very healthy and optimistic outlook. After all, “The road to success is always under construction.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
By now it is no surprise that I’m an ardent student of leadership and success. I read all that I can get my hands on regarding the subject. From politicians, to business executives, to athletes, to popes; I love to read about success and leadership. In all of these readings, I do find one common thread: continual learning and self-improvement. I have never read a book where someone has said, “I know it all and there’s nothing else to learn!”
Harvey Mackay, the great local business leader and author of Swimming with the Sharks has an admitted 20 or so “coaches” in his life. From speech coach to tennis coach and everything in between, he is in a constant state of learning. Continual self-improvement. “The road to success is always under construction.”
John C. Maxwell, the pre-eminent author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership has come out with a 10th anniversary edition of the book that adds another two chapters (laws), has six chapters that are 50% revised, and five chapters that are 75% revised! And this is from the world renowned expert on the subject? Continual learning. “The road to success is always under construction.”
Robin Sharma, author of The Leader Who Had No Title has identified The 7 Fundamentals of Personal Leadership that I would like to share with you:
1. Learning. Read from books that will inspire you, strengthen your character and remind you of the examples of the greatest leaders of our world. Also, listen to audiobooks on subjects ranging from businesses excellence, team building and innovation to wellness, relationships and personal motivation.
2. Affirmations. One of the single best ways to re-script limiting beliefs and failure programs within your mind is through the consistent repetition of positive statements about the leader you want to become and the achievements you commit to create. For example, reciting the affirmation “Today I am focused, excellent and stunningly passionate in all I do” a number of times at the beginning of your day will create the mindset of a champion and a winning emotional state for you.
3. Visualization. The mind works through pictures. All outer achievements begin within the mind. All progress is nothing more than invisible creative made visible. So during your personal leadership hour, make time to close your eyes and-like any good elite athlete does-envision yourself realizing your goals, playing at your best and fully awakening your inner leader.
4. Journaling. Writing in a journal is a remarkably strong way to become a clearer thinker, to build massive amounts of self-awareness and to record your intended outcomes. During your hour of personal development, note your insights, feelings, hopes and dreams. Also process through any frustrations you might be experiencing and go deep into your fears. Your journal is also a place to express gratitude for all you have and to memorialize your journey through life.
5. Goal-Setting. Setting and then reconnecting with your goals on a regular basis is a powerful success discipline. Goals generate hope and positive energy. And when you experience adversity-and we all do from time to time-clearly articulated goals offer you a North Star to guide you out of the rough seas into calmer waters.
6. Exercise. Remember that doing something physical each day boosts brain function, fuels far higher energy levels, helps you manage stress more effectively and keeps you in the game longer.
7. Nutrition. What you eat determines how well you’ll perform. Leadership is influenced by your diet. By eating like a winner, your energy will remain at peak and your moods will stay positive. Please also remember that by eating less food, you’ll be able to do better work.
None of these fundamentals come all by themselves. They take work. They take effort. And the journey never ends – there is always room for more learning, more self-improvement. But this is not a bad thing, but a very healthy and optimistic outlook. After all, “The road to success is always under construction.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - March 2010
“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Who hasn’t heard this famous quote by George Santayana? I bet we all have in one form or another. Too bad the economy hasn’t learned this lesson. It seems that about every 7 years or so we are in the midst of another economic downturn that places burdens on our way of doing business here at the Highway Department. I remember the one when I started in 1991, then again in the late 1990’s, around 2003 and again now. What makes this downturn a little more severe is its intensity and potential duration. We started cutting budgets last year, are in the process of reducing this year’s budget, and can expect to carry these cuts forward into next year and beyond.
Here’s where we’re at and why:
In response to the State budget shortfall, the Governor is proposing an additional $6 million on top of the $3.2 million unallotment announced earlier, for a total of $9.2 million in 2010. The Governor has also proposed an additional unallotment of $2.7 million in 2011. Bottom line? Anoka’s County Program Aid is proposed go from a certified $16.78 million for 2010 down to the Governor’s budget proposal of $4.8 million for 2011 and beyond (almost $12 million less).
There is some good news. Our 2010 budget was put together anticipating the $3.2 million cut, so, we only have to deal with the additional $6 million this year. Also, the Legislature has not acted on this yet, so we are hopeful the final outcome will improve. But based upon the downward trend in County Program Aid from 2008 to 2011, we can assume these cuts are permanent. The end result is that the county is looking to identify $6 million of cuts to the 2010 budget. The permanent nature of the reductions dictates that the cuts must come from reductions in service and staff, cost savings if possible, and increased revenue which is assumed to be permanent.
With regards to the impacts this has on the Highway Department budget, if we are asked to cut our proportional share based on the percent of the county levy that is allocated to the Highway Department, we are being asked to cut over $700,000. As noted above, these cuts are not to be made on items that would only defer a problem (such as delaying a road reconstruction project) but should be on items that are non-essential to our core business.
How do we know what is essential and what isn’t? This is where I will be turning to the values, vision and mission that we worked so hard on several years ago. Remember the famous quote by John F. Kennedy, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” Fortunately, we engaged in fixing the roof prior to this economic collapse and now we are positioned to use these principles to guide us through our budget cutting process. For most of us we have been through this before and this experience has prepared us for today. As David C. McCullough stated, “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.”
Through our experience in dealing with this situation and by utilizing our principles in identifying our core services to the public, I am confident that we will do what is necessary and bring our budget in line with expectations while still meeting the our vision “To enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Here’s where we’re at and why:
In response to the State budget shortfall, the Governor is proposing an additional $6 million on top of the $3.2 million unallotment announced earlier, for a total of $9.2 million in 2010. The Governor has also proposed an additional unallotment of $2.7 million in 2011. Bottom line? Anoka’s County Program Aid is proposed go from a certified $16.78 million for 2010 down to the Governor’s budget proposal of $4.8 million for 2011 and beyond (almost $12 million less).
There is some good news. Our 2010 budget was put together anticipating the $3.2 million cut, so, we only have to deal with the additional $6 million this year. Also, the Legislature has not acted on this yet, so we are hopeful the final outcome will improve. But based upon the downward trend in County Program Aid from 2008 to 2011, we can assume these cuts are permanent. The end result is that the county is looking to identify $6 million of cuts to the 2010 budget. The permanent nature of the reductions dictates that the cuts must come from reductions in service and staff, cost savings if possible, and increased revenue which is assumed to be permanent.
With regards to the impacts this has on the Highway Department budget, if we are asked to cut our proportional share based on the percent of the county levy that is allocated to the Highway Department, we are being asked to cut over $700,000. As noted above, these cuts are not to be made on items that would only defer a problem (such as delaying a road reconstruction project) but should be on items that are non-essential to our core business.
How do we know what is essential and what isn’t? This is where I will be turning to the values, vision and mission that we worked so hard on several years ago. Remember the famous quote by John F. Kennedy, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” Fortunately, we engaged in fixing the roof prior to this economic collapse and now we are positioned to use these principles to guide us through our budget cutting process. For most of us we have been through this before and this experience has prepared us for today. As David C. McCullough stated, “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.”
Through our experience in dealing with this situation and by utilizing our principles in identifying our core services to the public, I am confident that we will do what is necessary and bring our budget in line with expectations while still meeting the our vision “To enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - February 2010
If you’re like me, you are still commiserating over the Vikings loss to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game. While we won’t be discussing our chances to win a Super Bowl, we still have plenty to talk about including whether or not Brett Favre will be coming back to play another season for the Vikings. Speaking of Brett Favre, we are faced with the dilemma of having a gunslinger for a quarterback. Sure he got us to the verge of another Super Bowl trip but he certainly also was part of the reason we not there as well.
So what can we learn from this enigma called Brett Favre? According to Mark Batterson, guest columnist of the Christian Post, he notes the following “Leadership Lessons from Brett Favre”:
1) Slap your teammates on the butt.
No one does it better than Favre. Great leaders are great encouragers! They go around slapping people on the butt, figuratively speaking of course! Love the way he head butts his lineman too. Again, I would practice this one figuratively!
2) Call an audible.
On this one I'd say that the only quarterback who is better at it than Favre is Peyton Manning. Great leaders recognize when there are eight men in the box and they need to audible to a quick slant or screen pass. Leadership is not static. It takes all factors into consideration. It is the ability to process a ton of information in a short amount of time and make a good quick decision!
3) Throw a block downfield
One of the things I love about Favre is that he's not afraid to throw a block for his teammates. Quarterbacks don't do that. Favre does. Great leaders are great servants. They set the example they want others to follow.
4) Laugh in the locker room.
No one has more fun than Favre. Plays the game like a kid. Anybody see his rendition of Pants on the Ground after the game? Gotta love it. I think laughter is so critical to leadership longevity, especially in ministry! There's lots of crying so you need to counterbalance it with lots of laughing!
5) Huddle Up
Favre exudes confidence when he's in the game. You're never out of it with the old gunslinger in your huddle. I think great leaders build the confidence of those around them. Love the way Drew Brees does this in New Orleans too! Amazing pre-game chants!
6) Keep Watching Game Film
Favre has played the game for eighteen seasons, but he puts in the time watching game films. After every series you can see him coaching his young receivers and looking at pictures from the coaches booth. Leaders keep learning and keep teaching!
7) Don't be afraid of throwing interceptions.
Favre had his career-best when it came to interceptions this season, but he holds the all-time interception record. Lesson? If you want to hold the record for most touchdown passes you're probably going to throw some interceptions along the way! Great leaders aren't afraid of making mistakes. They're afraid of missing opportunities! Win or lose, they leave it all on the field.
Watching the Super Bowl this year just isn’t going to be as much fun without the Purple in it, and we will be in suspense until Favre makes his decision to play with the Vikings or not, but if we keep in mind the way he played and the leadership lessons that he invoked, we can all be winners!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
So what can we learn from this enigma called Brett Favre? According to Mark Batterson, guest columnist of the Christian Post, he notes the following “Leadership Lessons from Brett Favre”:
1) Slap your teammates on the butt.
No one does it better than Favre. Great leaders are great encouragers! They go around slapping people on the butt, figuratively speaking of course! Love the way he head butts his lineman too. Again, I would practice this one figuratively!
2) Call an audible.
On this one I'd say that the only quarterback who is better at it than Favre is Peyton Manning. Great leaders recognize when there are eight men in the box and they need to audible to a quick slant or screen pass. Leadership is not static. It takes all factors into consideration. It is the ability to process a ton of information in a short amount of time and make a good quick decision!
3) Throw a block downfield
One of the things I love about Favre is that he's not afraid to throw a block for his teammates. Quarterbacks don't do that. Favre does. Great leaders are great servants. They set the example they want others to follow.
4) Laugh in the locker room.
No one has more fun than Favre. Plays the game like a kid. Anybody see his rendition of Pants on the Ground after the game? Gotta love it. I think laughter is so critical to leadership longevity, especially in ministry! There's lots of crying so you need to counterbalance it with lots of laughing!
5) Huddle Up
Favre exudes confidence when he's in the game. You're never out of it with the old gunslinger in your huddle. I think great leaders build the confidence of those around them. Love the way Drew Brees does this in New Orleans too! Amazing pre-game chants!
6) Keep Watching Game Film
Favre has played the game for eighteen seasons, but he puts in the time watching game films. After every series you can see him coaching his young receivers and looking at pictures from the coaches booth. Leaders keep learning and keep teaching!
7) Don't be afraid of throwing interceptions.
Favre had his career-best when it came to interceptions this season, but he holds the all-time interception record. Lesson? If you want to hold the record for most touchdown passes you're probably going to throw some interceptions along the way! Great leaders aren't afraid of making mistakes. They're afraid of missing opportunities! Win or lose, they leave it all on the field.
Watching the Super Bowl this year just isn’t going to be as much fun without the Purple in it, and we will be in suspense until Favre makes his decision to play with the Vikings or not, but if we keep in mind the way he played and the leadership lessons that he invoked, we can all be winners!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - January 2010
By now you should all realize that I subscribe to the leadership and personal management ideals of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In my readings on this subject, I came across Will Marre, founder of The American Dream Project. Will Marre has been a leadership consultant for 25 years. Over 20 years ago he recruited Stephen Covey to leave his university and bring the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to the public. For seven years he ran the company that later became the largest private leadership training company in the world. Together they brought the 7 Habits to the world.
The American Dream Project is driven to change the way we work, live and lead with the essential ideal that America is to bring the greatest opportunity for happiness and the least suffering to the most people. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are more than words. They comprise of the most noble human purpose any nation has yet seen conceived. I was moved by a recent article that Mr. Marre wrote and I would like to share it with you as we enter not only a new year, but a new decade.
An excerpt by Will Marre of The American Dream Project:
As we are thrust into a new decade, it’s tempting to focus on our frustrations, fears and uncertain times. Many have had a very tough year. Some even tragic. It’s easy to get red-hot angry over politics, special interests, jobs, taxes or people who hate so much they light themselves on fire in airplanes headed for Detroit. And if the big picture issues don’t light your fuse there is plenty of personal drama to frustrate us. Relationship problems, career dissatisfaction, debt and job uncertainty are all plagues that give us chills and fever throughout our lives like some seasonal flu. Except this year the financial and emotional flu has been epidemic.
So what should we do? Deepen our focus on our dreams! No, I am not kidding. The best way of overcoming anger, frustration or a sense of drifting in a rubber raft swirling in a toilet bowl is to:
Many, many people I’ve coached or counseled over the past decades are too confused about their life, jobs or relationships to know what they most deeply desire. As one 40-year-old hard charging V.P. put it two weeks ago, “I wonder if what I’ve become is simply the result of trying to fulfill the expectations of others.”
“Well stop,” I said. “If you even have those thoughts you are probably over busy achieving someone else’s goals.” I know from experience that does not produce inner satisfaction or take you where you want to go. I have worked with scores of people who focused their lives on meaningless work and made foolish sacrifices in hopes their stock options would become worth something or they would please an unpleasable manipulator only to be slammed with being laid off, betrayed or discarded. Our world responds to people who are clear on what they most deeply desire. I don’t mean relief from stress or a life of ease. I mean something much more important.
Just imagine for a minute that your design, your traits, talents and track record of success (experience), are all perfectly aligned to support you in pursuing the life you will find most fulfilling. What if the biggest positive difference you can make for others is also the most satisfying thing you can do for your own happiness? What if you could change your life right now to accelerate your progress toward both self-determination and beneficial impact on others?
Well now is the time to act on those questions. This past year I have witnessed a torrential flood of injustice as greed soaked bankers and self-absorbed politicians destroyed the economy, evaporated life savings and wiped out jobs like a hoard of barbarians trampling peasants. This has produced individual and family tragedy in the millions as hard working responsible people have lost their way of life, their assets and their future through no fault of their own. Meanwhile these bankers who sold the world valueless loan derivatives are currently enjoying a distribution of 14 billion dollars in bonuses.
But my point is simply this. We need, all of us, to make ourselves less vulnerable to the “man” in 2010. All of us have dreams. It’s time to wisely pursue them. If the world is going to change it’s because we, you and I, change it. Our choices as consumers, workers, parents, students all matter. Most of all, I believe each of us has a Promise to keep. That Promise is the difference our life can make. Who and how we love makes a difference. How and for what we work makes a difference. How and where we live makes a difference. It’s past time to choose the best life we can imagine and begin to live it. The question before us is what can we do now to insure that by this time next year we will be much further down our road of destiny instead of sidetracked in a snake filled jungle controlled by others hoping to be rescued.
Stop doing things you know you should stop. Change is not hard. It’s deciding to change that is.
Listen to the voice of your own soul. Get clarity on what your soul desires for your relationships, your work and your lifestyle. That’s your Promise. Commit to it.
Start. Imagine the best thing you can do today and just start doing it. When you change your world, the world changes.
I look forward to all of your world changing actions!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
The American Dream Project is driven to change the way we work, live and lead with the essential ideal that America is to bring the greatest opportunity for happiness and the least suffering to the most people. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are more than words. They comprise of the most noble human purpose any nation has yet seen conceived. I was moved by a recent article that Mr. Marre wrote and I would like to share it with you as we enter not only a new year, but a new decade.
An excerpt by Will Marre of The American Dream Project:
As we are thrust into a new decade, it’s tempting to focus on our frustrations, fears and uncertain times. Many have had a very tough year. Some even tragic. It’s easy to get red-hot angry over politics, special interests, jobs, taxes or people who hate so much they light themselves on fire in airplanes headed for Detroit. And if the big picture issues don’t light your fuse there is plenty of personal drama to frustrate us. Relationship problems, career dissatisfaction, debt and job uncertainty are all plagues that give us chills and fever throughout our lives like some seasonal flu. Except this year the financial and emotional flu has been epidemic.
So what should we do? Deepen our focus on our dreams! No, I am not kidding. The best way of overcoming anger, frustration or a sense of drifting in a rubber raft swirling in a toilet bowl is to:
- Get clear on our soul’s desire.
- Engage our design to go after our desire.
- Ignite the energy of our most noble drives to keep us fired up against setbacks, obstacles or fatigue.
Many, many people I’ve coached or counseled over the past decades are too confused about their life, jobs or relationships to know what they most deeply desire. As one 40-year-old hard charging V.P. put it two weeks ago, “I wonder if what I’ve become is simply the result of trying to fulfill the expectations of others.”
“Well stop,” I said. “If you even have those thoughts you are probably over busy achieving someone else’s goals.” I know from experience that does not produce inner satisfaction or take you where you want to go. I have worked with scores of people who focused their lives on meaningless work and made foolish sacrifices in hopes their stock options would become worth something or they would please an unpleasable manipulator only to be slammed with being laid off, betrayed or discarded. Our world responds to people who are clear on what they most deeply desire. I don’t mean relief from stress or a life of ease. I mean something much more important.
Just imagine for a minute that your design, your traits, talents and track record of success (experience), are all perfectly aligned to support you in pursuing the life you will find most fulfilling. What if the biggest positive difference you can make for others is also the most satisfying thing you can do for your own happiness? What if you could change your life right now to accelerate your progress toward both self-determination and beneficial impact on others?
Well now is the time to act on those questions. This past year I have witnessed a torrential flood of injustice as greed soaked bankers and self-absorbed politicians destroyed the economy, evaporated life savings and wiped out jobs like a hoard of barbarians trampling peasants. This has produced individual and family tragedy in the millions as hard working responsible people have lost their way of life, their assets and their future through no fault of their own. Meanwhile these bankers who sold the world valueless loan derivatives are currently enjoying a distribution of 14 billion dollars in bonuses.
But my point is simply this. We need, all of us, to make ourselves less vulnerable to the “man” in 2010. All of us have dreams. It’s time to wisely pursue them. If the world is going to change it’s because we, you and I, change it. Our choices as consumers, workers, parents, students all matter. Most of all, I believe each of us has a Promise to keep. That Promise is the difference our life can make. Who and how we love makes a difference. How and for what we work makes a difference. How and where we live makes a difference. It’s past time to choose the best life we can imagine and begin to live it. The question before us is what can we do now to insure that by this time next year we will be much further down our road of destiny instead of sidetracked in a snake filled jungle controlled by others hoping to be rescued.
Stop doing things you know you should stop. Change is not hard. It’s deciding to change that is.
Listen to the voice of your own soul. Get clarity on what your soul desires for your relationships, your work and your lifestyle. That’s your Promise. Commit to it.
Start. Imagine the best thing you can do today and just start doing it. When you change your world, the world changes.
I look forward to all of your world changing actions!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - December 2009
As 2009 comes to an end, let me take this opportunity to congratulate everyone on another very successful year here at the Highway Department. Just take a minute to look at our “compelling scoreboard” mounted in our front hallway and see all of the goals that were accomplished by all of the various sections within the department – it’s quite the list! Remember, these were goals proposed by the various sections as high priority goals for this year.
As we begin to wrap up 2009, I want to take a few minutes to encourage you to start planning for 2010, not only for work related goals but personal ones too. The end of the year is a natural time to consider where you are, what you’ve accomplished, and, most important, what you want to accomplish in 2010—and beyond. In last month’s article I talked about the advantages of leading a goal oriented life. This month I would like to offer some ways to put this into action.
Erin Casey is Editor of SUCCESS for Women magazine. Here are a few tips that she offers on how to make this the year that you achieve your goals:
There it is - the formula for success for a fabulous 2010. Here’s wishing all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
As we begin to wrap up 2009, I want to take a few minutes to encourage you to start planning for 2010, not only for work related goals but personal ones too. The end of the year is a natural time to consider where you are, what you’ve accomplished, and, most important, what you want to accomplish in 2010—and beyond. In last month’s article I talked about the advantages of leading a goal oriented life. This month I would like to offer some ways to put this into action.
Erin Casey is Editor of SUCCESS for Women magazine. Here are a few tips that she offers on how to make this the year that you achieve your goals:
- Write it down. Before you can achieve your goals, you have to know what they are. Motivation expert Zig Ziglar recommends keeping a list of goals in a notebook. Start by writing down everything you want to do, be or have. Then, narrow down the list by order of importance based on what you want to do, be or have this year.
- Make sure it’s your goal. In Put Your Dream to the Test, John C. Maxwell comments that a dream or a goal that isn’t yours is not likely to bring success or fulfillment. List the reasons you want to accomplish your goal—are they your reasons? For example, if you want to stop smoking because your children want you to or your doctor says you should, it’s not your goal. Test the goal, and understand why you want it. If you are committed to a healthier, prolonged life expectancy because it’s what you want, you are much more likely to break your smoking habit.
- Keep it visible. Once you have a clear list of what you want to accomplish, keep it in your wallet, on your bathroom mirror, and taped to your monitor or car’s sun visor. Seeing your goals in print every day helps you put the Law of Attraction to work for you by keeping you focused on what you want.
- Take baby steps. Experts agree that rather than making grandiose resolutions, success ensues when we commit to creating new habits. Celebrity personal trainer and best-selling author Bob Greene says consistency is the key. “When you are consistent, you can change your life in a big way. Powerful change comes with small changes.” That advice rings as true to establishing health habits as it does to building wealth and improving relationships.
- Remember, do-overs are allowed. Perfection doesn’t exist. It’s human nature to slip into old habits, but it’s important not to allow temporary setbacks to become permanent. One impulsive credit card purchase doesn’t have to lead to an extended spending spree. An unhealthy midday snack doesn’t have to ruin your plans for a healthy dinner. Reread your goal list to remind yourself of what’s important. Then give yourself a no-guilt do-over, and let your next decision be one that moves you in the direction you really want to go.
- Don’t stop! Even as you make plans for next year’s success, don’t give up on your 2009 goals. What can you do today to move you closer to your definition of success? We all still have time to make progress on, if not complete, the projects or goals we outlined at the beginning of the year. Buckle down for a strong finish!
There it is - the formula for success for a fabulous 2010. Here’s wishing all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - October / November 2009
Today it seems like everything is spinning out of control and the best you can hope to do is to hang on for dear life and hope you’re able to ride out the storm. But what if there was a way to grab life by the reins and take 100 percent control of your life? Would you do it?
Darren Hardy, Publisher and Editorial Director of Success magazine recently remarked about the time when he was invited to a seminar that flipped on the light switch of his potential and the principles that he learned that day that changed his life forever. The topic was responsibility and accountability, and they were discussing relationships in particular. The question was asked, “In a relationship, what is the percentage of shared responsibility in making the relationship work?” Hardy thought he had all the answers so he blurted out, “50/50!” The look on the instructor’s face made it evident that was incorrect. Someone else said 51/49, and explained you have to be willing to do just a little bit more than the other person. Someone else said 80/20. Finally, the instructor turned to the easel and wrote 100/0 and explained, “You have to be willing to give 100 percent with zero expectation of receiving anything in return. Only when you are willing to take 100 percent responsibility for making the relationship work, will it work. Otherwise, the relationship left to chance will always be vulnerable to disaster.”
This concept is true for every area of your life. You are always in 100 percent control and have 100 percent responsibility for everything that has occurred in your life as a result of your actions and inactions. And no matter what has happened to you, you still have 100 percent responsibility for your reactions.
When you embrace this concept, your life will never be the same. Then no matter who is president, who is governor, what happens to the economy, what anybody said, or did or didn’t do, you will still be 100 percent in control. Only then will you truly be liberated from mental and emotional victimhood.
Sitting on the couch watching TV and wishing you had more money, better relationships and a more fulfilling career isn’t going to change anything until you take 100 percent responsibility and get control of your situation. In my opening paragraph I posed the question that if there was a way to grab control of your life would you do it?
Take responsibility, take action and live the life that you’ve always imagined!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Darren Hardy, Publisher and Editorial Director of Success magazine recently remarked about the time when he was invited to a seminar that flipped on the light switch of his potential and the principles that he learned that day that changed his life forever. The topic was responsibility and accountability, and they were discussing relationships in particular. The question was asked, “In a relationship, what is the percentage of shared responsibility in making the relationship work?” Hardy thought he had all the answers so he blurted out, “50/50!” The look on the instructor’s face made it evident that was incorrect. Someone else said 51/49, and explained you have to be willing to do just a little bit more than the other person. Someone else said 80/20. Finally, the instructor turned to the easel and wrote 100/0 and explained, “You have to be willing to give 100 percent with zero expectation of receiving anything in return. Only when you are willing to take 100 percent responsibility for making the relationship work, will it work. Otherwise, the relationship left to chance will always be vulnerable to disaster.”
This concept is true for every area of your life. You are always in 100 percent control and have 100 percent responsibility for everything that has occurred in your life as a result of your actions and inactions. And no matter what has happened to you, you still have 100 percent responsibility for your reactions.
When you embrace this concept, your life will never be the same. Then no matter who is president, who is governor, what happens to the economy, what anybody said, or did or didn’t do, you will still be 100 percent in control. Only then will you truly be liberated from mental and emotional victimhood.
Sitting on the couch watching TV and wishing you had more money, better relationships and a more fulfilling career isn’t going to change anything until you take 100 percent responsibility and get control of your situation. In my opening paragraph I posed the question that if there was a way to grab control of your life would you do it?
Take responsibility, take action and live the life that you’ve always imagined!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - August / September 2009
Once again it’s time to prepare an article for this month’s edition of the Centerline newsletter. Usually I try to hit on some hot topic or current event and translate it into what’s happening here at the Highway Department. In looking at the past month or so, there’s a whole plethora of news and activities. Instead of hitting on just one topic, I thought I’d address several new events.
First, earlier this month MnDOT came out with their new Minnesota Statewide Transportation Policy Plan: 2009-2028. Over the next 20 years, MnDOT plans to invest $15 billion in highways and bridges. This sounds pretty impressive until you realize that over this same period MnDOT actually has an investment need of $65 billion dollars – that’s a whopping $50 billion shortfall! Even though 78% of the $15 billion investment will be on preservation projects (not new construction or expansion), the number of miles with “poor” pavement condition ratings will nearly triple in the next 10 years from 600 miles to 1,600 miles. You don’t even want to know what’s going to happen to congestion in the metro area. Bold and innovative transportation funding mechanisms will need to be implemented to address this $50 billion gap. To put the size of this “gap” into perspective, to meet just 5% of this funding gap ($2.5 billion), it would require the collection of a new 12.5 cent gas tax increase for ten years!
We are going to need bold and decisive legislation to make this happen. We can neither tax our way out of this mess nor can we not tax our way out of this. The bottom line is their needs to be more money invested in transportation, so we either need to raise more revenues (tax) or cut other programs (sacred cows). A polarized, “it’s my way or the highway” policy won’t cut it anymore. What happened to vigorous debate and compromise anyways? Which brings me to my second thought of the day: What happened to civil discourse on contentious issues? What am I talking about? Just listen to a few minutes of the town hall meetings congress is having on the national health care issue. Pretty sad actually. It doesn’t have to be about big issues like this either. You will see this type of obnoxious behavior any time we propose a median across someone’s driveway or side street! Now I don’t mind someone being a strong advocate for their cause. But at the end of the day both sides of the issue need to come together and hammer out a reasonable solution. Name calling, finger pointing and other immature actions won’t get the people’s business done. There are no easy answers and we need the right people in office who can make the tough decisions. The historical record revealed by the recent passing of Senator Ted Kennedy exemplified a person who had a very hard lean to one side of an issue, but that did not preclude him from getting some very important legislation enacted into law – many laws co-sponsored by his “adversaries” which leaned the other way. Keep an open mind. Discuss but don’t argue. (Making your point louder doesn’t make it better.) It is the mark of a superior mind to be able to disagree without being disagreeable. Doing nothing is no longer acceptable.
My final reflection this month is to mention that the Minnesota Department of Public Safety just released their Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts 2008. In 2008 for Anoka County we had 3,676 total crashes, 1,892 people injured and 18 fatalities. While the total crashes decreased by 8.4% from the previous year and the number injured decreased by 8.3%, the number killed increased 5.6%. Obviously, we have more work to do here at the Highway Department to bring these numbers down even lower. Another disturbing trend is the rise of crashes involving motorcycles. My good friend The Highway Doctor talks more about this issue on the back of this month’s newsletter.
Well that’s enough of my ramblings for now. We’re having a great construction season and we’re wrapping up some major projects and just about ready to start some new ones. Keep up the great work everyone and I’ll see you again next month.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
First, earlier this month MnDOT came out with their new Minnesota Statewide Transportation Policy Plan: 2009-2028. Over the next 20 years, MnDOT plans to invest $15 billion in highways and bridges. This sounds pretty impressive until you realize that over this same period MnDOT actually has an investment need of $65 billion dollars – that’s a whopping $50 billion shortfall! Even though 78% of the $15 billion investment will be on preservation projects (not new construction or expansion), the number of miles with “poor” pavement condition ratings will nearly triple in the next 10 years from 600 miles to 1,600 miles. You don’t even want to know what’s going to happen to congestion in the metro area. Bold and innovative transportation funding mechanisms will need to be implemented to address this $50 billion gap. To put the size of this “gap” into perspective, to meet just 5% of this funding gap ($2.5 billion), it would require the collection of a new 12.5 cent gas tax increase for ten years!
We are going to need bold and decisive legislation to make this happen. We can neither tax our way out of this mess nor can we not tax our way out of this. The bottom line is their needs to be more money invested in transportation, so we either need to raise more revenues (tax) or cut other programs (sacred cows). A polarized, “it’s my way or the highway” policy won’t cut it anymore. What happened to vigorous debate and compromise anyways? Which brings me to my second thought of the day: What happened to civil discourse on contentious issues? What am I talking about? Just listen to a few minutes of the town hall meetings congress is having on the national health care issue. Pretty sad actually. It doesn’t have to be about big issues like this either. You will see this type of obnoxious behavior any time we propose a median across someone’s driveway or side street! Now I don’t mind someone being a strong advocate for their cause. But at the end of the day both sides of the issue need to come together and hammer out a reasonable solution. Name calling, finger pointing and other immature actions won’t get the people’s business done. There are no easy answers and we need the right people in office who can make the tough decisions. The historical record revealed by the recent passing of Senator Ted Kennedy exemplified a person who had a very hard lean to one side of an issue, but that did not preclude him from getting some very important legislation enacted into law – many laws co-sponsored by his “adversaries” which leaned the other way. Keep an open mind. Discuss but don’t argue. (Making your point louder doesn’t make it better.) It is the mark of a superior mind to be able to disagree without being disagreeable. Doing nothing is no longer acceptable.
My final reflection this month is to mention that the Minnesota Department of Public Safety just released their Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts 2008. In 2008 for Anoka County we had 3,676 total crashes, 1,892 people injured and 18 fatalities. While the total crashes decreased by 8.4% from the previous year and the number injured decreased by 8.3%, the number killed increased 5.6%. Obviously, we have more work to do here at the Highway Department to bring these numbers down even lower. Another disturbing trend is the rise of crashes involving motorcycles. My good friend The Highway Doctor talks more about this issue on the back of this month’s newsletter.
Well that’s enough of my ramblings for now. We’re having a great construction season and we’re wrapping up some major projects and just about ready to start some new ones. Keep up the great work everyone and I’ll see you again next month.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - July 2009
Last month I wrote an article and used a story from Mary Rau-Foster, a world renowned motivational speaker. Since I’m just coming off a vacation and the deadline to get articles in for press is upon us, I would like to share another article from her that has a very good application in our workplace. We are all very well aware of our changing workplace. The baby-boomers (those born prior to 1964) are being replaced by the Generation Xer’s (those born between 1964 and 1976), and the Generation Xer’s are being replaced by the Millennial Generation (those born after 1976). It is very evident that we all have different work ethics and generational values, but we all are here to provide a common vision: “To enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.” Many times it is difficult to work together and we just don’t understand each other sometimes. But we must be able to work together as a team or we will all be frustrated and fail.
Mary Rau-Foster talks about how two seemingly unlikely animals work together for each other’s good. Here’s her story:
I recently read about an Egyptian bird known as the Egyptian Plover. This feathered crocodile cleaner hops right into the open mouth of the Nile crocodile to remove parasites, which collect in the crocodile's mouth. The big animal sits quietly as the little bird goes about its business. After the job is done, whether the crocodile is hungry or not, the bird always leaves unscathed. Remember, it is in the crocodile's nature to eat birds and other animals, yet this bird is allowed to fly away.
The little bird serves a useful purpose. The alligator knows this and as a result will not eat the bird. How could such diverse animals, which normally have a predator-victim relationship, become partners in a cleanup operation? Why do some humans have a predator-victim relationship with others? Why should new employees fear being "eaten alive" by the same employees who should welcome the assistance and
presence of additional help?
In the workplace, we often see the predator-victim phenomena at work. A new employee is hired to do a job, which may help the other employees. The new employee may be very trusting and believe that he or she is there to serve a useful purpose (and to get something out the relationship as well). Before long, an older employee bites down and swallows the "new bird" simply because he or she can or because the older employee feels threatened.
The symbiotic relationship of the crocodile and the bird described in the first paragraph should and can exist between new employees and those who have been around longer. However, for some people the temptation to destroy the little bird is too great.
When you next engage in criticism and negative comments about a new employee, stop and ask yourself (or others) what is driving your behavior. Ponder why there is a need to criticize someone for not being able to do the job immediately and without error. Remember how it was for you when you started a new job.
If a hungry crocodile can refrain from eating a little bird that is serving a useful purpose, so can we refrain
from negatively "nibbling away" at a new co-worker.
Affirmation for the Week: "I am aware of the symbiotic relationships all around me and I do my part to actively participate in them with a positive, helpful attitude."
Have a symbiotic week!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Mary Rau-Foster talks about how two seemingly unlikely animals work together for each other’s good. Here’s her story:
I recently read about an Egyptian bird known as the Egyptian Plover. This feathered crocodile cleaner hops right into the open mouth of the Nile crocodile to remove parasites, which collect in the crocodile's mouth. The big animal sits quietly as the little bird goes about its business. After the job is done, whether the crocodile is hungry or not, the bird always leaves unscathed. Remember, it is in the crocodile's nature to eat birds and other animals, yet this bird is allowed to fly away.
The little bird serves a useful purpose. The alligator knows this and as a result will not eat the bird. How could such diverse animals, which normally have a predator-victim relationship, become partners in a cleanup operation? Why do some humans have a predator-victim relationship with others? Why should new employees fear being "eaten alive" by the same employees who should welcome the assistance and
presence of additional help?
In the workplace, we often see the predator-victim phenomena at work. A new employee is hired to do a job, which may help the other employees. The new employee may be very trusting and believe that he or she is there to serve a useful purpose (and to get something out the relationship as well). Before long, an older employee bites down and swallows the "new bird" simply because he or she can or because the older employee feels threatened.
The symbiotic relationship of the crocodile and the bird described in the first paragraph should and can exist between new employees and those who have been around longer. However, for some people the temptation to destroy the little bird is too great.
When you next engage in criticism and negative comments about a new employee, stop and ask yourself (or others) what is driving your behavior. Ponder why there is a need to criticize someone for not being able to do the job immediately and without error. Remember how it was for you when you started a new job.
If a hungry crocodile can refrain from eating a little bird that is serving a useful purpose, so can we refrain
from negatively "nibbling away" at a new co-worker.
Affirmation for the Week: "I am aware of the symbiotic relationships all around me and I do my part to actively participate in them with a positive, helpful attitude."
Have a symbiotic week!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - May / June 2009
On Wednesday, April 29th, the Highway Department conducted a departmental meeting in conjunction with the annual “Boots-n-Brats” event. I thought that I would relay the comments that I made at that meeting for this edition’s County engineer’s Message (now how’s that for efficiency!).
Since we are on a hiring freeze, there were no new employees to introduce to the group. However, since there are two “Bob’s” in the Signal Section (Bob Rose and Bob Hoppe) and there were some instances of confusion in the group, Bob Hoppe has decided to go by “Pete” instead. So “Pete” was introduced to the group. I guess he’s not a “Robert” kind of guy.
In other employee news, we congratulated Elizabeth Markose (formerly Jacob) on her promotion from “Engineer I” to “Engineer II”. Elizabeth changed her last name now that her U.S. citizenship is completed. Congratulations Elizabeth.
Congratulations also go out to Sherree Hitzemann and Mario Naji for joining the ranks of grandparents due to the birth of the first grandchildren. Way to go grandma and grandpa (or Nanna, G-pa or whatever else you want to go by!).
Final congratulations also go out to the team of Bill Howard, Mike Murphy, Mike Monson and Tom Hornsby (aka the “Flab”ulous Four) for winning the “Biggest Loser” competition by losing a combined weight of almost 100 pounds. The “Biggest Loser” losers (Curt Kobilarcsik, Jason Orcutt, Charles Cadenhead and me) donated $100 to the local food shelf (in lieu of 100 pounds of Easter ham per the request of the food shelf) and they were very close behind in weight loss so everyone is a winner by being a loser after all!
With regards to the budget, earlier this year every department in the County was asked to reduce their 2009 budgets by 5.648% and to trim their positions by specified targeted goals. This amounts to about $650,000 in budget cuts for the Highway Department. We submitted a proposal to meet this reduction goal by keeping open positions unfilled, eliminating out-of-state travel and training, eliminating new “additional” pieces of equipment (but maintaining our “replacement” programs), and reducing our consultant services budget among other miscellaneous cuts. We will still be proceeding cautiously for the rest of the year as we await the final outcome of the State Legislature and what additional cuts they make on local government aid and property tax relief. So far, it looks like more cuts are in store. Because our County Board and administration foresaw possible state budget difficulties last fall, we throttled back unnecessary spending in 2008 which helped ease the need for the drastic reductions and layoffs that you read about happening to other local units of government. To ensure proper oversight of the spending that is done by all county departments, the County Board implemented a “Fiscal Control Committee” to review and approve all purchases over $15,000 by all departments.
With regards to the 2010 budget, we are already preparing that at this time. Again, we are planning ahead and anticipating further reductions in property tax credits by the Legislature. Therefore, we are preparing a conservative budget proposal at this time. We are budgeting no increases in wages (merit or cost of living) for employees (the 49er bargaining unit’s wages will be determined via contract negotiations), and our operations target is only 2.5%. Because over 2/3’s of our highway department budget is derived from outside sources and we are not solely reliant on the county property tax levy, you can still expect a large construction program, replacement of aging equipment, and proper maintenance of our highway infrastructure. More news will be forwarded as it becomes know.
Speaking of budgets and construction programs, it is all but certain that we will be receiving a portion of the federal economic stimulus funds for highway construction. In fact, we will be receiving an additional, $4.825 million in federal funds to go towards the I-35E / CSAH 14 interchange project. Combining this with a previous commitment of $5.775 million in federal funding for this project, and the City of Lino Lakes share of $2.2 million, we are only paying $2.2 million in county funds for this $15 million construction project! Through the county’s economic development office, we are also going to use $300,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) stimulus funds for a new traffic signal on East River Road at 61st Lane in Fridley to support access to the new Fridley Northstar Station Site.
The winter of 2008/09 was an especially tough one, and it seemed like this is a record year for potholes. But our maintenance crews have been doing a great job patching and getting our roads passable again. We are in full swing with our construction program (described elsewhere in this Newsletter) to take care of the some of the worst roads and soon our maintenance crews will be performing a very extensive Thin Mat Paving program of their own.
A couple of the more interesting things that we are currently dealing with:
In closing, it’s good to see the snowplows come off the trucks and put into storage and to see all of our work areas transitioning from winter work to summer work. After all, in Minnesota there are only two seasons: winter and highway construction. We’ve had a very successful first season (winter) and I am looking forward to a very successful second one (construction) as well!
Thanks and be safe out there,
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
P.S. I would like to thank the members of the Engineering Section for providing the brats and beverages for the lunch prior to the boot mobile. Thanks – it was delicious!
Since we are on a hiring freeze, there were no new employees to introduce to the group. However, since there are two “Bob’s” in the Signal Section (Bob Rose and Bob Hoppe) and there were some instances of confusion in the group, Bob Hoppe has decided to go by “Pete” instead. So “Pete” was introduced to the group. I guess he’s not a “Robert” kind of guy.
In other employee news, we congratulated Elizabeth Markose (formerly Jacob) on her promotion from “Engineer I” to “Engineer II”. Elizabeth changed her last name now that her U.S. citizenship is completed. Congratulations Elizabeth.
Congratulations also go out to Sherree Hitzemann and Mario Naji for joining the ranks of grandparents due to the birth of the first grandchildren. Way to go grandma and grandpa (or Nanna, G-pa or whatever else you want to go by!).
Final congratulations also go out to the team of Bill Howard, Mike Murphy, Mike Monson and Tom Hornsby (aka the “Flab”ulous Four) for winning the “Biggest Loser” competition by losing a combined weight of almost 100 pounds. The “Biggest Loser” losers (Curt Kobilarcsik, Jason Orcutt, Charles Cadenhead and me) donated $100 to the local food shelf (in lieu of 100 pounds of Easter ham per the request of the food shelf) and they were very close behind in weight loss so everyone is a winner by being a loser after all!
With regards to the budget, earlier this year every department in the County was asked to reduce their 2009 budgets by 5.648% and to trim their positions by specified targeted goals. This amounts to about $650,000 in budget cuts for the Highway Department. We submitted a proposal to meet this reduction goal by keeping open positions unfilled, eliminating out-of-state travel and training, eliminating new “additional” pieces of equipment (but maintaining our “replacement” programs), and reducing our consultant services budget among other miscellaneous cuts. We will still be proceeding cautiously for the rest of the year as we await the final outcome of the State Legislature and what additional cuts they make on local government aid and property tax relief. So far, it looks like more cuts are in store. Because our County Board and administration foresaw possible state budget difficulties last fall, we throttled back unnecessary spending in 2008 which helped ease the need for the drastic reductions and layoffs that you read about happening to other local units of government. To ensure proper oversight of the spending that is done by all county departments, the County Board implemented a “Fiscal Control Committee” to review and approve all purchases over $15,000 by all departments.
With regards to the 2010 budget, we are already preparing that at this time. Again, we are planning ahead and anticipating further reductions in property tax credits by the Legislature. Therefore, we are preparing a conservative budget proposal at this time. We are budgeting no increases in wages (merit or cost of living) for employees (the 49er bargaining unit’s wages will be determined via contract negotiations), and our operations target is only 2.5%. Because over 2/3’s of our highway department budget is derived from outside sources and we are not solely reliant on the county property tax levy, you can still expect a large construction program, replacement of aging equipment, and proper maintenance of our highway infrastructure. More news will be forwarded as it becomes know.
Speaking of budgets and construction programs, it is all but certain that we will be receiving a portion of the federal economic stimulus funds for highway construction. In fact, we will be receiving an additional, $4.825 million in federal funds to go towards the I-35E / CSAH 14 interchange project. Combining this with a previous commitment of $5.775 million in federal funding for this project, and the City of Lino Lakes share of $2.2 million, we are only paying $2.2 million in county funds for this $15 million construction project! Through the county’s economic development office, we are also going to use $300,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) stimulus funds for a new traffic signal on East River Road at 61st Lane in Fridley to support access to the new Fridley Northstar Station Site.
The winter of 2008/09 was an especially tough one, and it seemed like this is a record year for potholes. But our maintenance crews have been doing a great job patching and getting our roads passable again. We are in full swing with our construction program (described elsewhere in this Newsletter) to take care of the some of the worst roads and soon our maintenance crews will be performing a very extensive Thin Mat Paving program of their own.
A couple of the more interesting things that we are currently dealing with:
- The differential settlement that we have (and anticipated) on the CSAH 14 “floating road” in Lino Lakes and Centerville. This engineered road was designed to “float” on a bed of encapsulated shredded tires. The final lift of asphalt was purposely left off so we could see how this road would react over its first freeze/thaw cycle. For the most part it has worked very well, but as expected there have been certain areas that saw excessive amounts of differential settlement. Now we know where remedial actions need to take place and take care of this issue prior to placing the wear course later this summer.
- Traffic noise. For many years, traffic noise on our highways wasn’t severe enough to require any type of noise mitigation (i.e. berms or noise walls) but with our ever increasing traffic volumes, that is no longer the case. We may see our first noise walls constructed along Radisson Road north of Main Street in Blaine and on Main Street west of Shenandoah in Coon Rapids in the near future. We are working very closely with MnDOT, the MPCA and the FHWA to ensure that we are compliant with all of the various rules and regulations regarding traffic noise impacts.
- Swine flu. While the Swine flu is not affecting Minnesota (yet), it has raised the awareness of the transmission of this disease and any other type of disease. Because we share so many pieces of equipment, we will be issuing sanitized wipes and sprays where appropriate through the buildings and equipment. Please remember to cover your coughs and sneezes, wash your hands frequently, and stay home if you’re sick (or you’ll be sent home). The county has offered a very good flexible time off program and we expect everyone to have the proper balances available to stay home when you are sick – that’s part of what it’s there for.
In closing, it’s good to see the snowplows come off the trucks and put into storage and to see all of our work areas transitioning from winter work to summer work. After all, in Minnesota there are only two seasons: winter and highway construction. We’ve had a very successful first season (winter) and I am looking forward to a very successful second one (construction) as well!
Thanks and be safe out there,
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
P.S. I would like to thank the members of the Engineering Section for providing the brats and beverages for the lunch prior to the boot mobile. Thanks – it was delicious!
County Engineer's Message - April 2009
March Madness. If you’re a fan of college basketball, then this is your time of year. 64 games are played amongst 65 teams over a three week period to crown this season’s national championship. And don’t forget about the women’s college basketball tournament either. Oh, and how about all of those local high school boys and girls teams competing in basketball and hockey and other winter sports. It’s a great time to be a sports fan.
Isn’t it ironic though that for all except one team, everyone else finishes the season with a loss. Ouch! One winner, the rest end up losers. I know, I know, we can patronize ourselves and say that the season was still a good one by coming in second, or reaching the quarterfinals, etc. But the stark reality is that there is only one winner, one champion. I think this is what makes the whole tournament season so exhilarating and exciting. As Vince Lombardi, pro football hall of fame inductee and former coach of the Green Bay Packers said, “Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing.”
Right now the Highway Department is facing our own sort of March Madness. In one hand we are busy making budget cuts and with the other we are out there attempting to bring in economic stimulus funds for Anoka County. Similarly, we are actively pursuing legislation at the state and federal level to reduce the burdens placed on local units of government and to try and secure more funds to accomplish our many activities. Through all of this process there are two results: winners and losers.
The stakes have never been higher and the competition is fierce. There is very little time to relax and the pursuit requires a high degree of persistence, knowledge, and influence. If we are to win, our efforts must be sustaining and complete. Again to quote Coach Lombardi, “Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit.”
I believe that we have a very good team in place to succeed in our efforts to get more funds and better legislation, but this only involves a very few of us here at the Highway Department in these big picture, external issues. However, the same persistence, dedication, knowledge and influence required by these few people are required and demanded of each and every one of us at the Highway Department. We are all faced with day-to-day tasks, duties and assignments which if done correctly result in success.
This is our vision - to succeed in our efforts to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion. Failure is not an option! Again, this is what I find so exhilarating about the work that we do. We need to win – and cannot accept losing. As Lombardi so starkly put it, “Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser.”
Here’s to you winners at the Anoka County Highway Department! You have my personal thanks and congratulations – keep up the great job!
Thanks, and be safe out there,
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Isn’t it ironic though that for all except one team, everyone else finishes the season with a loss. Ouch! One winner, the rest end up losers. I know, I know, we can patronize ourselves and say that the season was still a good one by coming in second, or reaching the quarterfinals, etc. But the stark reality is that there is only one winner, one champion. I think this is what makes the whole tournament season so exhilarating and exciting. As Vince Lombardi, pro football hall of fame inductee and former coach of the Green Bay Packers said, “Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing.”
Right now the Highway Department is facing our own sort of March Madness. In one hand we are busy making budget cuts and with the other we are out there attempting to bring in economic stimulus funds for Anoka County. Similarly, we are actively pursuing legislation at the state and federal level to reduce the burdens placed on local units of government and to try and secure more funds to accomplish our many activities. Through all of this process there are two results: winners and losers.
The stakes have never been higher and the competition is fierce. There is very little time to relax and the pursuit requires a high degree of persistence, knowledge, and influence. If we are to win, our efforts must be sustaining and complete. Again to quote Coach Lombardi, “Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit.”
I believe that we have a very good team in place to succeed in our efforts to get more funds and better legislation, but this only involves a very few of us here at the Highway Department in these big picture, external issues. However, the same persistence, dedication, knowledge and influence required by these few people are required and demanded of each and every one of us at the Highway Department. We are all faced with day-to-day tasks, duties and assignments which if done correctly result in success.
This is our vision - to succeed in our efforts to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion. Failure is not an option! Again, this is what I find so exhilarating about the work that we do. We need to win – and cannot accept losing. As Lombardi so starkly put it, “Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser.”
Here’s to you winners at the Anoka County Highway Department! You have my personal thanks and congratulations – keep up the great job!
Thanks, and be safe out there,
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - March 2009
In the face of an economic crisis, the magnitude of which we have not seen since the Great Depression, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). This Act represents a strategic -- and significant -- investment in our country’s future. Why was this action necessary?
Objectives of the Act are focused on:
• Job preservation and creation
• Infrastructure investment
• Energy efficiency and science
• Assistance to unemployed, and
• State and local fiscal stabilization
These measures are necessary to help the millions of families whose lives have been upended by the economic crisis. But, this Act will do more than provide short-term stimulus. By modernizing our health care, improving our schools, modernizing our infrastructure, and investing in the clean energy technologies of the future, the Act will lay the foundation for a robust and sustainable 21st century economy.
So what might this legislation do for us here at the Anoka County Highway Department? Let’s take a look at the Act. In total, the Act provides $787 billion in tax relief and investment broken down as follows:
Tax Relief $288B
State and Local Fiscal Relief $144B
Infrastructure and Science $111B
Protecting the Vulnerable $81B
Health Care $59B
Education and Training $53B
Energy $43B
Other $8B
In breaking down the Infrastructure and Science Category we find that the Act provides $48.1 billion for Transportation, including:
Breaking down the $27.5 billion for highways, we now know that the State of Minnesota will be receiving about $502 million. This money will be split with 70% going to MnDOT for their use and the remaining 30% going to local units of government (counties, cities, townships and tribal roads). Of this 30% local split, about 50% will go to the outstate and the remaining 50% will be divided up in the metro area. Doing the math, there is about $70 to $75 million available in the metro area for local units of government to compete for – and the competition has been fast and furious. In a “Phase 1” solicitation for projects, 45 projects worth over $313 million have been submitted by counties, cities and townships in the metro area. In a “Phase 2” solicitation with a different set of criteria, a whopping 173 projects worth over $317 million have also been submitted. That’s a total of 218 projects worth over $630 million competing for $70 million!
Rest assured, we have not been asleep at the switch here at the Anoka County Highway Department. Shortly after the elections last November when it became apparent that the new president wanted a stimulus package that had a strong infrastructure component, we started putting together lists of projects in various categories: new construction, reconstruction, design, right-of-way acquisition, pavement rehabilitation, maintenance, in the STIP, out of the STIP, with plans and environmental documents prepared, without Environmental documents prepared – all in an attempt to be able to get Anoka County road and bridge infrastructure improvements with these funds. We ended up submitting an interchange reconstruction project, mill & overlay projects, signal painting projects, signal LED replacement projects, and permanent pavement marking projects.
Today as I write this article, it appears MnDOT will be using some of its money to continue the extension of TH 610 in Hennepin from US 169 west to CSAH 81 which will be of great value to us in the northern suburbs, and it also looks like we may be successful in getting anywhere from $3.89 to $8.83 million for the interchange reconstruction on CSAH 14 (Main Street) at I-35E in Lino Lakes. Without this money, this $22 million project is likely not to happen. We feel that this is the type of project that the economic stimulus funds are intended to fund. A project that is shovel ready, will put a variety of people from pile drivers and equipment operators to electricians and carpenters to work, and will have a lasting positive effect not only for the motorists who travel through this congested and accident prone area every day, but it will hopefully also stimulate the stagnate housing and commercial development and will stimulate the economy to provide the jobs and opportunities that we need so badly.
As always, I will keep you updated on this effort, the impacts of the state budget deficits on Anoka County, and any other impacts to our department, projects, employees and traveling public that we are here to serve.
Thanks and be safe out there,
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
- Unemployment: In December, the number of unemployed persons increased by 632,000 to 11.1 million, and the unemployment rate rose to 7.2%.
- Housing: U.S. foreclosures increased by more than 81% last year, a record, with over 2.3 million foreclosures total.
- State Budgets: 44 States are facing budget shortfalls totaling $90 billion for Fiscal Year 2009 and $145 billion for Fiscal Year 2010, and are faced with the prospect of dramatic cuts in basic services or painful tax increases.
Objectives of the Act are focused on:
• Job preservation and creation
• Infrastructure investment
• Energy efficiency and science
• Assistance to unemployed, and
• State and local fiscal stabilization
These measures are necessary to help the millions of families whose lives have been upended by the economic crisis. But, this Act will do more than provide short-term stimulus. By modernizing our health care, improving our schools, modernizing our infrastructure, and investing in the clean energy technologies of the future, the Act will lay the foundation for a robust and sustainable 21st century economy.
So what might this legislation do for us here at the Anoka County Highway Department? Let’s take a look at the Act. In total, the Act provides $787 billion in tax relief and investment broken down as follows:
Tax Relief $288B
State and Local Fiscal Relief $144B
Infrastructure and Science $111B
Protecting the Vulnerable $81B
Health Care $59B
Education and Training $53B
Energy $43B
Other $8B
In breaking down the Infrastructure and Science Category we find that the Act provides $48.1 billion for Transportation, including:
- $27.5 billion for highways
- $8.4 billion for transit
- $8.0 billion for high speed rail
- $1.3 billion for Amtrak
- $1.5 billion for National Surface Transportation Discretionary Grants
Breaking down the $27.5 billion for highways, we now know that the State of Minnesota will be receiving about $502 million. This money will be split with 70% going to MnDOT for their use and the remaining 30% going to local units of government (counties, cities, townships and tribal roads). Of this 30% local split, about 50% will go to the outstate and the remaining 50% will be divided up in the metro area. Doing the math, there is about $70 to $75 million available in the metro area for local units of government to compete for – and the competition has been fast and furious. In a “Phase 1” solicitation for projects, 45 projects worth over $313 million have been submitted by counties, cities and townships in the metro area. In a “Phase 2” solicitation with a different set of criteria, a whopping 173 projects worth over $317 million have also been submitted. That’s a total of 218 projects worth over $630 million competing for $70 million!
Rest assured, we have not been asleep at the switch here at the Anoka County Highway Department. Shortly after the elections last November when it became apparent that the new president wanted a stimulus package that had a strong infrastructure component, we started putting together lists of projects in various categories: new construction, reconstruction, design, right-of-way acquisition, pavement rehabilitation, maintenance, in the STIP, out of the STIP, with plans and environmental documents prepared, without Environmental documents prepared – all in an attempt to be able to get Anoka County road and bridge infrastructure improvements with these funds. We ended up submitting an interchange reconstruction project, mill & overlay projects, signal painting projects, signal LED replacement projects, and permanent pavement marking projects.
Today as I write this article, it appears MnDOT will be using some of its money to continue the extension of TH 610 in Hennepin from US 169 west to CSAH 81 which will be of great value to us in the northern suburbs, and it also looks like we may be successful in getting anywhere from $3.89 to $8.83 million for the interchange reconstruction on CSAH 14 (Main Street) at I-35E in Lino Lakes. Without this money, this $22 million project is likely not to happen. We feel that this is the type of project that the economic stimulus funds are intended to fund. A project that is shovel ready, will put a variety of people from pile drivers and equipment operators to electricians and carpenters to work, and will have a lasting positive effect not only for the motorists who travel through this congested and accident prone area every day, but it will hopefully also stimulate the stagnate housing and commercial development and will stimulate the economy to provide the jobs and opportunities that we need so badly.
As always, I will keep you updated on this effort, the impacts of the state budget deficits on Anoka County, and any other impacts to our department, projects, employees and traveling public that we are here to serve.
Thanks and be safe out there,
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - February 2009
During this time of uncertainty and turbulence, I imagine that you often find yourself moving between fear and hope--between resignation and ambition. This is a moment in time where we can contract and "ride it out" or we can take advantage of the possibilities that are still available.
From either place, we will be generating a future. The question is, "What future?" As a member of the Anoka County Highway Department whose vision is to “enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion”, we are now faced with this challenge -- and this question.
Anoka County is recognized as a leader in the services we perform and the method in which we deliver these services. It is the responsibility of leaders to keep moving forward, to not let the world of tomorrow be worse than the world of today. Many of today’s leaders are faced with conditions and decisions that they have not faced before. One solution is to contract, to do less. In some areas this is exactly what we will be doing, but only after a thorough examination of our priorities. But just because we decide to cut back doesn’t mean that our highways and bridges won’t get any older or more deteriorated until we decide to maintain them again. So we have to be very careful in what expenditures can be reduced, keeping an eye on the future. This is the basic role of leadership, to move effectively during these challenging times without jeopardizing ours and our kid’s future.
Another solution to these turbulent and uncertain times is to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to us. Carpe Diem – seize the day! Now is the time where it is essential that we create more value in everything that we do. We need to move boldly without anxiety and fear to perform our jobs better, cheaper and more effectively.
This is not to say that we have been operating in a casual and reckless manner – we have not! We are a lean, mean organization. But maybe we have been somewhat in a rut (no pun intended) – doing something the same way because that’s the way it has always been done. In some cases, we are doing things a certain way because it IS the best, cheapest and most effective way of doing it. But there are always those areas where we can do better.
Now is the perfect opportunity to look at everything we do and assess its priority, cost and effectiveness. How can we deal with the realities of declining revenues yet keep moving towards safer and more efficient roads for the future? This is our challenge – our opportunity! Do we want to become a “cold Mississippi” or the most innovative, effective and efficient county highway department in the country?
In Jim Collin’s best-selling book, Good to Great, he espouses two main premises: 1.) good is the enemy of great, and 2.) the best way for an organization to take the leap from good to great is to get the right people in the right seat on the right bus. Now is the time for bold leadership. I personally refuse to allow any of the advances we have made over the years to be wasted by taking the easy road and doing less with less and going from good to bad. The “good to great” bus is out there – I hope you will join me in being the right person in the right seat on the right bus. Together, I am confident that we will rise to this daunting challenge.
Thanks and be safe out there,
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
From either place, we will be generating a future. The question is, "What future?" As a member of the Anoka County Highway Department whose vision is to “enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion”, we are now faced with this challenge -- and this question.
Anoka County is recognized as a leader in the services we perform and the method in which we deliver these services. It is the responsibility of leaders to keep moving forward, to not let the world of tomorrow be worse than the world of today. Many of today’s leaders are faced with conditions and decisions that they have not faced before. One solution is to contract, to do less. In some areas this is exactly what we will be doing, but only after a thorough examination of our priorities. But just because we decide to cut back doesn’t mean that our highways and bridges won’t get any older or more deteriorated until we decide to maintain them again. So we have to be very careful in what expenditures can be reduced, keeping an eye on the future. This is the basic role of leadership, to move effectively during these challenging times without jeopardizing ours and our kid’s future.
Another solution to these turbulent and uncertain times is to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to us. Carpe Diem – seize the day! Now is the time where it is essential that we create more value in everything that we do. We need to move boldly without anxiety and fear to perform our jobs better, cheaper and more effectively.
This is not to say that we have been operating in a casual and reckless manner – we have not! We are a lean, mean organization. But maybe we have been somewhat in a rut (no pun intended) – doing something the same way because that’s the way it has always been done. In some cases, we are doing things a certain way because it IS the best, cheapest and most effective way of doing it. But there are always those areas where we can do better.
Now is the perfect opportunity to look at everything we do and assess its priority, cost and effectiveness. How can we deal with the realities of declining revenues yet keep moving towards safer and more efficient roads for the future? This is our challenge – our opportunity! Do we want to become a “cold Mississippi” or the most innovative, effective and efficient county highway department in the country?
In Jim Collin’s best-selling book, Good to Great, he espouses two main premises: 1.) good is the enemy of great, and 2.) the best way for an organization to take the leap from good to great is to get the right people in the right seat on the right bus. Now is the time for bold leadership. I personally refuse to allow any of the advances we have made over the years to be wasted by taking the easy road and doing less with less and going from good to bad. The “good to great” bus is out there – I hope you will join me in being the right person in the right seat on the right bus. Together, I am confident that we will rise to this daunting challenge.
Thanks and be safe out there,
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - January 2009
The beginning of each year brings the opportunity for planned personal or professional change – you may know these better as “New Year’s Resolutions”. Unfortunately for most people, these resolutions hardly ever come to fruition. Why do most people’s resolutions fail? Mostly it’s because these resolutions never were identified in a tangible and meaningful way. The old “lose weight” or “get organized” resolutions that get made each year are just too nebulous. The challenge to those who want to improve aspects of your life is to have clarity, stay the course, celebrate each day that actions are taken in furtherance of your goals, and have the courage to make course corrections when our change methods are not working.
If we are clear in what we want, there is a greater likelihood of success. If we have the courage to put the goals in writing (which is one of the most important steps in changing) and the self-discipline to stay the course even when the excitement and enthusiasm wears off-our success is more assured.
What is the secret to goal achievements? Why do some people succeed where others falter? Why so some people seem so confident in their ability to get what they want? The secret is that there is no secret. The success factor depends not upon one's circumstances but upon what one is willing to do in the circumstances.
One thing that may help is to break your resolutions down into categories of life. Here are some ideas to help jog some resolution ideas for you:
Here at the Highway Department, we also will be preparing a list of goals that each section of the department intends to accomplish over the course of 2009. These goals will be posted on our “compelling scoreboard” hanging in our front hallway for everyone to see and be reminded of each day. Each month, this newsletter will highlight the goals that each section has prepared – beginning this month with the goals of the Administration Section.
By being specific, enthusiastic, and supported by each other, these goals – these resolutions – will be achieved with outstanding success.
I wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009!
Thanks and be safe out there,
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
If we are clear in what we want, there is a greater likelihood of success. If we have the courage to put the goals in writing (which is one of the most important steps in changing) and the self-discipline to stay the course even when the excitement and enthusiasm wears off-our success is more assured.
What is the secret to goal achievements? Why do some people succeed where others falter? Why so some people seem so confident in their ability to get what they want? The secret is that there is no secret. The success factor depends not upon one's circumstances but upon what one is willing to do in the circumstances.
One thing that may help is to break your resolutions down into categories of life. Here are some ideas to help jog some resolution ideas for you:
- Work – Spend 30 minutes each week planning your week out, being more realistic about what you commit yourself to. Communicate your activities to those that are affected.
- Spouse/Significant other – Plan “date night” twice a month. Spend one evening a week with the T.V. off. Take a dance or cooking class together.
- Family – Call grandma once a week. Get home by 5:30 two nights a week. Say "I love you" at least once a day.
- Friends – Identify 5 people you want to make a point to connect with regularly.
- Health/Fitness – Be in bed by 10:00. Get a workout buddy. Drink 32 oz. of water daily.
- Spirituality – Make it to Sunday service every week.
- Personal Growth - Read a book every 2 months.
Here at the Highway Department, we also will be preparing a list of goals that each section of the department intends to accomplish over the course of 2009. These goals will be posted on our “compelling scoreboard” hanging in our front hallway for everyone to see and be reminded of each day. Each month, this newsletter will highlight the goals that each section has prepared – beginning this month with the goals of the Administration Section.
By being specific, enthusiastic, and supported by each other, these goals – these resolutions – will be achieved with outstanding success.
I wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009!
Thanks and be safe out there,
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - December 2008
President-elect Barack Obama said recently that he wants to revive the economy and create jobs by upgrading roads, schools and energy efficiency in a public-works program whose scale has been unseen since construction of the interstate highway system in the 1950s. His ideas were in response to government reports that employers cut 533,000 jobs in November, the most in 34 years. They are part of a vision for a massive economy recovery plan Obama wants Congress to pass and have waiting on his desk when he takes office Jan. 20. The president-elect's address focused on investments, pledging wise stewardship of taxpayer money in upgrading roads and schools, and making public buildings more energy-efficient. "We won't just throw money at the problem," Obama said. "We'll measure progress by the reforms we make and the results we achieve — by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world." Obama said his plan would employ millions of people by "making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s."
This isn’t the first time that a massive infrastructure investment program has been launched to get the country out of its economic doldrums. Let’s look at infrastructure programs of the past. The interstate highway system, or more officially known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways, is one of the modern marvels of the world. How awesome was this project that began construction in 1956 and today consists of 42,795 miles of concrete and asphalt ribbons that criss-crosses our country from shore to shore and border to border. It is the backbone of this country’s economy and changed the way we live. According to the Federal Highway Administration, a 1991 final estimate of the cost of the interstate system put it at $128.9 billion.
Twenty-five years earlier, the Works Progress Administration (renamed in 1939 the Work Projects Administration; WPA) was the largest New Deal agency, employing millions of people and affecting most every locality in the United States, especially rural and western mountain populations. It was created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential order, and funded by Congress with passage of the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935. The WPA provided jobs and income to the unemployed during the Great Depression in the United States. Between 1935 and 1943 the WPA provided almost 8 million jobs. The program built many public buildings, projects and roads and operated large arts, drama, media and literacy projects. It fed children and redistributed food, clothing and housing. Almost every community in America has a park, bridge or school constructed by the agency. Until closed down by Congress and the war boom in 1943, the various programs of the WPA added up to the largest employment base in the country — indeed, the largest cluster of government employment opportunities in most states. Anyone who needed a job could become eligible for most of its jobs.
A massive infrastructure program in Minnesota would be a very welcome relief. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has estimated that it has a $23 billion shortfall on needed highway and bridge projects over the next 22 years. In looking at our own county highway system here in Anoka county, we have identified $15 million worth of resurfacing projects that are needed, $ 99 million of capacity related deficiencies, and $257 million of highways that don’t meet current safety and geometric standards.
Whether or not we will or we won’t get any new money from an infrastructure stimulus bill is yet unclear. But either way, our work will certainly be cut out for us. But I know we will be up to any challenge that we are presented.
Thank you for being some of the most dedicated and hardest working people I know. We have had a great 2008 and I know 2009 will be even better. Here’s wishing each and every one of you a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
This isn’t the first time that a massive infrastructure investment program has been launched to get the country out of its economic doldrums. Let’s look at infrastructure programs of the past. The interstate highway system, or more officially known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways, is one of the modern marvels of the world. How awesome was this project that began construction in 1956 and today consists of 42,795 miles of concrete and asphalt ribbons that criss-crosses our country from shore to shore and border to border. It is the backbone of this country’s economy and changed the way we live. According to the Federal Highway Administration, a 1991 final estimate of the cost of the interstate system put it at $128.9 billion.
Twenty-five years earlier, the Works Progress Administration (renamed in 1939 the Work Projects Administration; WPA) was the largest New Deal agency, employing millions of people and affecting most every locality in the United States, especially rural and western mountain populations. It was created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential order, and funded by Congress with passage of the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935. The WPA provided jobs and income to the unemployed during the Great Depression in the United States. Between 1935 and 1943 the WPA provided almost 8 million jobs. The program built many public buildings, projects and roads and operated large arts, drama, media and literacy projects. It fed children and redistributed food, clothing and housing. Almost every community in America has a park, bridge or school constructed by the agency. Until closed down by Congress and the war boom in 1943, the various programs of the WPA added up to the largest employment base in the country — indeed, the largest cluster of government employment opportunities in most states. Anyone who needed a job could become eligible for most of its jobs.
A massive infrastructure program in Minnesota would be a very welcome relief. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has estimated that it has a $23 billion shortfall on needed highway and bridge projects over the next 22 years. In looking at our own county highway system here in Anoka county, we have identified $15 million worth of resurfacing projects that are needed, $ 99 million of capacity related deficiencies, and $257 million of highways that don’t meet current safety and geometric standards.
Whether or not we will or we won’t get any new money from an infrastructure stimulus bill is yet unclear. But either way, our work will certainly be cut out for us. But I know we will be up to any challenge that we are presented.
Thank you for being some of the most dedicated and hardest working people I know. We have had a great 2008 and I know 2009 will be even better. Here’s wishing each and every one of you a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - November 2008
No good deed goes unpunished.
How many times have we heard this, or even worse, experienced it? Too many I suppose. In the act of doing the good things that we do we don’t always make everyone happy. Construction projects cause commuters to travel across long and inconvenient detours. Getting caught behind a snow plow truck on a two-lane road forces a motorist to drive slowly. Someone carelessly driving across a wet paint stripe smears their fenders. Shouldering, patching, signal painting, crosswalk marking, surveying, etc., etc. etc. all cause inconveniences at one point or another. In our business, things usually get worse before they get better. And how does our thoughtful public thank us? It usually is in the form of some belligerent voicemail message, toxic e-mail, or more commonly experienced by the crews on the road – the illustrious one-finger salute!
So why do we put up with all of this? Because we’re doing the right thing and we’re doing it the right way. When our highways are smooth and free flowing, no one calls in and says, “Hey, great job guys – I really appreciate how you kept me and my family safe and on time this morning! Keep up the great job!” I don’t think anyone around here expects any thanks from the public at all. We know what value we bring to our citizens and users of our highways. But it really can start to wear a person down when all that we do hear is how bad a job we’re doing even if we know that it coming from some crackpot.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta (August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997), born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun with Indian citizenship who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata (Calcutta), India in 1950. For over forty five years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries. Here is a verse that was written by her - perhaps Mother Teresa also felt let down at times despite her remarkable acts of charity and love.
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It never was between you and them anyway.
I want to personally let everyone in the Highway Department know that not only is the work that you do appreciated, YOU are appreciated!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
How many times have we heard this, or even worse, experienced it? Too many I suppose. In the act of doing the good things that we do we don’t always make everyone happy. Construction projects cause commuters to travel across long and inconvenient detours. Getting caught behind a snow plow truck on a two-lane road forces a motorist to drive slowly. Someone carelessly driving across a wet paint stripe smears their fenders. Shouldering, patching, signal painting, crosswalk marking, surveying, etc., etc. etc. all cause inconveniences at one point or another. In our business, things usually get worse before they get better. And how does our thoughtful public thank us? It usually is in the form of some belligerent voicemail message, toxic e-mail, or more commonly experienced by the crews on the road – the illustrious one-finger salute!
So why do we put up with all of this? Because we’re doing the right thing and we’re doing it the right way. When our highways are smooth and free flowing, no one calls in and says, “Hey, great job guys – I really appreciate how you kept me and my family safe and on time this morning! Keep up the great job!” I don’t think anyone around here expects any thanks from the public at all. We know what value we bring to our citizens and users of our highways. But it really can start to wear a person down when all that we do hear is how bad a job we’re doing even if we know that it coming from some crackpot.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta (August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997), born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun with Indian citizenship who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata (Calcutta), India in 1950. For over forty five years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries. Here is a verse that was written by her - perhaps Mother Teresa also felt let down at times despite her remarkable acts of charity and love.
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It never was between you and them anyway.
I want to personally let everyone in the Highway Department know that not only is the work that you do appreciated, YOU are appreciated!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - October 2008
Here’s a silver lining to the cloud that is excessively high gas prices: according to a report recently released by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the number of Americans who died on the nation’s highways dropped last year to a level not seen since 1994. Last year’s traffic fatalities totaled 41,059, a 3.9 percent decrease from 2006, according to DOT. Its the largest year-over-year reduction in fatalities in terms of both number and percentage since 1992. This can be attributed to safer vehicles, aggressive law enforcement, and efforts like ours at the Anoka County Highway Department in making roads safer.
And higher gas prices.
It comes as no surprise that many people have made the conscience decision to drive less. Less driving, less crashes. Unfortunately, I believe that while high gas prices have reduced the amount of car and truck traffic, it has caused a dramatic increase in motorcycle usage. Therein lays a new problem. Motorcycle safety continues to be a problem. Motorcycle fatalities in 2007 reached a record high of 5,154, up 6.6 percent from 2006, and an increase for the 10th consecutive year. Motorcyclists accounted for 12.6 percent of all traffic deaths last year.
In Minnesota in 2006 (the most current year for crash statistics), there were 1,496 crashes that involved at least one motorcycle. This is the highest number of motorcycle crashes observed in Minnesota in the past sixteen years. In 1990, there were 1,735 motorcycle crashes, but then the number of crashes decreased throughout the decade. In 2006, 1,413 motorcyclists were injured. This is also the highest number of motorcyclist injuries since 1990.
Motorcyclist fatalities increased again in 2006. There were 70 killed motorcyclists recorded. This number is a 19% increase from the previous year. And, it is the highest recorded number since 1985 when 77 motorcyclists died on Minnesota roadways. Of the 70 killed motorcyclists in 2006, 66 were drivers and 4 were passengers. There is some evidence for the increase in motorcycle crashes, fatalities, and injuries; the number of registered motorcycles has almost doubled since 1996 with older people returning to motorcycling. In fact, 56% of the killed motorcyclists in 2006 were 40 years or older.
When a motorcycle is involved in a traffic crash, the chances of severe injury are greatly increased. In fact, 4.7 of every 100 motorcycle crashes in 2006 were fatal and nearly one out of every five motorcyclists injured was injured severely. Currently, Minnesota does not have a mandatory helmet use law for motorcyclists 18 or older. Laws may be debated, but the benefits helmets offer are clear; they protect the head in the event of a collision. In 2006, only 15 (21%) of the 70 motorcycle riders killed were known to be wearing a helmet. Of the 1,413 motorcyclists injured, only 481 (34%) were recorded as wearing a helmet.
As mentioned previously, a large number of middle-aged people are returning to motorcycling, and evidently, they are returning without proper operator training. In 2006, 58% of all motorcycle crashes were single vehicle crashes. A majority of these single vehicle crashes were collisions with fixed objects or simply the motorcycle overturning. This surely indicates that further training is needed for a large segment of the motorcycle driver population.
This is information that we will use to make not only our roadways but roadsides safer. We will be removing roadsides hazards like trees, steep slopes, and other obstructions; opening up our roadsides to see deer darting across the highway; making our signage and striping clearer and brighter in all conditions; and promoting other cost effective ways to get people out of their cars and motorcycles. With continued effort by all of our sections within the Highway Department, we will keep the fatality and crash rates going in the right direction - down. After all, at the Anoka County Highway Department, our passion is your safe way home.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
And higher gas prices.
It comes as no surprise that many people have made the conscience decision to drive less. Less driving, less crashes. Unfortunately, I believe that while high gas prices have reduced the amount of car and truck traffic, it has caused a dramatic increase in motorcycle usage. Therein lays a new problem. Motorcycle safety continues to be a problem. Motorcycle fatalities in 2007 reached a record high of 5,154, up 6.6 percent from 2006, and an increase for the 10th consecutive year. Motorcyclists accounted for 12.6 percent of all traffic deaths last year.
In Minnesota in 2006 (the most current year for crash statistics), there were 1,496 crashes that involved at least one motorcycle. This is the highest number of motorcycle crashes observed in Minnesota in the past sixteen years. In 1990, there were 1,735 motorcycle crashes, but then the number of crashes decreased throughout the decade. In 2006, 1,413 motorcyclists were injured. This is also the highest number of motorcyclist injuries since 1990.
Motorcyclist fatalities increased again in 2006. There were 70 killed motorcyclists recorded. This number is a 19% increase from the previous year. And, it is the highest recorded number since 1985 when 77 motorcyclists died on Minnesota roadways. Of the 70 killed motorcyclists in 2006, 66 were drivers and 4 were passengers. There is some evidence for the increase in motorcycle crashes, fatalities, and injuries; the number of registered motorcycles has almost doubled since 1996 with older people returning to motorcycling. In fact, 56% of the killed motorcyclists in 2006 were 40 years or older.
When a motorcycle is involved in a traffic crash, the chances of severe injury are greatly increased. In fact, 4.7 of every 100 motorcycle crashes in 2006 were fatal and nearly one out of every five motorcyclists injured was injured severely. Currently, Minnesota does not have a mandatory helmet use law for motorcyclists 18 or older. Laws may be debated, but the benefits helmets offer are clear; they protect the head in the event of a collision. In 2006, only 15 (21%) of the 70 motorcycle riders killed were known to be wearing a helmet. Of the 1,413 motorcyclists injured, only 481 (34%) were recorded as wearing a helmet.
As mentioned previously, a large number of middle-aged people are returning to motorcycling, and evidently, they are returning without proper operator training. In 2006, 58% of all motorcycle crashes were single vehicle crashes. A majority of these single vehicle crashes were collisions with fixed objects or simply the motorcycle overturning. This surely indicates that further training is needed for a large segment of the motorcycle driver population.
This is information that we will use to make not only our roadways but roadsides safer. We will be removing roadsides hazards like trees, steep slopes, and other obstructions; opening up our roadsides to see deer darting across the highway; making our signage and striping clearer and brighter in all conditions; and promoting other cost effective ways to get people out of their cars and motorcycles. With continued effort by all of our sections within the Highway Department, we will keep the fatality and crash rates going in the right direction - down. After all, at the Anoka County Highway Department, our passion is your safe way home.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - September 2008
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, People's Republic of China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 10,500 athletes competed in 302 events in 28 sports. I felt that this was one of the most exciting Olympics for a number of reasons. The Games saw 43 new world records and 132 new Olympic records set. A record 87 countries won a medal during the Games. Michael Phelps broke the record for most golds in one Olympics and for most career gold medals for an Olympian. Usain Bolt secured the traditional title "World's Fastest Man" by setting new world records in the 100m and 200m dashes.
The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:08 pm on 8 August 2008 because in Chinese culture, 8 is considered to be a lucky number. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture. It was noted for its focus on ancient Chinese culture, and for its creativity, as well as being the first to use weather modification technology to prevent rainfall. The final ascent to the torch featured Olympic gymnast Li Ning, who appeared to run through air around the top ring of the stadium. Featuring more than 15,000 performers, the ceremony lasted over four hours and was reported to have cost over $100 million to produce. The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and various international presses as spectacular and spellbinding. And it was during this opening ceremony that I found the most compelling story of the entire Olympics and it didn’t even involve an athlete competing in the games.
The Chinese contingent, which was last country to proceed into the stadium, was led by 7’-6” NBA basketball star Yao Ming and little Lin Hao, the 9-year-old primary school student who had rescued two schoolmates during the May 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. Lin Hao was at school in Yingxiu, which was one of the areas worst hit by the powerful quake earlier this year. The building collapsed while he was walking down a corridor, trapping him and two of this classmates. Lin was injured, but managed to free himself. But instead of staying out of the rubble, he went back in carrying two of his classmates to safety.
During his rescue, he was hit by falling rubble and suffered injuries on his head and arms. It's also been reported that while his classmates (10 survivors out of 32 students) were waiting for help, he encouraged them to sing songs to keep their spirits up. When he was asked why he risked his life, he said: "I was the hall monitor, it was my job to look after my classmates."
Lin Hao is my hero.
At the Highway Department, we all have “jobs” to do as well. Just like Lin Hao, we don’t have “pull survivors of earthquake out of building” on our job descriptions. But when you really think about it, how many duties do we perform or decisions that we make actually can make a life and death difference?
More than you would think.
Whether it’s designing that highway, plowing that road, programming that signal, or even tightening that bolt on that stop sign, we perform a multitude of services that saves lives. Performing anything less than perfect is not acceptable – the consequences are too high and severe. This is OUR job. After all, “At the Anoka County Highway Department, Our Passion is Your Safe Way Home.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:08 pm on 8 August 2008 because in Chinese culture, 8 is considered to be a lucky number. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture. It was noted for its focus on ancient Chinese culture, and for its creativity, as well as being the first to use weather modification technology to prevent rainfall. The final ascent to the torch featured Olympic gymnast Li Ning, who appeared to run through air around the top ring of the stadium. Featuring more than 15,000 performers, the ceremony lasted over four hours and was reported to have cost over $100 million to produce. The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and various international presses as spectacular and spellbinding. And it was during this opening ceremony that I found the most compelling story of the entire Olympics and it didn’t even involve an athlete competing in the games.
The Chinese contingent, which was last country to proceed into the stadium, was led by 7’-6” NBA basketball star Yao Ming and little Lin Hao, the 9-year-old primary school student who had rescued two schoolmates during the May 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. Lin Hao was at school in Yingxiu, which was one of the areas worst hit by the powerful quake earlier this year. The building collapsed while he was walking down a corridor, trapping him and two of this classmates. Lin was injured, but managed to free himself. But instead of staying out of the rubble, he went back in carrying two of his classmates to safety.
During his rescue, he was hit by falling rubble and suffered injuries on his head and arms. It's also been reported that while his classmates (10 survivors out of 32 students) were waiting for help, he encouraged them to sing songs to keep their spirits up. When he was asked why he risked his life, he said: "I was the hall monitor, it was my job to look after my classmates."
Lin Hao is my hero.
At the Highway Department, we all have “jobs” to do as well. Just like Lin Hao, we don’t have “pull survivors of earthquake out of building” on our job descriptions. But when you really think about it, how many duties do we perform or decisions that we make actually can make a life and death difference?
More than you would think.
Whether it’s designing that highway, plowing that road, programming that signal, or even tightening that bolt on that stop sign, we perform a multitude of services that saves lives. Performing anything less than perfect is not acceptable – the consequences are too high and severe. This is OUR job. After all, “At the Anoka County Highway Department, Our Passion is Your Safe Way Home.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - July 2008
A few weeks ago I attended the Minnesota County Engineers Summer Conference. One of the speakers was Sheriff Don Gudmundson of Dakota County. Sheriff Gudmundson speaks to public service agencies across the country. For our conference, he spoke about “change” in a presentation entitled, “Daniel Boone Saw the Future, So Can You.” I would like to share with you some of his observations.
On the topic of the future:
Daniel Boone would never admit to being lost. He said that he was occasionally bewildered but never lost. I think that is a good metaphor for working and it is probably a good metaphor for life in general.
Perhaps Abraham Lincoln said it best when he said, “The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
On the topic of the future:
- In 1950, there were just over 200,000 people in Minnesota over 65, today that number is nearly 700,000 and by 2030, there will be over 1.3 million people in MN over 65. Forty-three out of eighty-seven MN counties lost population last year. We will be a nation of Florida’s.
- There will be 22,000+ less school children in MN in the next two years even though we lead the Frost Belt in population growth. By 2020 there will be more people over 65 than there are school children.
- One-half of all doctors in the U.S. are over 50. We are already short 70,000 physicians and by 2020 that number will rise to 200,000.
- 400,000 electric utility workers will retire in next four years.
- ½ of all US government civilian work force will retire in next 6 years
- 40% of people in manufacturing in next 10 years will retire.
- There will be 25 million workers between 55 and 64 or a growth of 51% in next 7 years.
- 77 million workers will retire in the next 10 years.
- Eight Seconds – every 8 seconds for the next 17 years someone will turn 60 in America.
- New generation of workers called the millennial born between 1980 and 1995 and there are 80 million of them. Asked about in the workplace having a poll listed their number one perk in finding a new job is a place that allows them to being their dog to work. They will hold 10-14 jobs by the time they are 38.
- The number of young people 18 and over living at home has increased 70% in the past four years. They are called “The boomerang generation.”
- According to futurist Ed Barlow, 80% of the jobs available to kindergartners haven’t been invented yet.
- The largest English speaking country in the world in two years will be India. (With China being a close second.)
- The fifth largest Spanish speaking country in the world is the USA.
- One of Eight couples married last year met online.
- 234 million people use MYSPACE making it the 5th largest country in the world after China, India, U.S. and Indonesia.
- The number of text messages sent and received every day is more than the population of the world.
- There are 540,000 words in the English language, five times more than in Shakespeare’s time. 3,000 books are published every day. But, Google is digitizing 10 million books a year. The digitizing of human knowledge is described in Future Magazine has the most profound cultural event since the invention of the printing press.
Daniel Boone would never admit to being lost. He said that he was occasionally bewildered but never lost. I think that is a good metaphor for working and it is probably a good metaphor for life in general.
Perhaps Abraham Lincoln said it best when he said, “The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - June 2008
By now, most of you have heard me talk about Stephen R. Covey, author of the best selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. But you might not have heard me talk about one of his colleagues in leadership – Will Marre. Over 20 years ago Mr. Marre recruited Stephen Covey to leave his university and bring the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to the public. For seven years he ran the company that later became the largest private leadership training company in the world. Together, they brought the 7 Habits to the world. Today, Will Marre heads an organization called the “American Dream Project” (see AmericanDreamProject.org for more info).
The mission of the American Dream Project is to help individuals and institutions create, design and implement sustainable personal strategies, public policies, and citizen solutions that will lead to the greatest good and least suffering for each individual, our American society, and the global world. I would like to share with you an excerpt from Mr. Marre regarding the “10 best practices of life”. I hope you find truth and meaning in his writings.
In the past two weeks I have traveled from Florida to the Rocky Mountains and back to California. I have spoken to nearly every age group, gender, and color of American, literally from 18-80. What I heard was anger. Anger at, well, almost everything that is so obviously broken. But the most pervasive feeling expressed was that we are angry because we are scared. And the most heartfelt question people asked is what can I do to create a personal oasis in a world that seems to be becoming a desert? What can I do to create personal, financial, emotional, mental and spiritual sustainability even if the outer world is convulsing with financial bankruptcy, emotional drama, mental instability, and spiritual confusion? This is the real question for all of us all the time. As one 80-year put it, “Every generation has its great challenge; welcome to yours.” From a perspective of someone who’s lived through pre-antibiotic healthcare, a great depression, a world war, civil rights, riots, and the birth of Rock ‘n Roll, that statement is code for: “Quit whining and take care of yourself.”
That very night I found myself reading a great new book, The Art of Learning, by Josh Weitzkin who quotes a powerful proverb that fits today’s challenges. Life is a long road of thorns in which we are confronted with three options: 1) we can walk the road barefoot and bloody, 2) we can sit down, weep and wait for someone to pave it, or 3) we can make our own sandals.
There have always been awful challenges. Plagues, earthquakes, wars, famines, and droughts. Job loss, divorce, death, and depression. Life’s question is “Are we willing to make sandals?” There are many ways to make them. One truism I have discovered in coaching others for three decades is that often a 5% change in our life will result in a 100% change in how we feel. Even though sandals only cover the “souls” of our feet, our entire body and mind rejoice at being relieved of the pain from the thorns of our life. Here is some “leather”—tough and strong ideas that may be of value.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
The mission of the American Dream Project is to help individuals and institutions create, design and implement sustainable personal strategies, public policies, and citizen solutions that will lead to the greatest good and least suffering for each individual, our American society, and the global world. I would like to share with you an excerpt from Mr. Marre regarding the “10 best practices of life”. I hope you find truth and meaning in his writings.
In the past two weeks I have traveled from Florida to the Rocky Mountains and back to California. I have spoken to nearly every age group, gender, and color of American, literally from 18-80. What I heard was anger. Anger at, well, almost everything that is so obviously broken. But the most pervasive feeling expressed was that we are angry because we are scared. And the most heartfelt question people asked is what can I do to create a personal oasis in a world that seems to be becoming a desert? What can I do to create personal, financial, emotional, mental and spiritual sustainability even if the outer world is convulsing with financial bankruptcy, emotional drama, mental instability, and spiritual confusion? This is the real question for all of us all the time. As one 80-year put it, “Every generation has its great challenge; welcome to yours.” From a perspective of someone who’s lived through pre-antibiotic healthcare, a great depression, a world war, civil rights, riots, and the birth of Rock ‘n Roll, that statement is code for: “Quit whining and take care of yourself.”
That very night I found myself reading a great new book, The Art of Learning, by Josh Weitzkin who quotes a powerful proverb that fits today’s challenges. Life is a long road of thorns in which we are confronted with three options: 1) we can walk the road barefoot and bloody, 2) we can sit down, weep and wait for someone to pave it, or 3) we can make our own sandals.
There have always been awful challenges. Plagues, earthquakes, wars, famines, and droughts. Job loss, divorce, death, and depression. Life’s question is “Are we willing to make sandals?” There are many ways to make them. One truism I have discovered in coaching others for three decades is that often a 5% change in our life will result in a 100% change in how we feel. Even though sandals only cover the “souls” of our feet, our entire body and mind rejoice at being relieved of the pain from the thorns of our life. Here is some “leather”—tough and strong ideas that may be of value.
- Be physically strong. Our body is our greatest ally in making us resilient. We need to regularly get eight hours of sleep. We need to eat healthy, non-manufactured food. We should try to never go hungry and never be full. We need to train like athletes, get our heart rates up, lift some weights and walk with our back straight. If we are fit, our thoughts will be creative and our actions more collaborative.
- We need to be emotionally centered. We need to elevate our moods by doing positive things we deeply enjoy. Activities of sport, art or learning that capture our full attention and help us grow. We need to do such things at least every other day.
- We need to be fully present in relationships with people we trust. Refuse to take love for granted. Listen with your eyes and soul. Turn off everything else. The TV, blackberry, and the noise of your inner chatter and really be with those whom you love.
- Seek spiritual growth. Research tells us the happiest people in the world meditate 20 minutes a day. Join them. Help strangers and read what inspires you. Be open-minded. Inclusive. Love with your whole soul.
- Regain your perspective. Take a news fast. No radio, newspapers, TV, Internet, or magazine news for a week. Pretend you’re on an island in Fiji. Listen to music that soothes you.
- Be an expert. If we are going to give our gift, we simply must be great at something we value. Educators say it takes ten years to become a true expert. And real experts are constantly learning because they love what they are doing. It’s not work. And when you fuse your personality with your expert knowledge or skill, you’ll be one of a kind. Your expertise will be work that you love doing.
- Travel light. Get out of debt. Remember, there is nothing you can buy that is worth more than peace of mind. Nothing.
- Commute and drive less. Combine trips. Nearly all of us can drive 25% less, which will increase our quality of life.
- Be strong and be flexible. There are very happy people living under almost all circumstances. Change what you can and see the advantage in what you cannot.
- Don’t take the external parts of life too seriously. The purpose of this amusement park called life is to love deeply, learn without stopping and develop inner character that brings honor to your children.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - April 2008
March Madness. Around the Highway Department this can mean many things – spring road restrictions, transitioning from winter activities to spring activities, getting ready for another construction season, and let’s not forget abut this wacky weather we’ve been having – enough snow already! But when someone mentions March Madness, there really is one event that comes to everyone’s mind – the men’s NCAA basketball tournament!
This year’s basketball extravaganza has truly lived up to its hype. For the first time, the four top seeded teams made it to the championship finale. The University of North Carolina Tarheels, the nation’s top ranked team, is one of the four finalists. But the best story of this year’s tournament isn’t the team from Chapel Hill, but from another town in North Carolina that takes its name from the small college located there – Davidson.
The Davidson Wildcats were on the verge of making NCAA history. This 10th seeded team in the Midwest Regional didn’t pay attention to the experts that predicted them to play one game and then go home. Instead, they knocked off higher ranked teams in Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin. And as time was running out in the regional finals against Kansas, Davidson had the ball and an opportunity to win.
It was the proverbial David(son) versus Goliath. The little engine that could. The ant and his rubber tree plant. Davidson’s all-world guard Stephen Curry brought the ball up the court – juked left – turned right – found the open man – time running out – SHOOT!!!
Clank.
The Cinderella story isn’t going to live happily ever after. Instead the basketball turned into a pumpkin and Kansas gets to wear the glass slipper and go to the ball. Season over. That’s the tough consequences of sports – one loss – one missed shot – and its over.
While I know we are full of very competitive people here at the Highway Department, thank goodness we don’t work in such an all-or-nothing environment. Yes, it’s extremely important that we bring our “A”-game everyday – lives depend on our work and our decisions. But one “missed shot” doesn’t send us packing. We get to live, learn and carry on again – 24/7, 365 days a year – whatever it takes. This is best part of our work – the “game” never ends. We get to compete everyday. We get to get better everyday. We get the opportunity to WIN everyday. This is the thrill of the fight that gets me out of bed everyday.
Our opponent is crashes, congestion, and deteriorating infrastructure. Sometimes it may feel like we are like Davidson playing against Kansas. The odds are against us, but like Davidson we don’t pay attention to the naysayer’s. We’ll grab the ball - drive it up court - juke left - turn right - find the open man – times running out – SHOOT!!!
Swishhhhh!!!!
The rest is history.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
This year’s basketball extravaganza has truly lived up to its hype. For the first time, the four top seeded teams made it to the championship finale. The University of North Carolina Tarheels, the nation’s top ranked team, is one of the four finalists. But the best story of this year’s tournament isn’t the team from Chapel Hill, but from another town in North Carolina that takes its name from the small college located there – Davidson.
The Davidson Wildcats were on the verge of making NCAA history. This 10th seeded team in the Midwest Regional didn’t pay attention to the experts that predicted them to play one game and then go home. Instead, they knocked off higher ranked teams in Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin. And as time was running out in the regional finals against Kansas, Davidson had the ball and an opportunity to win.
It was the proverbial David(son) versus Goliath. The little engine that could. The ant and his rubber tree plant. Davidson’s all-world guard Stephen Curry brought the ball up the court – juked left – turned right – found the open man – time running out – SHOOT!!!
Clank.
The Cinderella story isn’t going to live happily ever after. Instead the basketball turned into a pumpkin and Kansas gets to wear the glass slipper and go to the ball. Season over. That’s the tough consequences of sports – one loss – one missed shot – and its over.
While I know we are full of very competitive people here at the Highway Department, thank goodness we don’t work in such an all-or-nothing environment. Yes, it’s extremely important that we bring our “A”-game everyday – lives depend on our work and our decisions. But one “missed shot” doesn’t send us packing. We get to live, learn and carry on again – 24/7, 365 days a year – whatever it takes. This is best part of our work – the “game” never ends. We get to compete everyday. We get to get better everyday. We get the opportunity to WIN everyday. This is the thrill of the fight that gets me out of bed everyday.
Our opponent is crashes, congestion, and deteriorating infrastructure. Sometimes it may feel like we are like Davidson playing against Kansas. The odds are against us, but like Davidson we don’t pay attention to the naysayer’s. We’ll grab the ball - drive it up court - juke left - turn right - find the open man – times running out – SHOOT!!!
Swishhhhh!!!!
The rest is history.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - March 2008
Finally, the long awaited, much anticipated transportation funding bill has arrived!!! Local pressure to fix roads, improve transit service and reduce the property tax burden pushed enough legislators to vote for a major transportation funding bill that meets our goal: permanent increase in dedicated funding for highways, bridges and transit. This bill is not a one-time shot in the arm. It provides ongoing revenue – some of which will grow into the future.
Here’s What the Bill Contains
The ten year revenue estimate is as follows:
Trunk highway fund $3,426,479,000
CSAH $1,455,128,000
MSA $ 382,223,000
Other local roads $ 118,216,000
Metropolitan area transit $1,152,027,000
Greater MN transit $ 58,216,000
TOTAL $6,592,288,000
For the ’08-’09 biennium:
Greater MN transit $ 1,700,000
Northstar extension study $ 250,000
Ports $ 500,000
State roads – operations & maintenance $ 41,352,000
State roads – investment support $ 34,034,000
Highway debt service $ 7,211,000
CSAH $ 50,173,000
MSAS $ 13,179,000
State Patrol $ 3,653,000
Federal emergency relief $ 132,000,000
Value capture study $ 325,000
Total increase in ’08-’09 appropriations: $ 284,377,000
Funding increases for metropolitan area transit will come from the sales tax imposed by counties in the metropolitan area of ¼ percent. The revenue generated by the sales tax is estimated at about $68 million in FY09 increasing to $135.5 million in FY2018.
Funding elements of the bill:
FY2009 .5 cents
FY2010 2.1 cents
FY2011 2.5 cents
FY2012 3.0 cents
FY2013 3.5 cents
50% to CSAH fund – to counties in the metropolitan area, excluding the counties of Hennepin and Ramsey so that each county shall receive the percentage that its population bears to the total population.
- Counties whose proportional annual sales tax revenue is less than or equal to 3% are guaranteed to receive at least as much back as the revenue they generated.
- Before imposing the tax, an eligible county must declare by resolution of its board to be part of the metropolitan transportation area and enter into a joint powers agreement.
- Funding can be used for: capital improvements to transitways, capital costs for park-and-ride facilities, feasibility studies, property acquisition and construction of transitways, and operating assistance for transitways.
- A Grant Evaluation and Ranking System (GEARS) Committee shall be formed to provide grants for eligible expenditures
So what does this mean for Anoka County? Plenty! For the county’s highways and bridges, the new gas tax and tab fees will add over $51 million over the next ten years in ADDITIONAL money to be spent on the CSAH system. This does not include the additional money we are to receive from the changes to the “flex” account and the sales tax on leased vehicles that was noted above. Plus there will monies available for the county to get through the local bridge bonding program and the routes of regional solicitation bonding program. Cities in Anoka County are anticipated to receive $33 million for their use too over the next decade. Finally, because MnDOT receives 62% (of 95%) of the money that goes into the Highway Users Tax Distribution Fund (HUTDF), the state will have more money to spend expanding and fixing its trunk highways in Anoka County.
This bill is great for transit opportunities as well. With the enactment of the metro-wide ¼ cent sales tax, transit options can be expanded and improved for bus, rail and other options to get people out of single occupied vehicles. In addition, operating costs for these facilities, including the Northstar Commuter line, can be paid for with the metro-wide tax and not as a direct property tax burden for Anoka County property owners!
What this bill also provides is optimism. Optimism that we may have a chance to make things better; to improve the quality of life for our citizens without taxing people out of their houses. Optimism that we can live up to our vision “to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.” After all, “At the Anoka County Highway Department, our passion is your safe way home.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Here’s What the Bill Contains
The ten year revenue estimate is as follows:
Trunk highway fund $3,426,479,000
CSAH $1,455,128,000
MSA $ 382,223,000
Other local roads $ 118,216,000
Metropolitan area transit $1,152,027,000
Greater MN transit $ 58,216,000
TOTAL $6,592,288,000
For the ’08-’09 biennium:
Greater MN transit $ 1,700,000
Northstar extension study $ 250,000
Ports $ 500,000
State roads – operations & maintenance $ 41,352,000
State roads – investment support $ 34,034,000
Highway debt service $ 7,211,000
CSAH $ 50,173,000
MSAS $ 13,179,000
State Patrol $ 3,653,000
Federal emergency relief $ 132,000,000
Value capture study $ 325,000
Total increase in ’08-’09 appropriations: $ 284,377,000
Funding increases for metropolitan area transit will come from the sales tax imposed by counties in the metropolitan area of ¼ percent. The revenue generated by the sales tax is estimated at about $68 million in FY09 increasing to $135.5 million in FY2018.
Funding elements of the bill:
- 5 cent increase in gas tax
- 2 cents starting on the first day of the month following 21 days after enactment
- 3 cents on October 1, 2008
- 3.5 cent surcharge on gas tax for trunk highway bond debt
FY2009 .5 cents
FY2010 2.1 cents
FY2011 2.5 cents
FY2012 3.0 cents
FY2013 3.5 cents
- $1.8B in trunk highway bonds over 10 years FY2009-FY2018, $600M of trunk highway bonds dedicated to new Bridge Account for repair and improvements of state bridges
- Eliminating caps on license tab fees and changing the depreciation schedule
- Dedicating sales tax on leased vehicles to Greater MN transit and local roads starting in FY2010 and fully phased-in by FY2012:
50% to CSAH fund – to counties in the metropolitan area, excluding the counties of Hennepin and Ramsey so that each county shall receive the percentage that its population bears to the total population.
- Providing a $25 tax credit for low-income residents
- Authorizing metropolitan area counties to impose a ¼ percent sales tax for transit
- Counties whose proportional annual sales tax revenue is less than or equal to 3% are guaranteed to receive at least as much back as the revenue they generated.
- Before imposing the tax, an eligible county must declare by resolution of its board to be part of the metropolitan transportation area and enter into a joint powers agreement.
- Funding can be used for: capital improvements to transitways, capital costs for park-and-ride facilities, feasibility studies, property acquisition and construction of transitways, and operating assistance for transitways.
- A Grant Evaluation and Ranking System (GEARS) Committee shall be formed to provide grants for eligible expenditures
- Authorizing counties in Greater MN to levy a sales tax of up to ½ percent for transportation purposes
- Increased authorization for MnDOT to spend trunk highway funds in FY08 and FY09 to reflect federal emergency funding related to the I-35W bridge project.
- $60M in GO bonds for local roads and local bridges
- CSAH formula change – new money generated by increased gas tax, license tab fees and increased motor vehicle sales tax distributed under formula based 60% on needs and 40% vehicle registrations.
- Prohibition on charging tolls on existing general purpose lanes
- Change in the Flexible Highway Account funded with the 5% that comes off the top prior to the 62/29/9 distribution to trunk highway fund, CSAH and MSA
- A county regional rail authority may not contribute more than 10% of the capital costs of a light rail transit or commuter rail project and may not contribute any funds to pay the operating and maintenance costs of an LRT or commuter rail project. If a county is contributing to a project on the date of enactment, it may continue to contribute funds.
- A Transportation Strategic Management and Operations Advisory Task Force is created to advise the governor and legislature on management and operations strategies that will improve efficiency in transportation. The task force shall submit a report by Dec. 15, 2008 to the governor and chairs of the committees with jurisdiction over transportation.
So what does this mean for Anoka County? Plenty! For the county’s highways and bridges, the new gas tax and tab fees will add over $51 million over the next ten years in ADDITIONAL money to be spent on the CSAH system. This does not include the additional money we are to receive from the changes to the “flex” account and the sales tax on leased vehicles that was noted above. Plus there will monies available for the county to get through the local bridge bonding program and the routes of regional solicitation bonding program. Cities in Anoka County are anticipated to receive $33 million for their use too over the next decade. Finally, because MnDOT receives 62% (of 95%) of the money that goes into the Highway Users Tax Distribution Fund (HUTDF), the state will have more money to spend expanding and fixing its trunk highways in Anoka County.
This bill is great for transit opportunities as well. With the enactment of the metro-wide ¼ cent sales tax, transit options can be expanded and improved for bus, rail and other options to get people out of single occupied vehicles. In addition, operating costs for these facilities, including the Northstar Commuter line, can be paid for with the metro-wide tax and not as a direct property tax burden for Anoka County property owners!
What this bill also provides is optimism. Optimism that we may have a chance to make things better; to improve the quality of life for our citizens without taxing people out of their houses. Optimism that we can live up to our vision “to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion.” After all, “At the Anoka County Highway Department, our passion is your safe way home.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - January 2008
A little while ago I was preparing a presentation that I am to give at the Minnesota County Engineers Association annual conference later this month. I wanted to integrate this year’s conference theme, “Building Relationships” into my notes so I turned to that master of relationship builders: Dale Carnegie. Though he has long since passed away (1955), this author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People” still is the foundation of an organization that today is a worldwide network of 2,800 trainers with offices in more than 75 countries. His philosophy in building solid relationships is summarized in three main principles and thirty sub-points that I would like to share with you:
Become a Friendlier Person
1. Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.
2. Give honest, sincere appreciation.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.
4. Become genuinely interested in other people.
5. Smile.
6. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most
important sound in any language.
7. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
8. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
9. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
Win People to Your Way of Thinking
10. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
11. Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “You’re wrong.”
12. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
13. Begin in a friendly way.
14. Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.
15. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
16. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
17. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.
18. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.
19. Appeal to the nobler motives.
20. Dramatize your ideas.
21. Throw down a challenge.
Be a Leader
22. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
23. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.
24. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
25. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
26. Let the other person save face.
27. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your
approbation and lavish in your praise.”
28. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
29. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
30. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.
Wow, seems simple enough but as we all know, perhaps a little harder to actually achieve. As we start this new year off, how about we all try to build stronger relationships at work, home and play. I can’t think of anything more important.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Become a Friendlier Person
1. Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.
2. Give honest, sincere appreciation.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.
4. Become genuinely interested in other people.
5. Smile.
6. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most
important sound in any language.
7. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
8. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
9. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
Win People to Your Way of Thinking
10. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
11. Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “You’re wrong.”
12. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
13. Begin in a friendly way.
14. Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.
15. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
16. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
17. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.
18. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.
19. Appeal to the nobler motives.
20. Dramatize your ideas.
21. Throw down a challenge.
Be a Leader
22. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
23. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.
24. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
25. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
26. Let the other person save face.
27. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your
approbation and lavish in your praise.”
28. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
29. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
30. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.
Wow, seems simple enough but as we all know, perhaps a little harder to actually achieve. As we start this new year off, how about we all try to build stronger relationships at work, home and play. I can’t think of anything more important.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - December 2007
We are all so busy and dedicated in what we do, we sometimes forget that the holiday season is a time to relax and enjoy ourselves. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy this little derivation that I concocted for your enjoyment:
“A Highway Christmas”
'Twas the night before a blizzard, when all through the shop,
Not a piece of equipment was stirring, not even a mop.
The truck keys were hung in the garage with care,
In hopes that a foot of snow soon would be there.
The operators were at home all snug in their beds,
While visions of overtime danced in their heads.
With Christenson checking radar, and Haag on the road,
Fischer knew we were in for a load.
When out on the highway there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The wind was a-howling, here came the snow
To make it worse, it was 5 degrees below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should arrive,
But a fleet of trucks and operators to drive,
They jumped into action, like a hunter with a bounty,
I knew in a moment it must Anoka County.
More rapid than eagles the drivers they came,
And Holtznecht cell phoned, and called them by name;
Now, Harter! now, Loftis! Now, McLean and Anderson!
On, Hankins! On Revier! On, Drajna and Lofgren!
Start up those trucks! Do not stall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!
As the mechanics prepared with all their know-how,
Pumped in the diesel, mounted the plow,
So out the highways the 49er’s they flew,
With the truck full of salt, and a brine tank too.
And then, in a squawk, I heard on the 2-way,
“It looks like a tough one, let’s get in the fray.”
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the highway plow trucks came with a bound.
They were all orange, metal and steel,
And the plow blades scraped the road with such a squeal;
A dozen strobe lights lit up the night,
Oh how they twinkled! What a sight!
The blue smoke from the exhaust did blow,
And the salt in the box was as white as the snow;
The butt of a cigar a driver had tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a serious face and an awful lot of guts,
Poured a mug full of coffee, and had a donut (with nuts).
He was determined and fearless, fully trained I suspect,
And I nodded when I saw him, to pay my respect;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
The 49ers spoke not a word, but went straight to their work,
Checked all the hoses, tightened clamps with a jerk.
And driving their trucks off into the night,
I knew all would be OK, even given the plight;
Commuters have no worry, there is nothing to fret,
ACHD has the best drivers I’m willing to bet.
And I heard them exclaim, as they drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
“A Highway Christmas”
'Twas the night before a blizzard, when all through the shop,
Not a piece of equipment was stirring, not even a mop.
The truck keys were hung in the garage with care,
In hopes that a foot of snow soon would be there.
The operators were at home all snug in their beds,
While visions of overtime danced in their heads.
With Christenson checking radar, and Haag on the road,
Fischer knew we were in for a load.
When out on the highway there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The wind was a-howling, here came the snow
To make it worse, it was 5 degrees below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should arrive,
But a fleet of trucks and operators to drive,
They jumped into action, like a hunter with a bounty,
I knew in a moment it must Anoka County.
More rapid than eagles the drivers they came,
And Holtznecht cell phoned, and called them by name;
Now, Harter! now, Loftis! Now, McLean and Anderson!
On, Hankins! On Revier! On, Drajna and Lofgren!
Start up those trucks! Do not stall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!
As the mechanics prepared with all their know-how,
Pumped in the diesel, mounted the plow,
So out the highways the 49er’s they flew,
With the truck full of salt, and a brine tank too.
And then, in a squawk, I heard on the 2-way,
“It looks like a tough one, let’s get in the fray.”
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the highway plow trucks came with a bound.
They were all orange, metal and steel,
And the plow blades scraped the road with such a squeal;
A dozen strobe lights lit up the night,
Oh how they twinkled! What a sight!
The blue smoke from the exhaust did blow,
And the salt in the box was as white as the snow;
The butt of a cigar a driver had tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a serious face and an awful lot of guts,
Poured a mug full of coffee, and had a donut (with nuts).
He was determined and fearless, fully trained I suspect,
And I nodded when I saw him, to pay my respect;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
The 49ers spoke not a word, but went straight to their work,
Checked all the hoses, tightened clamps with a jerk.
And driving their trucks off into the night,
I knew all would be OK, even given the plight;
Commuters have no worry, there is nothing to fret,
ACHD has the best drivers I’m willing to bet.
And I heard them exclaim, as they drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - October 2007
At the September 11, 2007 Board Meeting, the Anoka County Board approved a resolution adopting a proposed operating budget and proposed property tax levy for program year 2008. While the final county budget will not be approved until the December 7, 2007 Board Meeting and the final tax levy may go down (it can’t go higher), the action on September 11th gives us a very good look at what our Highway Department budget is expected to be next year. In all, the county budget is proposed to be $252,763,342 with a levy amount (the amount collected through property taxes) set at $110,864,517. In looking at the Highway Department specifically, our 2008 budget is proposed at $43,036,547. Once again the County Board is striving to keep transportation a high priority while continuing to keep Anoka County property tax rates among the lowest in the state.
The Anoka County Highway Department is poised to strive towards our Vision to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion with a 2008 budget that addresses some of its most critical needs. The Anoka County Highway Department is responsible for 423 miles of highway, 55 bridges and 190 traffic signals. The 2008 budget focuses on pavement preservation, corridor expansion, and numerous spot safety improvement projects.
The Highway Department will continue to preserve its system through almost $3 million in rehabilitation projects. This work includes full-depth pavement reclamation projects, mill and overlay projects, thin-mat paving (formerly called rut-paving), crack sealing, bridge maintenance, signal painting, and railroad crossing repair projects.
The Highway Department will be making its system safer with $1.8 million invested in several signalization/intersection improvement projects including the channelization and signal rebuild of Crosstown Boulevard (CSAH 18) at TH 65 in Ham Lake, a signal rebuild at Osborne Road at TH 65 in Fridley/Spring Lake Park, and signal rebuilds at Seventh Avenue (CSAH 7) exit/entrance ramps at TH 10 in Anoka. The department will also be expanding its award-winning school zone flasher/feedback sign systems to three more schools in 2008.
The Highway Department is set to invest over $20 million in major corridor reconstruction projects in 2008. University Avenue (CSAH 51) will be upgraded to a 4-lane divided urban highway between CSAH 10 (old TH 10) and new TH 10 in the Cities of Blaine and Coon Rapids. Sunfish Lake Boulevard (CSAH 57) will also be upgraded to a 4-lane divided urban design from TH 10 through the BNSF railroad crossing in the City of Ramsey. The department is working with private developers for the upgrade of other county highways including 125th Avenue (CSAH 14) from Cloud Drive to North Lakes Parkway in the City of Blaine, 95th Avenue (CSAH 52) from I-35W to Hamline Avenue in the City of Blaine, and other smaller projects throughout the county. Finally, the county will be providing funds in 2008 to continue projects let and started in 2007 including the interchange construction on 125th Avenue (CSAH 14) at TH 65, and the reconstruction of Main Street (CSAH 14) from I-35W to I-35E in the Cities of Centerville and Lino Lakes.
The Highway Department will be adding one new signal technician position to its Traffic Signal Services Section in 2008. As recent as ten years ago, the Highway Department maintained only 110 traffic signals and 8 emergency vehicle pre-emption (EVP) systems. Now we maintain 190 traffic signal systems, 145 EVP systems and 32 school speed zone flasher/feedback systems.
Due to the turnback of old TH 242 to the county highway system, the Highway Department will be adding one new snowplow truck to its fleet in 2008. In all, the department will be replacing/adding $850,000 worth of equipment and has budgeted over $800,000 in salt for its snow and ice removal program.
With this proposed budget for 2008 and the continued hard work and dedication by all of the men and women of the Highway Department living our Values of Collaboration/Teamwork, Respect, Communication, Integrity, and Personal Accountability, we certainly will be capable to fill our missions.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
The Anoka County Highway Department is poised to strive towards our Vision to enhance and protect life by providing safe roads and eliminating congestion with a 2008 budget that addresses some of its most critical needs. The Anoka County Highway Department is responsible for 423 miles of highway, 55 bridges and 190 traffic signals. The 2008 budget focuses on pavement preservation, corridor expansion, and numerous spot safety improvement projects.
The Highway Department will continue to preserve its system through almost $3 million in rehabilitation projects. This work includes full-depth pavement reclamation projects, mill and overlay projects, thin-mat paving (formerly called rut-paving), crack sealing, bridge maintenance, signal painting, and railroad crossing repair projects.
The Highway Department will be making its system safer with $1.8 million invested in several signalization/intersection improvement projects including the channelization and signal rebuild of Crosstown Boulevard (CSAH 18) at TH 65 in Ham Lake, a signal rebuild at Osborne Road at TH 65 in Fridley/Spring Lake Park, and signal rebuilds at Seventh Avenue (CSAH 7) exit/entrance ramps at TH 10 in Anoka. The department will also be expanding its award-winning school zone flasher/feedback sign systems to three more schools in 2008.
The Highway Department is set to invest over $20 million in major corridor reconstruction projects in 2008. University Avenue (CSAH 51) will be upgraded to a 4-lane divided urban highway between CSAH 10 (old TH 10) and new TH 10 in the Cities of Blaine and Coon Rapids. Sunfish Lake Boulevard (CSAH 57) will also be upgraded to a 4-lane divided urban design from TH 10 through the BNSF railroad crossing in the City of Ramsey. The department is working with private developers for the upgrade of other county highways including 125th Avenue (CSAH 14) from Cloud Drive to North Lakes Parkway in the City of Blaine, 95th Avenue (CSAH 52) from I-35W to Hamline Avenue in the City of Blaine, and other smaller projects throughout the county. Finally, the county will be providing funds in 2008 to continue projects let and started in 2007 including the interchange construction on 125th Avenue (CSAH 14) at TH 65, and the reconstruction of Main Street (CSAH 14) from I-35W to I-35E in the Cities of Centerville and Lino Lakes.
The Highway Department will be adding one new signal technician position to its Traffic Signal Services Section in 2008. As recent as ten years ago, the Highway Department maintained only 110 traffic signals and 8 emergency vehicle pre-emption (EVP) systems. Now we maintain 190 traffic signal systems, 145 EVP systems and 32 school speed zone flasher/feedback systems.
Due to the turnback of old TH 242 to the county highway system, the Highway Department will be adding one new snowplow truck to its fleet in 2008. In all, the department will be replacing/adding $850,000 worth of equipment and has budgeted over $800,000 in salt for its snow and ice removal program.
With this proposed budget for 2008 and the continued hard work and dedication by all of the men and women of the Highway Department living our Values of Collaboration/Teamwork, Respect, Communication, Integrity, and Personal Accountability, we certainly will be capable to fill our missions.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - August 2007
Where were you on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 at 6:05 p.m.? This is the date and time when the I-35W bridge’s main 458-foot span collapsed during rush hour, sending dozens of vehicles and tons of concrete and twisted metal into the waters of the Mississippi River 64 feet below. On behalf of the Highway Department’s employees, we extend our deepest condolences to the victims, the injured, their families and all others affected by the catastrophic event.
Since this horrific event, the nation’s infrastructure has come to the forefront of national media. To those of us in the transportation industry, the fragile state of our infrastructure is nothing new. In the latest report card on the nation’s infrastructure by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), “Bridges” received a “C” grade, “Roads” received a “D” grade, and “Transit” received a “D+”. The United States has 590,750 bridges. A whopping 27% of these bridges are rated as either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete – that’s over 1 out of every 4 bridges! With regards to highways, poor road conditions cost U.S. motorists $54 billion per year in repairs and operating costs - $275 per motorist. Americans spend 3.5 billion hours a year stuck in traffic.
Unfortunately, our infrastructure woes aren’t limited to roads, bridges and transit. ASCE grades these other infrastructure needs: Aviation – D+, Dams – D, Drinking Water – D-, National Power Grid – D, Hazardous Waste – D, Navigable Waterways – D-, Public Parks – C-, Rail – C-, Schools – D, National Security – I,
Solid Waste – C+, Wastewater – D-. In total America’s infrastructure has a cumulative G.P.A. of “D”. Total investment needs = $1.6 TRILLION. Let us hope that our state and national leaders will realize that we need to keep reinvesting to improve our failing infrastructure.
While this disaster has raised the awareness of the financial needs of maintaining our infrastructure, it is also a stark reminder of our duties and responsibilities as Highway Department employees in planning, designing, building and maintaining our county highway system. You may have noticed that I wear a stainless steel ring on the small finger of my right hand (the hand I sign documents with). I received this ring after taking an oath to join the Order of the Engineer Society.
The purpose of the Order of the Engineer is to call attention to the obligation of all engineers to use their technical education ethically in shaping the world around them. Ethical practice of engineering occasionally requires great courage, and always requires that we maintain the highest standards of personal integrity. Every time I approve a set of plans, contract documents, design specifications, INSPECTION REPORTS, etc., my rings “clanks” on the desk and reminds me that the success of the engineering project and the lives of people depend on my engineering judgment. This is the greatest responsibility of all.
So as we go about our everyday business of planning, designing, building, and maintaining or county highway system, please remember of the awesome responsibilities that we all have. With almost one billion vehicle miles driven on our county highway system, we need to dutifully live up our department’s slogan:
“At the Anoka County Highway Department, our Passion is your safe way home.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Since this horrific event, the nation’s infrastructure has come to the forefront of national media. To those of us in the transportation industry, the fragile state of our infrastructure is nothing new. In the latest report card on the nation’s infrastructure by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), “Bridges” received a “C” grade, “Roads” received a “D” grade, and “Transit” received a “D+”. The United States has 590,750 bridges. A whopping 27% of these bridges are rated as either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete – that’s over 1 out of every 4 bridges! With regards to highways, poor road conditions cost U.S. motorists $54 billion per year in repairs and operating costs - $275 per motorist. Americans spend 3.5 billion hours a year stuck in traffic.
Unfortunately, our infrastructure woes aren’t limited to roads, bridges and transit. ASCE grades these other infrastructure needs: Aviation – D+, Dams – D, Drinking Water – D-, National Power Grid – D, Hazardous Waste – D, Navigable Waterways – D-, Public Parks – C-, Rail – C-, Schools – D, National Security – I,
Solid Waste – C+, Wastewater – D-. In total America’s infrastructure has a cumulative G.P.A. of “D”. Total investment needs = $1.6 TRILLION. Let us hope that our state and national leaders will realize that we need to keep reinvesting to improve our failing infrastructure.
While this disaster has raised the awareness of the financial needs of maintaining our infrastructure, it is also a stark reminder of our duties and responsibilities as Highway Department employees in planning, designing, building and maintaining our county highway system. You may have noticed that I wear a stainless steel ring on the small finger of my right hand (the hand I sign documents with). I received this ring after taking an oath to join the Order of the Engineer Society.
The purpose of the Order of the Engineer is to call attention to the obligation of all engineers to use their technical education ethically in shaping the world around them. Ethical practice of engineering occasionally requires great courage, and always requires that we maintain the highest standards of personal integrity. Every time I approve a set of plans, contract documents, design specifications, INSPECTION REPORTS, etc., my rings “clanks” on the desk and reminds me that the success of the engineering project and the lives of people depend on my engineering judgment. This is the greatest responsibility of all.
So as we go about our everyday business of planning, designing, building, and maintaining or county highway system, please remember of the awesome responsibilities that we all have. With almost one billion vehicle miles driven on our county highway system, we need to dutifully live up our department’s slogan:
“At the Anoka County Highway Department, our Passion is your safe way home.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - May 2007
It’s a good idea sometimes to leave work at the office and go home and relax with family and friends. But often this is very difficult to do, especially this time of year when we are in the throes of working on our budgets for next year. I might have to be more careful in which movies I choose to relax with, so I don’t wake up in the middle of the night with anymore nightmares like this one that I recently had:
Setting: Highway budget review meeting with the Finance and Budget Committee.
Highway: "You want answers?"
Finance: "I think we are entitled to them!"
Highway: "You want answers?!"
Finance: "I want the truth!"
Highway: "You can't handle the truth!!!"
Highway (continuing): "Son, we live in a world that requires roads. And those roads must be brought in by people with elite skills. Who's going to do it? You? You, Mr. Overhead? We have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom.
You scoff at Highway and you curse our excessive cost overruns. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what we know: that while the cost of highway construction is excessive, it saves lives.
And my very existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, save LIVES! You don't want to know the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at staff meetings ... you want me on that road. You NEED me on that road!
We use words like addendums, supplemental agreements, carry-overs, bonding and flex-financing. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent building something. You use them as a punch line!
I have neither the time nor inclination to explain myself to people who rise and sleep under the very blanket of highways I provide and then question the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a shovel and build something. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!"
Finance: "Did you overrun all of your construction contracts last year?"
Highway: "I did the job I was hired to do."
Finance: "Did you overrun all of your construction contracts last year?"
Highway: "You're goddamn right I did!"
May all your dreams be sweet and restful. Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Setting: Highway budget review meeting with the Finance and Budget Committee.
Highway: "You want answers?"
Finance: "I think we are entitled to them!"
Highway: "You want answers?!"
Finance: "I want the truth!"
Highway: "You can't handle the truth!!!"
Highway (continuing): "Son, we live in a world that requires roads. And those roads must be brought in by people with elite skills. Who's going to do it? You? You, Mr. Overhead? We have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom.
You scoff at Highway and you curse our excessive cost overruns. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what we know: that while the cost of highway construction is excessive, it saves lives.
And my very existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, save LIVES! You don't want to know the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at staff meetings ... you want me on that road. You NEED me on that road!
We use words like addendums, supplemental agreements, carry-overs, bonding and flex-financing. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent building something. You use them as a punch line!
I have neither the time nor inclination to explain myself to people who rise and sleep under the very blanket of highways I provide and then question the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a shovel and build something. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!"
Finance: "Did you overrun all of your construction contracts last year?"
Highway: "I did the job I was hired to do."
Finance: "Did you overrun all of your construction contracts last year?"
Highway: "You're goddamn right I did!"
May all your dreams be sweet and restful. Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - July 2006
June 29, 2006 marked the 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system – a triumph of modern engineering the revolutionized the nation. By ensuring safe, fast and inexpensive travel from city to city, this vast network of divided freeways helped to unite the nation both culturally and economically. Using the interstate highway system to move goods efficiently from ports, rail lines, and manufacturing centers to towns and cities across the nation, the United States rose in the post-World War II era to become an economic and political powerhouse.
Fifty years ago, the only links between America’s cities were simple two-lane roads. Most of them were filled with stop signs, traffic signals, and railroad and cattle crossings. Today, the interstate system connects our coasts and our borders, our cities and our small towns. It is an asphalt and concrete network that keeps our United States…united.
The roots of the interstate system lie with the military. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, was stunned by the efficiency and strategic importance of Germany’s Autobahn. As President, Eisenhower was determined to build a superhighway in the U.S. for military transport and evacuation of cities in wartime. Construction began in 1956. Today, and hundreds of billions of dollars later, the system is 99 percent complete.
The design and construction of the first segments of the system during the 1950s and 1960s showcased the knowledge, ingenuity, expertise, and dedication of the engineers and construction professionals who literally moved mountains to accomplish their task. As construction continued in the 1970s and the decades that followed, the skill of those professionals would again be tested, this time by the need to meet environmental and community needs as they proceeded with construction and by difficult choices that funding shortfalls made necessary. A testament to their achievement is that the vast majority of the system has stood the test of time and continues to deliver as intended.
But the sheer volume of traffic – particularly truck traffic and commuter traffic – that the system must accommodate plus a lack of a long-term transportation funding plan is exacting a toll on performance levels, both capacity and safety.
If we are to keep this wonder of the world from deteriorating, we will need strong leadership to inspire – and fund – a long-term, comprehensive transportation plan for the future. It can only be our hope that this leadership can be as bold and courageous as those that created the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 fifty years ago.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Fifty years ago, the only links between America’s cities were simple two-lane roads. Most of them were filled with stop signs, traffic signals, and railroad and cattle crossings. Today, the interstate system connects our coasts and our borders, our cities and our small towns. It is an asphalt and concrete network that keeps our United States…united.
The roots of the interstate system lie with the military. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, was stunned by the efficiency and strategic importance of Germany’s Autobahn. As President, Eisenhower was determined to build a superhighway in the U.S. for military transport and evacuation of cities in wartime. Construction began in 1956. Today, and hundreds of billions of dollars later, the system is 99 percent complete.
The design and construction of the first segments of the system during the 1950s and 1960s showcased the knowledge, ingenuity, expertise, and dedication of the engineers and construction professionals who literally moved mountains to accomplish their task. As construction continued in the 1970s and the decades that followed, the skill of those professionals would again be tested, this time by the need to meet environmental and community needs as they proceeded with construction and by difficult choices that funding shortfalls made necessary. A testament to their achievement is that the vast majority of the system has stood the test of time and continues to deliver as intended.
But the sheer volume of traffic – particularly truck traffic and commuter traffic – that the system must accommodate plus a lack of a long-term transportation funding plan is exacting a toll on performance levels, both capacity and safety.
If we are to keep this wonder of the world from deteriorating, we will need strong leadership to inspire – and fund – a long-term, comprehensive transportation plan for the future. It can only be our hope that this leadership can be as bold and courageous as those that created the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 fifty years ago.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - November 2006
In his new autobiography, “Greg Norman – The Way of the Shark – Lessons on Golf, Business and Life”, Norman reveals the secrets behind his myriad achievements, tracing his journey from Australia, to the World Golf Hall of Fame, and to chairman of his global business enterprises.
Greg Norman is best known for his accomplishments on the golf course. He has won 91 professional tournaments around the world, including 2 British Opens and 20 PGA tour titles. He held the No. 1 World Ranking at the peak of his career for an astonishing 331 weeks.
Norman has brought the same competitive fire to the business world, building an enterprise that reflects the diversity of his interests and the power of his brand. Norman has done something very few professional athletes have ever managed – he has transcended the sport that made him famous.
In his book, Norman illustrates the principles and values that are at the core of his success and offers readers of his book concrete advice for applying their own talents and demonstrating how anyone can be a champion at what they do. While his principles and values are woven into the book with many very good examples, here is a listing of the principles and values that define Greg Norman himself:
Just as Greg Norman has anchored his determination, passion and drive for perfection in his values, so too are we striving to do that here at the Highway Department. We have defined our Values, we are currently working on our Vision, and will soon be defining our Mission and Goals. When we have developed these principles, and put them into practice, we too will be better positioned to achieve success at the highest possible levels.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Greg Norman is best known for his accomplishments on the golf course. He has won 91 professional tournaments around the world, including 2 British Opens and 20 PGA tour titles. He held the No. 1 World Ranking at the peak of his career for an astonishing 331 weeks.
Norman has brought the same competitive fire to the business world, building an enterprise that reflects the diversity of his interests and the power of his brand. Norman has done something very few professional athletes have ever managed – he has transcended the sport that made him famous.
In his book, Norman illustrates the principles and values that are at the core of his success and offers readers of his book concrete advice for applying their own talents and demonstrating how anyone can be a champion at what they do. While his principles and values are woven into the book with many very good examples, here is a listing of the principles and values that define Greg Norman himself:
Just as Greg Norman has anchored his determination, passion and drive for perfection in his values, so too are we striving to do that here at the Highway Department. We have defined our Values, we are currently working on our Vision, and will soon be defining our Mission and Goals. When we have developed these principles, and put them into practice, we too will be better positioned to achieve success at the highest possible levels.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - December 2006
As part of an in-house supervisor training program, supervisors and managers have recently started studying Stephen R. Covey’s best-selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Many of the points that Covey makes should not be limited to the supervisors, but can relate to everyone’s personal and work situations. To that end, I would like to share with you some of the material from the “7 Habits Personal Workbook” beginning with Habit 1: Be Proactive.
I would like to thank Steve Peterson for providing me with another example of how a person can become a testament to self-determination. William Earnest Henley (1849-1903) was an English poet, playwright, and editor. He was a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson and was well respected in Victorian literary circles. But he is probably most famous for his sixteen-line poem “Invictus” (see insert for full text).
It is safe to say that “Invictus” is an autobiographical poem. Henley had an incredibly turbulent life: he was one of six children raised in poverty, he was afflicted with tubercular arthritis at age 12, his left leg was amputated when he was 16, he spent months in hospitals struggling with illness, and lost his only child to cerebral meningitis. However, Henley managed to overcome these adversities and engage in a long, rewarding career. His poem has since become an inspiration to many who have fallen on hard times. “Invictus” is Latin for unconquerable or undefeated. The closing lines sum up Henley’s philosophy best:
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
So too, are we.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
I would like to thank Steve Peterson for providing me with another example of how a person can become a testament to self-determination. William Earnest Henley (1849-1903) was an English poet, playwright, and editor. He was a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson and was well respected in Victorian literary circles. But he is probably most famous for his sixteen-line poem “Invictus” (see insert for full text).
It is safe to say that “Invictus” is an autobiographical poem. Henley had an incredibly turbulent life: he was one of six children raised in poverty, he was afflicted with tubercular arthritis at age 12, his left leg was amputated when he was 16, he spent months in hospitals struggling with illness, and lost his only child to cerebral meningitis. However, Henley managed to overcome these adversities and engage in a long, rewarding career. His poem has since become an inspiration to many who have fallen on hard times. “Invictus” is Latin for unconquerable or undefeated. The closing lines sum up Henley’s philosophy best:
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
So too, are we.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - September 2005
By now you all have heard and seen the devastation that occurred in New Orleans and Mississippi from the wrath and fury of Hurricane Katrina. The destruction that was caused by this storm is estimated to be the largest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Each day the damage totals and number of lives lost and families displaced keep rising. Our thoughts and prayers must go out to those that were adversely affected by this terrible tragedy.
New Orleans is surrounded by water – Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River and the nearby Gulf of Mexico. Resting an average of six feet below sea level, the city’s safety has long depended on one of the world’s most extensive levee systems. As an engineer I cringe when I hear comments that the levy was designed incorrectly and failed because of its deficient design. Actually the levy performed exactly as it was designed. It was designed to withstand a Level 3 hurricane. The storm that hit New Orleans was a low Level 5/high Level 4 hurricane. The levees were never expected to withstand this type of storm surge at all. Actually, it was quite surprising that there were only two major breaches.
So what went wrong? Well, depending on whom you ask, nothing and everything.
Here’s the “nothing went wrong” standpoint: The public was only willing to support the cost of infrastructure improvements up to a level 3 hurricane and was willing to accept the risk of anything greater than that. It was inevitable that this would happen, it did, and these are predictable consequences. That’s why we have contingency plans (evacuation procedures and insurance), right?
Here’s the “everything went wrong” viewpoint: 1.) Public officials should have had the courage to make the necessary infrastructure improvements to protect the public from the much higher cost of loss of life and property. The last major improvement done on the levees were after a 1965 storm. While studies are still incomplete, it is estimated that several hundreds of millions of dollars would be necessary to upgrade the 350 miles of levees to Level 5 storms. This pales in cost to the estimated loss of property and the cost of the relief effort (estimated at over $100 BILLION). And who even wants to put a price tag on the THOUSANDS of lives that have been lost? 2.) If you’re going to accept a lower protection level and higher risk, you better have a backup plan for the inevitable storm that will exceed the level of protection. Obviously, plans to evacuate the city and subsequently respond to levee failures were grossly inadequate. 3.) Even if you have an adequate contingency plan, you better have competent public officials who can authorize and execute the plan. Obviously there have been breakdowns at all levels.
Enough said about Katrina. Again, our thoughts and prayers go out to those that have lost loved ones and have been displaced from their homes. But the above discussion does remind me of how the public is hesitant, if not totally opposed to, making the necessary investments in needed infrastructure improvements, including our highways.
What are some of the reasons we continually hear about why some are opposed to paying more for infrastructure improvements? How about this one: “If government acted more like private business we wouldn’t have this problem.” Funny, I don’t recall seeing corporate board meetings on TV like all of our County Board Meetings are telecast.
Here’s another one: “If government just cut out all the fat, we’d have plenty of money to invest in our infrastructure.” Sure, all agencies have to realize that their organizations can always be improved and we have to seek out these areas and take the steps to make these improvements. But the public also has to realize that infrastructure can only be fully maintained and improved by furnishing the dollars necessary to support this investment. I like the way Bill Mobbs, a former New York Public Works Commissioner, has put it. He presents an analogy of the highway department being a boat. The public would no longer furnish the dollars to caulk the boat, causing it to leak and begin to sink. The county started to bail out the water with a cup but it continued to sink. The public again refused to furnish the money to caulk the boat instead telling the county that if they would just become more efficient, the problem would be solved. The county progressively becomes more efficient by using larger and larger utensils to bail out the water until finally progressing up to a large garbage can to bail out the water. In the end, the boat still sank. Moral – if you don’t fix the leaks, no matter how efficient you get, the ship is going down.
The same holds true for government and the public’s perception of government. If dollars are not made available to provide the necessary services and investments in our infrastructure, no amount of improvements in efficiency, hiring freezes or elimination of waste will provide enough to save the system from sinking. Just like the Level 4 hurricane was bound to happen, these actions only buy a little time until the inevitable.
To put a little twist on a familiar saying, “Pay me now, or you’ll pay later.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
New Orleans is surrounded by water – Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River and the nearby Gulf of Mexico. Resting an average of six feet below sea level, the city’s safety has long depended on one of the world’s most extensive levee systems. As an engineer I cringe when I hear comments that the levy was designed incorrectly and failed because of its deficient design. Actually the levy performed exactly as it was designed. It was designed to withstand a Level 3 hurricane. The storm that hit New Orleans was a low Level 5/high Level 4 hurricane. The levees were never expected to withstand this type of storm surge at all. Actually, it was quite surprising that there were only two major breaches.
So what went wrong? Well, depending on whom you ask, nothing and everything.
Here’s the “nothing went wrong” standpoint: The public was only willing to support the cost of infrastructure improvements up to a level 3 hurricane and was willing to accept the risk of anything greater than that. It was inevitable that this would happen, it did, and these are predictable consequences. That’s why we have contingency plans (evacuation procedures and insurance), right?
Here’s the “everything went wrong” viewpoint: 1.) Public officials should have had the courage to make the necessary infrastructure improvements to protect the public from the much higher cost of loss of life and property. The last major improvement done on the levees were after a 1965 storm. While studies are still incomplete, it is estimated that several hundreds of millions of dollars would be necessary to upgrade the 350 miles of levees to Level 5 storms. This pales in cost to the estimated loss of property and the cost of the relief effort (estimated at over $100 BILLION). And who even wants to put a price tag on the THOUSANDS of lives that have been lost? 2.) If you’re going to accept a lower protection level and higher risk, you better have a backup plan for the inevitable storm that will exceed the level of protection. Obviously, plans to evacuate the city and subsequently respond to levee failures were grossly inadequate. 3.) Even if you have an adequate contingency plan, you better have competent public officials who can authorize and execute the plan. Obviously there have been breakdowns at all levels.
Enough said about Katrina. Again, our thoughts and prayers go out to those that have lost loved ones and have been displaced from their homes. But the above discussion does remind me of how the public is hesitant, if not totally opposed to, making the necessary investments in needed infrastructure improvements, including our highways.
What are some of the reasons we continually hear about why some are opposed to paying more for infrastructure improvements? How about this one: “If government acted more like private business we wouldn’t have this problem.” Funny, I don’t recall seeing corporate board meetings on TV like all of our County Board Meetings are telecast.
Here’s another one: “If government just cut out all the fat, we’d have plenty of money to invest in our infrastructure.” Sure, all agencies have to realize that their organizations can always be improved and we have to seek out these areas and take the steps to make these improvements. But the public also has to realize that infrastructure can only be fully maintained and improved by furnishing the dollars necessary to support this investment. I like the way Bill Mobbs, a former New York Public Works Commissioner, has put it. He presents an analogy of the highway department being a boat. The public would no longer furnish the dollars to caulk the boat, causing it to leak and begin to sink. The county started to bail out the water with a cup but it continued to sink. The public again refused to furnish the money to caulk the boat instead telling the county that if they would just become more efficient, the problem would be solved. The county progressively becomes more efficient by using larger and larger utensils to bail out the water until finally progressing up to a large garbage can to bail out the water. In the end, the boat still sank. Moral – if you don’t fix the leaks, no matter how efficient you get, the ship is going down.
The same holds true for government and the public’s perception of government. If dollars are not made available to provide the necessary services and investments in our infrastructure, no amount of improvements in efficiency, hiring freezes or elimination of waste will provide enough to save the system from sinking. Just like the Level 4 hurricane was bound to happen, these actions only buy a little time until the inevitable.
To put a little twist on a familiar saying, “Pay me now, or you’ll pay later.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - August 2005
Last week the 3M Championship held at the TPC of the Twin Cities concluded another remarkable week of exciting PGA action in Anoka County. Thanks to everyone that participated in the traffic management for the event and in mowing and picking up the litter along the major routes leading to this venue. Once again Anoka County put its best foot forward as we hosted this worldwide viewed event.
Tom Purtzer closed the deal to win his first 3M Championship after failing to hold onto the lead the last two years. It was an exciting finish to a great week of golf, but it wasn’t easy. Purtzer had to navigate the dangerous par 3, 17th hole which is totally over water to secure his victory. This hole had been Purtzer’s nemesis the last two years and was certainly on his mind when he played them this year too. In an interview earlier in the week, he mentioned that he would like to “blow up” the 17th hole. But to his credit he overcame his anxieties and went a respectable par-bogey-par on his way to the championship. Not a great score on this hole, but good enough to win.
So what can we learn from all of this? What I learned were a couple of things. First, Purtzer had the courage to confront his challenge. He didn’t back away. As mentioned above, he didn’t conquer the 17th hole, but he managed it enough to not let it beat him. In addition, since he knew that the 17th was going to be tough on him he picked up his game on the other holes that fit his game much better. By being great on the rest of the course, being “good enough” on 17th let him win the championship. He hit over 90% of the greens in regulation, including a hole-in-one on hole number 8 on Friday’s opening round.
His example shows us that we don’t have to be perfect in EVERY thing that we do to win. We must understand our weaknesses and try to manage them. But if we can do that and then excel at the things that we know we can do well, we can end up victorious in our endeavors at home, work and play.
At the highway department I believe that we do that every day. There are some things that we do very, very well. Other tasks we need to work on or even bring in outside help to assist us in doing. But through a combination of managing the things that we don’t do as well and excelling at the tasks that we do do well, we deliver on our mission to provide a safe and efficient highway system for our traveling public. Just like Tom Purtzer was able to face his challenge, manage his weaknesses, and excel at what he does best, we too perform in this way to be winners at what we do for our citizens.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Tom Purtzer closed the deal to win his first 3M Championship after failing to hold onto the lead the last two years. It was an exciting finish to a great week of golf, but it wasn’t easy. Purtzer had to navigate the dangerous par 3, 17th hole which is totally over water to secure his victory. This hole had been Purtzer’s nemesis the last two years and was certainly on his mind when he played them this year too. In an interview earlier in the week, he mentioned that he would like to “blow up” the 17th hole. But to his credit he overcame his anxieties and went a respectable par-bogey-par on his way to the championship. Not a great score on this hole, but good enough to win.
So what can we learn from all of this? What I learned were a couple of things. First, Purtzer had the courage to confront his challenge. He didn’t back away. As mentioned above, he didn’t conquer the 17th hole, but he managed it enough to not let it beat him. In addition, since he knew that the 17th was going to be tough on him he picked up his game on the other holes that fit his game much better. By being great on the rest of the course, being “good enough” on 17th let him win the championship. He hit over 90% of the greens in regulation, including a hole-in-one on hole number 8 on Friday’s opening round.
His example shows us that we don’t have to be perfect in EVERY thing that we do to win. We must understand our weaknesses and try to manage them. But if we can do that and then excel at the things that we know we can do well, we can end up victorious in our endeavors at home, work and play.
At the highway department I believe that we do that every day. There are some things that we do very, very well. Other tasks we need to work on or even bring in outside help to assist us in doing. But through a combination of managing the things that we don’t do as well and excelling at the tasks that we do do well, we deliver on our mission to provide a safe and efficient highway system for our traveling public. Just like Tom Purtzer was able to face his challenge, manage his weaknesses, and excel at what he does best, we too perform in this way to be winners at what we do for our citizens.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - November 2004
Here’s a statement that you haven’t been able to say since 1918: “The Boston Red Sox win the World Series”. There will be no more talk of the “Curse of the Bambino” or “1918”. The 2004 Red Sox came back from an 0-3 deficit against their hated arch-rivals the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series and then swept the St. Louis Cardinals to capture their first World Series title in 86 years.
It’s not that they didn’t try during those 86 years, but World Series disappointments occurred in 1946, 1967, 1975 and 1986. Maybe Johnny Pesky and Bill Buckner won’t be so afraid to come out in public anymore. May the “Curse” rest in peace.
Of course there were great heroics in this year’s playoffs. Curt Schilling played despite having a torn tendon in his ankle stitched to his flesh to keep it from flopping around when he tried to pitch. There was clutch hitting from Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez and former Twin David Ortiz. Manager Terry Francona, despite early criticism, orchestrated a team that labeled themselves “idiots” into a club that will be remembered for the key contributions of all 25 players.
But why was this team so different than those in the past? Perhaps it was that this team never ever bought into the whole curse thing. They looked forward not backward. Maybe with free agency and the way players move around so much, they never really had the opportunity to dwell on the past. Aware of it – yes. Did it permeate there every thought – no. They truly were Champions in every aspect of the word.
You know we can become victims of our own curses if we let it. Do we carry around grudges from long ago? Have we been criticized for a former mistake and have now given up trying to make things right? Will we allow ourselves to be slaves to the errors of our predecessors? Will we be caught up in these “curses” like the ’46, ’67, ’75 and ’86 Red Sox teams that succumbed to the past?
I surely hope not.
Certainly we must learn from our past, but we can’t allow ourselves to be condemned by it either. It is my hope that we can move this department ahead in a forward thinking manner. Like the 2004 Boston Red Sox, we now have many “free agents” – new employees in the department that bring new ideas and new attitudes with an eye for the future. So let’s be aware of our past and build on our successes, but not dwell on our failures and we too will be Champions in every thing we do.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
It’s not that they didn’t try during those 86 years, but World Series disappointments occurred in 1946, 1967, 1975 and 1986. Maybe Johnny Pesky and Bill Buckner won’t be so afraid to come out in public anymore. May the “Curse” rest in peace.
Of course there were great heroics in this year’s playoffs. Curt Schilling played despite having a torn tendon in his ankle stitched to his flesh to keep it from flopping around when he tried to pitch. There was clutch hitting from Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez and former Twin David Ortiz. Manager Terry Francona, despite early criticism, orchestrated a team that labeled themselves “idiots” into a club that will be remembered for the key contributions of all 25 players.
But why was this team so different than those in the past? Perhaps it was that this team never ever bought into the whole curse thing. They looked forward not backward. Maybe with free agency and the way players move around so much, they never really had the opportunity to dwell on the past. Aware of it – yes. Did it permeate there every thought – no. They truly were Champions in every aspect of the word.
You know we can become victims of our own curses if we let it. Do we carry around grudges from long ago? Have we been criticized for a former mistake and have now given up trying to make things right? Will we allow ourselves to be slaves to the errors of our predecessors? Will we be caught up in these “curses” like the ’46, ’67, ’75 and ’86 Red Sox teams that succumbed to the past?
I surely hope not.
Certainly we must learn from our past, but we can’t allow ourselves to be condemned by it either. It is my hope that we can move this department ahead in a forward thinking manner. Like the 2004 Boston Red Sox, we now have many “free agents” – new employees in the department that bring new ideas and new attitudes with an eye for the future. So let’s be aware of our past and build on our successes, but not dwell on our failures and we too will be Champions in every thing we do.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - July 2004
On Saturday, June 5, 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States died at the age of 93. Life can be ironic and cruel at times. The man known as the “Great Communicator” spent his life out of public view, unable to carry on conversations with his wife and children, all because of the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Per President Bush’s order, all flags are to flown at half-mast for the following 30 days.
Whether you loved or hated his policies, you had to admire his conviction, vision and persistence. When he came into office he came with a mission and agenda: First, to get the country out of its economic malaise and secondly to defeat the Soviet Union. Through his leadership he is credited with revitalizing the economy and ended the “Cold War” over the “Evil Empire”. It is clear that all of his efforts started as a vision, became his mission and he set out clear goals to achieve them.
This has caused me to think about our mission here at the Highway Department. A company mission statement should be a powerful force to clearly define our organization’s purpose for existence. The formulation of a company mission is critical to an organization’s success. It helps to keep us focused on preserving or strengthening our core responsibilities. This is even more essential in times of budget crunches and a seemingly endless stream of needs.
Do you know what our mission is?
Would you be surprised to know that several years ago we adopted the following mission: “To plan, build and maintain the Anoka County Highway System in a safe, efficient and proactive manner, while balancing the evolving transportation needs of the public with available resources.” I remember discussing this and helping work on the development of this mission statement.
Industry experts will tell us that the most successful company missions are measurable, definable, and actionable project statements with emotional appeal that everyone knows and can act upon. While our mission statement covered all of the bases as far as what we do, it certainly did not meet the “emotional appeal” requirement. I am very confident that no one has memorized the mission either. Therefore, I would like to redo our vision, mission and goals. And I would like to use the “KISS” method (Keep It Simple, Stupid) when developing these statements. Take Honda for example. Their mission statement is simply “Beat GM!”. Now this is something that every employee can remember and measure every day.
While I will be selecting a core group to actually work out the details, I would like all employees to provide input into the development of our vision, mission and goals. It could be as simple as:
Vision: “Do it!”
Mission: “Did it!”
Goal: “Let’s do it again!”
I hope you get the point: something that is measurable, definable and promotes an easy to remember emotional response. Given all of the demands that are being placed upon us we must move strategically and proactively into the future with a clear vision, definable mission and actionable goals. Since I started off with a reference to the late President Reagan I will conclude all of this with one of his quotes that so aptly fits this effort:
“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Whether you loved or hated his policies, you had to admire his conviction, vision and persistence. When he came into office he came with a mission and agenda: First, to get the country out of its economic malaise and secondly to defeat the Soviet Union. Through his leadership he is credited with revitalizing the economy and ended the “Cold War” over the “Evil Empire”. It is clear that all of his efforts started as a vision, became his mission and he set out clear goals to achieve them.
This has caused me to think about our mission here at the Highway Department. A company mission statement should be a powerful force to clearly define our organization’s purpose for existence. The formulation of a company mission is critical to an organization’s success. It helps to keep us focused on preserving or strengthening our core responsibilities. This is even more essential in times of budget crunches and a seemingly endless stream of needs.
Do you know what our mission is?
Would you be surprised to know that several years ago we adopted the following mission: “To plan, build and maintain the Anoka County Highway System in a safe, efficient and proactive manner, while balancing the evolving transportation needs of the public with available resources.” I remember discussing this and helping work on the development of this mission statement.
Industry experts will tell us that the most successful company missions are measurable, definable, and actionable project statements with emotional appeal that everyone knows and can act upon. While our mission statement covered all of the bases as far as what we do, it certainly did not meet the “emotional appeal” requirement. I am very confident that no one has memorized the mission either. Therefore, I would like to redo our vision, mission and goals. And I would like to use the “KISS” method (Keep It Simple, Stupid) when developing these statements. Take Honda for example. Their mission statement is simply “Beat GM!”. Now this is something that every employee can remember and measure every day.
While I will be selecting a core group to actually work out the details, I would like all employees to provide input into the development of our vision, mission and goals. It could be as simple as:
Vision: “Do it!”
Mission: “Did it!”
Goal: “Let’s do it again!”
I hope you get the point: something that is measurable, definable and promotes an easy to remember emotional response. Given all of the demands that are being placed upon us we must move strategically and proactively into the future with a clear vision, definable mission and actionable goals. Since I started off with a reference to the late President Reagan I will conclude all of this with one of his quotes that so aptly fits this effort:
“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - June 2004
June already – where did the spring go!? While our school aged children get the summer off, we are moving full speed ahead with the numerous activities here at the Highway Department. I would like to use this space to update you on several happenings and projects.
Our summer construction program is off to a great start. Good weather in April and early May helped us get a lot of work done so far. I am also pleased to report that our new policy of closing roads in lieu of maintaining traffic throughout construction has gone better than expected. Besides saving a great deal of money, the contractors are generally moving ahead of schedule. Of course we have hit a couple of “bumps” in the proverbial road with some complaints, but considering that some of our projects are on roads with 20,000 vehicles a day, the general feeling is that this is something we need to continue doing in the future.
The Department is in the middle of preparing its 2005 budget. We are coming off a near record salt usage winter reducing our carry-over supply and several of our big construction projects came in over budget this year, but we are still in fairly good shape for next year. Fortunately, we have been very successful in soliciting federal funding for almost our entire construction program. The double-edged sword in this though is that if we need to save a million dollars of county levy by cutting a project, we would have to cut a $5 million project (assuming a 80% federal/20% local cost share).
As you know the Legislature is doing nothing to relieve our transportation woes not only in the north metro, but statewide. The failure to pass a bonding bill this session not only meant no Northstar Commuter Rail, but to a myriad number of transportation projects as well. Local bridge bonding projects may be put on hold for two or more years, and projects may be stalled by regulatory permitting due to no funding of the Local Road Wetland Replacement Program. Even though transportation issues are consistently the number one issue brought up as a severe problem by the citizens of this state, the legislature has no plan for correcting the imbalance of the existing funding formula or for creating a new, strategic transportation infrastructure funding plan for the future. Unfortunately, I am afraid that things will be getting worse, much worse, in a growing county like ours for the foreseeable future.
On a better note, after a long freeze on replacing our open positions, we are now in the process of filling our 14 vacant positions. Once we get past some of the internal promotions or transfers that may occur, we will actually be adding some much needed relief in all sections of the Department. I want to thank each and every one of you that sucked it up, took on more work and responsibilities, and helped us succeed as a Department during the hiring freeze. I know that many of you are near burnout, but help is on the way! We will be reporting new hirings in this and future issues of the Centerline Newsletter.
Finally, I would like to conclude by offering some additional remarks about our wonderful friends Dick Martin and John McDonough who passed away recently. Both of these remarkable gentlemen are the perfect example of what we are looking for in our new hires: hard working, fun loving and just good people. They gave the County its monies worth, and had a full and complete life. Only too short of one. We will surely miss them both, but can be inspired on the way they worked and lived life – to the fullest.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Our summer construction program is off to a great start. Good weather in April and early May helped us get a lot of work done so far. I am also pleased to report that our new policy of closing roads in lieu of maintaining traffic throughout construction has gone better than expected. Besides saving a great deal of money, the contractors are generally moving ahead of schedule. Of course we have hit a couple of “bumps” in the proverbial road with some complaints, but considering that some of our projects are on roads with 20,000 vehicles a day, the general feeling is that this is something we need to continue doing in the future.
The Department is in the middle of preparing its 2005 budget. We are coming off a near record salt usage winter reducing our carry-over supply and several of our big construction projects came in over budget this year, but we are still in fairly good shape for next year. Fortunately, we have been very successful in soliciting federal funding for almost our entire construction program. The double-edged sword in this though is that if we need to save a million dollars of county levy by cutting a project, we would have to cut a $5 million project (assuming a 80% federal/20% local cost share).
As you know the Legislature is doing nothing to relieve our transportation woes not only in the north metro, but statewide. The failure to pass a bonding bill this session not only meant no Northstar Commuter Rail, but to a myriad number of transportation projects as well. Local bridge bonding projects may be put on hold for two or more years, and projects may be stalled by regulatory permitting due to no funding of the Local Road Wetland Replacement Program. Even though transportation issues are consistently the number one issue brought up as a severe problem by the citizens of this state, the legislature has no plan for correcting the imbalance of the existing funding formula or for creating a new, strategic transportation infrastructure funding plan for the future. Unfortunately, I am afraid that things will be getting worse, much worse, in a growing county like ours for the foreseeable future.
On a better note, after a long freeze on replacing our open positions, we are now in the process of filling our 14 vacant positions. Once we get past some of the internal promotions or transfers that may occur, we will actually be adding some much needed relief in all sections of the Department. I want to thank each and every one of you that sucked it up, took on more work and responsibilities, and helped us succeed as a Department during the hiring freeze. I know that many of you are near burnout, but help is on the way! We will be reporting new hirings in this and future issues of the Centerline Newsletter.
Finally, I would like to conclude by offering some additional remarks about our wonderful friends Dick Martin and John McDonough who passed away recently. Both of these remarkable gentlemen are the perfect example of what we are looking for in our new hires: hard working, fun loving and just good people. They gave the County its monies worth, and had a full and complete life. Only too short of one. We will surely miss them both, but can be inspired on the way they worked and lived life – to the fullest.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - May 2004
This has been quite an unusual spring so far, hasn’t it? One day in the 80’s (even 90’s!) and the next it is in the 30’s and 40’s. It is very hard to predict what the next day, let alone the next week, is going to be like. I guess that is what we get for living in Minnesota – unpredictable weather in the spring.
There is, however, one very predictable thing we can count on in our Minnesota springtimes – Road Construction! Without fail we at the Highway Department did our very best to keep this tradition alive and well. On April 19th we had a particularly busy day when we closed three different routes on the same day. Traffic in Andover, Coon Rapids and Blaine was affected by three different projects.
In Andover, the closure of Round Lake Boulevard from 142nd Lane to 152nd Avenue affected the numerous homes and businesses in this area not to mention the 15–20,000 road users of this very important north-south arterial highway. Seventh Avenue to the west is the primary alternative route for this construction, but traffic impacts on Hanson Boulevard to the east are very noticeable as well.
In Coon Rapids, Egret Boulevard has been closed from Coon Rapids Boulevard to the railroad crossing as part of a hazard elimination project which will rebuild the signal at Egret and Coon Rapids Boulevard. This impacts over 10,000 vehicles each day. The south frontage road will serve as the alternate route, but Hanson Boulevard and Foley Boulevard will bear the brunt of this closure.
In Blaine, Lexington Avenue will be closed until next snow season between Main Street and 109th Avenue. The 13–14,000 trips served by this route are using Radisson Road and Sunset Street in the meantime.
There’s an old saying that sometimes things have to get worse before they get better and that is certainly the case with highway construction. The county’s new policy of road closures versus the old plan of maintaining traffic will result is less expensive and safer reconstruction projects, but does increase the impacts on the road users, residents and businesses. I am pleased to report that all of these projects are going very well to this point. We have good contractors on these jobs and the weather, while unpredictable for my golf schedule, has been very good for construction purposes. We have very experienced and capable crews from the Highway Department out on these jobs and thus far the complaints have been few and manageable.
We have strived to increase the public awareness of our projects through mailers, webpage updates and local access TV interviews (the camera really does add about 20 pounds to a person!). Besides these projects, we hope to have a second wave of lettings later this summer. In the meantime, be patient, stay alert as you approach construction and maintenance crews, and remember: if it wasn’t under construction, it would probably be snowing out!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
There is, however, one very predictable thing we can count on in our Minnesota springtimes – Road Construction! Without fail we at the Highway Department did our very best to keep this tradition alive and well. On April 19th we had a particularly busy day when we closed three different routes on the same day. Traffic in Andover, Coon Rapids and Blaine was affected by three different projects.
In Andover, the closure of Round Lake Boulevard from 142nd Lane to 152nd Avenue affected the numerous homes and businesses in this area not to mention the 15–20,000 road users of this very important north-south arterial highway. Seventh Avenue to the west is the primary alternative route for this construction, but traffic impacts on Hanson Boulevard to the east are very noticeable as well.
In Coon Rapids, Egret Boulevard has been closed from Coon Rapids Boulevard to the railroad crossing as part of a hazard elimination project which will rebuild the signal at Egret and Coon Rapids Boulevard. This impacts over 10,000 vehicles each day. The south frontage road will serve as the alternate route, but Hanson Boulevard and Foley Boulevard will bear the brunt of this closure.
In Blaine, Lexington Avenue will be closed until next snow season between Main Street and 109th Avenue. The 13–14,000 trips served by this route are using Radisson Road and Sunset Street in the meantime.
There’s an old saying that sometimes things have to get worse before they get better and that is certainly the case with highway construction. The county’s new policy of road closures versus the old plan of maintaining traffic will result is less expensive and safer reconstruction projects, but does increase the impacts on the road users, residents and businesses. I am pleased to report that all of these projects are going very well to this point. We have good contractors on these jobs and the weather, while unpredictable for my golf schedule, has been very good for construction purposes. We have very experienced and capable crews from the Highway Department out on these jobs and thus far the complaints have been few and manageable.
We have strived to increase the public awareness of our projects through mailers, webpage updates and local access TV interviews (the camera really does add about 20 pounds to a person!). Besides these projects, we hope to have a second wave of lettings later this summer. In the meantime, be patient, stay alert as you approach construction and maintenance crews, and remember: if it wasn’t under construction, it would probably be snowing out!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - January 2004
Do you believe that it’s already 2004?! Where did last year go? Sometimes there’s so much going on that there really is no time to just sit back and enjoy the success of all of our hard work. And certainly, 2003 was full of successes. Despite budget cuts and staffing shortages, we had an absolutely outstanding year.
But as the old saying goes, “What have you done for me lately?” Well we all know all to well that there are many more challenges out there for us to conquer. We are set to have one of the biggest construction programs in many years, we will be embarking on plans to redesign more of our highway system, and our maintenance operations we be tasked to keep all of our expanding system in top condition. Yet how are we to achieve all of this? By having a plan and setting goals to achieve them.
By now you’ve probably read numerous articles that talk about setting up some “New Year’s Resolutions” or some other accomplishments that you should commit to this year. Do you end up with the same old resolutions each year such as “lose weight”, “save more” or “spend more quality time with the kids”? Why don’t we ever get anywhere with these types of resolutions? Not only are these pretty vague, but we also only keep these in our head. Even if we casually mention them to our partners, we’ll generally only get some hazy, half-interested acknowledgement.
The real key is to formalize these commitments. Don’t set some fuzzy resolution, set a specific GOAL. And then, WRITE IT DOWN. First of all, writing it down makes us really THINK about what we would like to see happen. Having it written down and put in a place where we will continually SEE it won’t let us forget. Goals must be written in a manner that not only tells us what we want, but in how to get there as well. We must fully understand our purpose. You know, right about now would be the perfect time for me to give you some great line from the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, but let me instead relate what happened in the children’s fairy tale, “Alice in Wonderland”.
In Wonderland, Alice comes to a fork in the road where she sees a cat in a tree. Alice asks the cat, “Which road should I take?” “Do you know where you want to go?” inquires the cat. “No,” says Alice. To which the cat replies, “Then any road will get you there.”
Until we are sure of what we want, or our purpose, how are we supposed to know how to get there? In the next month or two during the quarterly Section Meetings, I will be challenging each of the Highway Department’s eight sections (administration, maintenance, sign shop, signal shop, mechanic shop, engineering, traffic and planning) to identify specific goals that each group can set to achieve to make the highway department a better place to work and an organization that provides exemplary service to our traveling public. We will then for the remainder of the year keep track of our goals and measure our successes one at a time.
By setting goals and developing a specific plan to accomplish them; by writing them down and tracking them; and by encouraging and pushing each other to achieve our goals; we will certainly make them a reality this year and not just another phony New Year’s resolution. Together we will accomplish our goals. And together we can and will make a difference.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
But as the old saying goes, “What have you done for me lately?” Well we all know all to well that there are many more challenges out there for us to conquer. We are set to have one of the biggest construction programs in many years, we will be embarking on plans to redesign more of our highway system, and our maintenance operations we be tasked to keep all of our expanding system in top condition. Yet how are we to achieve all of this? By having a plan and setting goals to achieve them.
By now you’ve probably read numerous articles that talk about setting up some “New Year’s Resolutions” or some other accomplishments that you should commit to this year. Do you end up with the same old resolutions each year such as “lose weight”, “save more” or “spend more quality time with the kids”? Why don’t we ever get anywhere with these types of resolutions? Not only are these pretty vague, but we also only keep these in our head. Even if we casually mention them to our partners, we’ll generally only get some hazy, half-interested acknowledgement.
The real key is to formalize these commitments. Don’t set some fuzzy resolution, set a specific GOAL. And then, WRITE IT DOWN. First of all, writing it down makes us really THINK about what we would like to see happen. Having it written down and put in a place where we will continually SEE it won’t let us forget. Goals must be written in a manner that not only tells us what we want, but in how to get there as well. We must fully understand our purpose. You know, right about now would be the perfect time for me to give you some great line from the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, but let me instead relate what happened in the children’s fairy tale, “Alice in Wonderland”.
In Wonderland, Alice comes to a fork in the road where she sees a cat in a tree. Alice asks the cat, “Which road should I take?” “Do you know where you want to go?” inquires the cat. “No,” says Alice. To which the cat replies, “Then any road will get you there.”
Until we are sure of what we want, or our purpose, how are we supposed to know how to get there? In the next month or two during the quarterly Section Meetings, I will be challenging each of the Highway Department’s eight sections (administration, maintenance, sign shop, signal shop, mechanic shop, engineering, traffic and planning) to identify specific goals that each group can set to achieve to make the highway department a better place to work and an organization that provides exemplary service to our traveling public. We will then for the remainder of the year keep track of our goals and measure our successes one at a time.
By setting goals and developing a specific plan to accomplish them; by writing them down and tracking them; and by encouraging and pushing each other to achieve our goals; we will certainly make them a reality this year and not just another phony New Year’s resolution. Together we will accomplish our goals. And together we can and will make a difference.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - November 2003
It’s the end of October and the end of another Major League Baseball season. At first I was a little disappointed – the Twins lost in the Divisional Series, the ballyhooed meeting of the Boston Red Socks and the Chicago Cubs never came, and all we were left with was what supposedly was going to be a Yankees rout of a bunch of kids from the Florida Marlins. But as fate took down the storied franchises in Boston (curse of the Bambino), Chicago (dead goat) and New York (ghosts of players past), the kids from Miami followed the script from the British proverb, “Youth looks forward, but age looks back.” The Marlins forgot that they were too young, too inexperienced and too unproven to win the World Series, but they did it anyway.
It was amazing that the twenty-something pitchers that the Marlins used in their rotation could beat the forty-something David Wells and Roger Clemens of the Yankees. Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte has more career victories than all five of the Marlin pitchers combined. Perhaps right-fielder Miguel Cabrera said it most fittingly before Game 6 in Yankee Stadium, “There’s a lot of history here, a lot of tradition, but this isn’t about the past as much as it is about the future.”
And so it is here at the Highway Department. We have a very solid reputation, history and tradition for providing the very best of public service. However, in the past several years we have had retirements of some employees that have had 25, 30 or more years of service. It will be extremely difficult to replace the history and knowledge with which these friends of ours will be leaving. But with the departure of aged wisdom comes the exuberance of youth.
We have as many new (less than five year) employees than I bet we ever had before. Are we going to be like the Red Socks or the Cubs and fall victim trying to cling to our past, or are we going to be like the Marlins, respect the past, learn from it, but move boldly forward into our own direction to make this organization better than the one before? I hope that you join me in choosing the latter.
We have new talents, new ideas, and new energy in the Department like no other time. Hopefully, we will soon be off our hiring freeze and will bring even more talents, ideas and energy into the Department. And for those of us that have been around here for a while, remember we still play a vital role in developing all of this youth too. Jack McKeon, manager of the Marlins is 72 years old and has been in baseball over 54 years. He took on the challenge of turning all of this exuberance and youth and channeled it into something good. Very good. So too shall we.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
It was amazing that the twenty-something pitchers that the Marlins used in their rotation could beat the forty-something David Wells and Roger Clemens of the Yankees. Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte has more career victories than all five of the Marlin pitchers combined. Perhaps right-fielder Miguel Cabrera said it most fittingly before Game 6 in Yankee Stadium, “There’s a lot of history here, a lot of tradition, but this isn’t about the past as much as it is about the future.”
And so it is here at the Highway Department. We have a very solid reputation, history and tradition for providing the very best of public service. However, in the past several years we have had retirements of some employees that have had 25, 30 or more years of service. It will be extremely difficult to replace the history and knowledge with which these friends of ours will be leaving. But with the departure of aged wisdom comes the exuberance of youth.
We have as many new (less than five year) employees than I bet we ever had before. Are we going to be like the Red Socks or the Cubs and fall victim trying to cling to our past, or are we going to be like the Marlins, respect the past, learn from it, but move boldly forward into our own direction to make this organization better than the one before? I hope that you join me in choosing the latter.
We have new talents, new ideas, and new energy in the Department like no other time. Hopefully, we will soon be off our hiring freeze and will bring even more talents, ideas and energy into the Department. And for those of us that have been around here for a while, remember we still play a vital role in developing all of this youth too. Jack McKeon, manager of the Marlins is 72 years old and has been in baseball over 54 years. He took on the challenge of turning all of this exuberance and youth and channeled it into something good. Very good. So too shall we.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - October 2003
In September I had the privilege to hear former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani speak at a leadership conference. What a powerful message he delivered! And it wasn’t so much in the way he delivered his speech (he actually speaks with a little lisp), but in the message itself. To have had to deal with the horrific events of September 11, 2001 as he did tested his character in a way that few will ever encounter.
So how did he do it? At his speech, he talked about his “Six Keys to Effective Leadership”. I would like to share with you some of what he presented. The first key to effective leadership: You must know what you believe. It is essential that a leader know what he or she believes religiously, politically and socially. Whether in business or government, a leader must know their objectives and their most important beliefs. The knowledge of these core values will give the leader the strength to stand and the followers the willingness to follow.
The second key to effective leadership is You must be an optimist. Everyone has a choice. You can either be an optimist or a pessimist; however, it’s a lot more fun to be an optimist! People don’t follow leaders that have no hope for tomorrow, barely get by and lack inspiration. People follow optimistic leaders who have vision, confidence and solutions.
Third key: You must have courage. Courage is not the lack of fear, but the ability to face fear and overcome it. Courage is the management of fear. Leaders cannot let crisis incapacitate them. You must have the ability to demonstrate courage by taking calm, reasonable action in the midst of chaos.
The fourth key to effective leadership is You must practice relentless preparation. You must be prepared for every eventuality. Every leader must continue to study, attain knowledge, acquire skills and plan for every situation that may arise. A leader must be prepared, so when a time of crisis comes, he or she will not be caught off guard.
Fifth key: You must have a great team. If one person could run the entire country, why are there so many people in government? In reality, a leader must understand that success is best achieved through teamwork. A leader must know his weaknesses in order to counterbalance them with the strengths of the team. When every member of the team is operating in his or her strengths, the organization will flourish.
The sixth and final key to effective leadership is You must communicate effectively. Our power to communicate determines the level of our influence. You may possess tremendous talent and motivation but if you do not communicate effectively with your team your ability to lead will be limited.
Mayor Giuliani backed up all of these keys with specific, concrete examples, from the beliefs of Ronald Reagan against communism to the optimism of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to change society’s view on human rights. While this truly was a “must see, must hear” presentation, I hope that you will be motivated to apply these six keys to your life as well. We are all put into positions of leadership whether at work, play or home. By leading with a strong belief system, with optimism and courage, by being prepared, working with your team, and with clear communication, I am confident that you too will become an effective leader.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
So how did he do it? At his speech, he talked about his “Six Keys to Effective Leadership”. I would like to share with you some of what he presented. The first key to effective leadership: You must know what you believe. It is essential that a leader know what he or she believes religiously, politically and socially. Whether in business or government, a leader must know their objectives and their most important beliefs. The knowledge of these core values will give the leader the strength to stand and the followers the willingness to follow.
The second key to effective leadership is You must be an optimist. Everyone has a choice. You can either be an optimist or a pessimist; however, it’s a lot more fun to be an optimist! People don’t follow leaders that have no hope for tomorrow, barely get by and lack inspiration. People follow optimistic leaders who have vision, confidence and solutions.
Third key: You must have courage. Courage is not the lack of fear, but the ability to face fear and overcome it. Courage is the management of fear. Leaders cannot let crisis incapacitate them. You must have the ability to demonstrate courage by taking calm, reasonable action in the midst of chaos.
The fourth key to effective leadership is You must practice relentless preparation. You must be prepared for every eventuality. Every leader must continue to study, attain knowledge, acquire skills and plan for every situation that may arise. A leader must be prepared, so when a time of crisis comes, he or she will not be caught off guard.
Fifth key: You must have a great team. If one person could run the entire country, why are there so many people in government? In reality, a leader must understand that success is best achieved through teamwork. A leader must know his weaknesses in order to counterbalance them with the strengths of the team. When every member of the team is operating in his or her strengths, the organization will flourish.
The sixth and final key to effective leadership is You must communicate effectively. Our power to communicate determines the level of our influence. You may possess tremendous talent and motivation but if you do not communicate effectively with your team your ability to lead will be limited.
Mayor Giuliani backed up all of these keys with specific, concrete examples, from the beliefs of Ronald Reagan against communism to the optimism of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to change society’s view on human rights. While this truly was a “must see, must hear” presentation, I hope that you will be motivated to apply these six keys to your life as well. We are all put into positions of leadership whether at work, play or home. By leading with a strong belief system, with optimism and courage, by being prepared, working with your team, and with clear communication, I am confident that you too will become an effective leader.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - September 2003
When Vince Lombardi Jr., son of the legendary Green Bay Packers coach, was in town earlier this summer he talked about how his dad wasn’t motivated entirely on winning football games, but on how football was a vehicle to take the players and to make them better people. It was his way to make ordinary people succeed in life by reaching their potential as both professionals and human beings.
I’ve also believed that football was a lesson in life. It taught you that great things only come from a lot of hard work, individual performance only matters if the team wins, etc. Recently, Kim Johnson retired from Anoka County after 33 years of service. I believe that as a former football player, Kim also brought to work many of the attributes he learned on the football field into the office and in his personal life. At the August 12, 2003 Board Meeting, Kim was honored by the Board for his outstanding service to the County. I would like to share with you the remarks that I made about Kim at that meeting.
Although Kim Johnson was born in south Minneapolis, he and his family moved to Coon Rapids when Kim was 14 years old. Their home was only the second home built in the new neighborhood called “Thompson Heights”. Kim used to hunt pheasants in the area that is now Lifetime Fitness and bowhunted carp in the nearby Coon Creek. I should note that Highway 10 wasn’t there yet either.
Although he lived in Coon Rapids, Kim went to Anoka High School in the building that is currently Fred Moore Junior High, because the Anoka Hennepin School District only had one high school back then. Kim was a prolific athlete and in the fall of 1964 Kim captained the Anoka High School football team to a state championship and extended their winning streak to 33 games. Kim was the starting left halfback, but also played safety on defense, returned kickoffs and punts and even punted for the team. (I was unable to verify the rumor that Kim also drove the team bus and cleaned the showers after games as well!)
Upon graduation from high school, a brief stint at the U of M, and a job at Honeywell as a tool designer, Kim went to work for the Anoka County Highway Department. I would like to note that in the course of one hour, Kim filled out his job application, was interviewed by then County Engineer Jake Lundheim and assistant Bud Redepenning, and was hired immediately. During the interview, Bud had asked Kim if he was going to make a long-term commitment to the County. I would have to say that Kim certainly lived up to his word.
Why do I mention all of these non-work related activities in Kim’s life that led up to his being hired by the county? I mention these because that although we hopefully will be able to hire someone to replace Kim’s duties at the Highway Department, we will never be able to replace his intimate knowledge, understanding and history with Anoka County. He just didn’t know where a county ditch was, he swam in it. He just didn’t drive a county road, he designed and built it. He went to school, church and civic activities with many of our constituents of the highway department. These are qualities that cannot be easily replaced and Kim should be duly recognized for his nearly lifelong dedication to the Anoka County community – one that he grew up in, has continued to live in, and one that he has so faithfully served.
I have had the good fortune to have known Kim for about a third of his career at Anoka County. As a wet-behind-the-ears Design Engineer when I was hired in the early 90’s, I was fortunate to have Kim as a mentor to show me the ropes and learn quite a bit of the history behind the transportation system in Anoka County. Through the years, Kim has helped mentor numerous other Highway Department personnel and it is his patience, willingness to teach and historical perspective that I will miss the most. (Not to mention reliving some of our football glory days over a cup of coffee!)
The highway projects that Kim has worked on are too numerous to mention, although I must say that you know you’ve been around a long time when a person is involved in a highway reconstruction project not once, not twice, but now three times as Kim has recently worked on. (Hopefully you’ll get it right before you leave this time Kim!)
In conclusion, I would like to personally thank Kim not only for all of his dedicated years of service at Anoka County, but for the camaraderie and friendship that I have enjoyed since we have met.
Good luck Kim on your retirement. I am sure that once again the lessons that you learned on the football field in the 50’s and 60’s, and demonstrated at the Highway Department for the past 33 years, will continue to serve you well as you embark on the next chapter of your life!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
I’ve also believed that football was a lesson in life. It taught you that great things only come from a lot of hard work, individual performance only matters if the team wins, etc. Recently, Kim Johnson retired from Anoka County after 33 years of service. I believe that as a former football player, Kim also brought to work many of the attributes he learned on the football field into the office and in his personal life. At the August 12, 2003 Board Meeting, Kim was honored by the Board for his outstanding service to the County. I would like to share with you the remarks that I made about Kim at that meeting.
Although Kim Johnson was born in south Minneapolis, he and his family moved to Coon Rapids when Kim was 14 years old. Their home was only the second home built in the new neighborhood called “Thompson Heights”. Kim used to hunt pheasants in the area that is now Lifetime Fitness and bowhunted carp in the nearby Coon Creek. I should note that Highway 10 wasn’t there yet either.
Although he lived in Coon Rapids, Kim went to Anoka High School in the building that is currently Fred Moore Junior High, because the Anoka Hennepin School District only had one high school back then. Kim was a prolific athlete and in the fall of 1964 Kim captained the Anoka High School football team to a state championship and extended their winning streak to 33 games. Kim was the starting left halfback, but also played safety on defense, returned kickoffs and punts and even punted for the team. (I was unable to verify the rumor that Kim also drove the team bus and cleaned the showers after games as well!)
Upon graduation from high school, a brief stint at the U of M, and a job at Honeywell as a tool designer, Kim went to work for the Anoka County Highway Department. I would like to note that in the course of one hour, Kim filled out his job application, was interviewed by then County Engineer Jake Lundheim and assistant Bud Redepenning, and was hired immediately. During the interview, Bud had asked Kim if he was going to make a long-term commitment to the County. I would have to say that Kim certainly lived up to his word.
Why do I mention all of these non-work related activities in Kim’s life that led up to his being hired by the county? I mention these because that although we hopefully will be able to hire someone to replace Kim’s duties at the Highway Department, we will never be able to replace his intimate knowledge, understanding and history with Anoka County. He just didn’t know where a county ditch was, he swam in it. He just didn’t drive a county road, he designed and built it. He went to school, church and civic activities with many of our constituents of the highway department. These are qualities that cannot be easily replaced and Kim should be duly recognized for his nearly lifelong dedication to the Anoka County community – one that he grew up in, has continued to live in, and one that he has so faithfully served.
I have had the good fortune to have known Kim for about a third of his career at Anoka County. As a wet-behind-the-ears Design Engineer when I was hired in the early 90’s, I was fortunate to have Kim as a mentor to show me the ropes and learn quite a bit of the history behind the transportation system in Anoka County. Through the years, Kim has helped mentor numerous other Highway Department personnel and it is his patience, willingness to teach and historical perspective that I will miss the most. (Not to mention reliving some of our football glory days over a cup of coffee!)
The highway projects that Kim has worked on are too numerous to mention, although I must say that you know you’ve been around a long time when a person is involved in a highway reconstruction project not once, not twice, but now three times as Kim has recently worked on. (Hopefully you’ll get it right before you leave this time Kim!)
In conclusion, I would like to personally thank Kim not only for all of his dedicated years of service at Anoka County, but for the camaraderie and friendship that I have enjoyed since we have met.
Good luck Kim on your retirement. I am sure that once again the lessons that you learned on the football field in the 50’s and 60’s, and demonstrated at the Highway Department for the past 33 years, will continue to serve you well as you embark on the next chapter of your life!
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - March 2003
If you’re like me, you are probably wondering what is going on with this wacky weather. Aren’t the days supposed to be getting warmer by now? Even though it’s been a relatively mild winter, aren’t you getting sick and tired of getting in a frozen car every morning, wrapping the kids up like Eskimos, and staying cooped up in our homes? I know I am. Even though the high school tournaments are starting, Major League Baseball has started spring training, and the PGA golf tour is underway it just doesn’t feel like spring is even going to come at all this year.
Like spring, what else is slow to develop this year? How about the state legislature dealing with the budget deficit crisis? Supposedly halfway through the legislative session and we still don’t have a clear picture of what this crisis means for us yet. Is this crisis a problem, a challenge or an opportunity for us? I think that it’s all three. In looking at my American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language I find the following definitions for these related words:
problem n. A question or situation that presents uncertainty or difficulty.
challenge n. The quality of requiring full use of one’s abilities.
opportunity n. A favorable or advantageous combination of circumstances.
Obviously there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty surrounding this issue which presents our problem. However, in all cases we will need to challenge ourselves to determine a solution or to react to the solution that is presented to us. And yes this is an opportunity for us as well. Can we take the opportunity to rid ourselves of burdensome or antiquated mandates, requirements and regulations that impede our ability to provide efficient and cost effective services to our public? I sure hope so. I can assure you that this County Board, its Division Managers, Department Heads and many other individuals in the County are doing their very best to see that we are taking on the challenge to attack this problem and turn it into an opportunity for the public we serve, the families and businesses of this county, and the dedicated employees that make it all happen. I will keep you posted on any new developments as they occur.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Like spring, what else is slow to develop this year? How about the state legislature dealing with the budget deficit crisis? Supposedly halfway through the legislative session and we still don’t have a clear picture of what this crisis means for us yet. Is this crisis a problem, a challenge or an opportunity for us? I think that it’s all three. In looking at my American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language I find the following definitions for these related words:
problem n. A question or situation that presents uncertainty or difficulty.
challenge n. The quality of requiring full use of one’s abilities.
opportunity n. A favorable or advantageous combination of circumstances.
Obviously there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty surrounding this issue which presents our problem. However, in all cases we will need to challenge ourselves to determine a solution or to react to the solution that is presented to us. And yes this is an opportunity for us as well. Can we take the opportunity to rid ourselves of burdensome or antiquated mandates, requirements and regulations that impede our ability to provide efficient and cost effective services to our public? I sure hope so. I can assure you that this County Board, its Division Managers, Department Heads and many other individuals in the County are doing their very best to see that we are taking on the challenge to attack this problem and turn it into an opportunity for the public we serve, the families and businesses of this county, and the dedicated employees that make it all happen. I will keep you posted on any new developments as they occur.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - February 2003
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
Charles Dickens, from “A Tale of Two Cities”
When I read the quote above from Dickens, it’s almost as if he could have written this line today. At a time of decreasing crime, low inflation and interest rates, advanced health care and improved technology, we should be enjoying a much higher quality of life than ever before. But at the same time we are nervous. Nervous that the economy will continue to slump. Nervous about budget deficits. Nervous about layoffs, taxes, education of our children. Nervous about war.
While all of these issues will certainly affect us, most of these issues are not in our direct control. This is what makes us nervous and adds to our stress - our inability to control our own future. But is there anything we can do to help? To improve the quality of life for the citizens we serve, our county and ourselves? Is there anything that is in our control to make a difference for the better?
Of course there is! Instead of worrying about the things outside of our control, we all have the ability and duty to instead focus in on what it is we are hired to do and to do it to the best of our ability. As noted above, people already have enough to worry about. Let’s not add to their stress. Instead let’s make sure they can safely get to work after a major snowstorm, that that can feel safe and secure when traveling on our highways. Let’s keep them from busting wheels on potholes, that they’re not getting stuck in traffic, that their kids’ school bus will get them home on time. Let’s stimulate the economy by getting that project designed and under construction. These are things that ARE within our control. This is what we can do to make a better quality of life for our constituents.
The optimist says that that glass is half full; the pessimist says it’s half empty. (Ed. note: as an engineer, I would simply contend that the glass is twice as much as is really needed!!) Same too for all of the changes that are occurring around us. How we respond to these changes will dictate if we succeed or fail. Our response IS in our control. This response will need to be made at the departmental level, by each section and by each one of us at the individual level. How will you respond?
Since I started off with a quote, let me finish with another familiar proverb that will hopefully lead us to the right response.
Lord, grant me the courage to change the things I can, the serenity to accept the things I can’t, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Charles Dickens, from “A Tale of Two Cities”
When I read the quote above from Dickens, it’s almost as if he could have written this line today. At a time of decreasing crime, low inflation and interest rates, advanced health care and improved technology, we should be enjoying a much higher quality of life than ever before. But at the same time we are nervous. Nervous that the economy will continue to slump. Nervous about budget deficits. Nervous about layoffs, taxes, education of our children. Nervous about war.
While all of these issues will certainly affect us, most of these issues are not in our direct control. This is what makes us nervous and adds to our stress - our inability to control our own future. But is there anything we can do to help? To improve the quality of life for the citizens we serve, our county and ourselves? Is there anything that is in our control to make a difference for the better?
Of course there is! Instead of worrying about the things outside of our control, we all have the ability and duty to instead focus in on what it is we are hired to do and to do it to the best of our ability. As noted above, people already have enough to worry about. Let’s not add to their stress. Instead let’s make sure they can safely get to work after a major snowstorm, that that can feel safe and secure when traveling on our highways. Let’s keep them from busting wheels on potholes, that they’re not getting stuck in traffic, that their kids’ school bus will get them home on time. Let’s stimulate the economy by getting that project designed and under construction. These are things that ARE within our control. This is what we can do to make a better quality of life for our constituents.
The optimist says that that glass is half full; the pessimist says it’s half empty. (Ed. note: as an engineer, I would simply contend that the glass is twice as much as is really needed!!) Same too for all of the changes that are occurring around us. How we respond to these changes will dictate if we succeed or fail. Our response IS in our control. This response will need to be made at the departmental level, by each section and by each one of us at the individual level. How will you respond?
Since I started off with a quote, let me finish with another familiar proverb that will hopefully lead us to the right response.
Lord, grant me the courage to change the things I can, the serenity to accept the things I can’t, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - January 2003
By the time everyone reads this article, 2002 will be behind us. What a tremendous year it was for us. We have accomplished many outstanding things over the past year - things that we should be justifiably proud. But as the old saying goes, “What have you done for me lately?” So now we embark on a new year with new challenges in front of us. How are we going to respond to these challenges? Especially with the potential of budget cuts and hiring freezes? Certainly this will be a year where the Department will need to reprioritize even our core responsibilities and our goals for the year will be concentrated on these essential services.
As our departmental goals and responsibilities will be refocused for the upcoming year, it is also an excellent time for each one of us to refocus our goals and objectives for the upcoming year as well. Individual goals can be as simple as, “I’ll be on time for every meeting this year” and “I won’t complain about something unless I’m ready to bring forward a solution”, to something more complex like, “I will complete that business degree during night school at the community college.” What are your goals for 2003? How are you going to accomplish them?
Last January in this newsletter I wrote about Lou Holtz and 10 steps he developed to help you achieve personal victories. I would like to repeat what I had written last year as a chance to reflect on last year and as a guide to develop goals for this year. Again, Lou Holtz is a college football coach who has had success at every university he has coached (even the University of Minnesota!). In his bestseller, “Winning Every Day”, he says that winning is never accidental, but instead is the direct result of a strong game plan. The plan he writes about in his book is composed of 10 steps. I believe that these 10 steps could be developed into all of our personal and business lives. They are:
So that’s a guide. What are your goals going to be in 2003? Let’s all try to make this our roadmap and we’ll all get to success together.
Here’s wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2003.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
As our departmental goals and responsibilities will be refocused for the upcoming year, it is also an excellent time for each one of us to refocus our goals and objectives for the upcoming year as well. Individual goals can be as simple as, “I’ll be on time for every meeting this year” and “I won’t complain about something unless I’m ready to bring forward a solution”, to something more complex like, “I will complete that business degree during night school at the community college.” What are your goals for 2003? How are you going to accomplish them?
Last January in this newsletter I wrote about Lou Holtz and 10 steps he developed to help you achieve personal victories. I would like to repeat what I had written last year as a chance to reflect on last year and as a guide to develop goals for this year. Again, Lou Holtz is a college football coach who has had success at every university he has coached (even the University of Minnesota!). In his bestseller, “Winning Every Day”, he says that winning is never accidental, but instead is the direct result of a strong game plan. The plan he writes about in his book is composed of 10 steps. I believe that these 10 steps could be developed into all of our personal and business lives. They are:
- The Power of Attitude. The attitude you choose to assume toward life and everything it brings will determine whether you realize your aspirations or not.
- Tackle Adversity. You are going to get knocked down at times in your life. To achieve success, you are going to have to solve problems. If you react positively to them, you’ll be stronger than ever.
- Have a Sense of Purpose. Understand what you are trying to do. Stay focused, don’t get sidetracked.
- Make Sacrifice Your Ally. You can’t be successful without making sacrifices. Most losing organizations are loaded with people who constantly complain. They drain enthusiasm and energy from the team. Take pride in making sacrifices and having self-discipline.
- Adapt or Die. Things are always changing, so embrace the fact that your life and career are always in transition.
- Chase Your Dreams. All great things start with a dream. Dreams fuel your enthusiasm and vision.
- Nurture Your Self-Image. A positive self-image grows out of having strong character. To be trustworthy, committed to excellence, and show care for others are the underpinnings of a successful person.
- Foster Trust. All relationships are based on trust. Continually ask yourself, “Is this the right thing to do?” regardless of peer pressure or personal desires.
- Commit to Excellence. Do everything to the best of your ability. Everyone wants to be associated with people who set and maintain high standards.
- Handle with Care. Treat others as you would like to be treated – with concern and care.
So that’s a guide. What are your goals going to be in 2003? Let’s all try to make this our roadmap and we’ll all get to success together.
Here’s wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2003.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - November 2002
As I was watching this year’s World Series, it struck me as to what a peculiar game is this thing we call America’s greatest pastime. It’s a team sport – but not always. For instance, how many other “team” sports pits a single offensive player against nine defensive players? Yet that’s exactly what happens when a player comes up to bat – it’s one against nine. This made me reflect on the monologue from the movie “The Untouchables”. Robert DeNiro played the part of Al Capone, the infamous prohibition-era gangster. In an address to his cohorts in crime he referred to baseball and teamwork in the following reference:
“A man, a man stands alone at a plate. This is the time for what? For individual achievement. And there he stands alone. But in the field…what? Part of a team. Looks, throws, catches, hustles – part of one big team. If the team don’t field – what is he? Follow me – NO ONE!
Sonny Day stands in front of the stands and what does he say? “I’m going out there for myself!” But [you] get nowhere unless the TEAM wins!” (This is where Al Capone crushes Sonny Day’s head in with a baseball bat!!)
So back to the World Series. Barry Bonds had one of the greatest individual performances in the World Series. He batted an astounding .471, crushed four homers, had six RBI’s, 13 walks, 22 total bases and a 1.294 slugging percentage!! But did his San Francisco Giants win – NO!! It was the Anaheim Angels that combined the gutsy performances of fielders, pitchers, hitters and base runners that led them to the championship. Look at the TEAM pitching in Game 7 – John Lackey comes out on three days rest to pitch five solid innings. He was relieved by Brendan Donnelly who pitched two scoreless innings before giving way to rookie (yes, rookie!) Francisco Rodriguez who threw big heat for one inning. Finally, closer Troy Percival capped off the victory. Troy Glaus was the Series MVP. Who heard of these guys before now? Not me, yet they captured one of the most coveted trophies in sports.
This all reminds me of the way it works at the Highway Department. We all have our individual responsibilities and tasks that we are to accomplish. Most of it is behind the scenes without a lot of attention or even notice. But unless we all – each and every one of us – live up to our individual duties, the team may fail. I really wouldn’t have it any other way. Individual successes are short lived – team successes will be long remembered and built upon.
We have had many successes this past summer and fall: rut paving, huge construction program, relatively accident free workplace and much more. Let’s continue to build on these successes – as a Team – and we will be bound to achieve many more successes in the future.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
“A man, a man stands alone at a plate. This is the time for what? For individual achievement. And there he stands alone. But in the field…what? Part of a team. Looks, throws, catches, hustles – part of one big team. If the team don’t field – what is he? Follow me – NO ONE!
Sonny Day stands in front of the stands and what does he say? “I’m going out there for myself!” But [you] get nowhere unless the TEAM wins!” (This is where Al Capone crushes Sonny Day’s head in with a baseball bat!!)
So back to the World Series. Barry Bonds had one of the greatest individual performances in the World Series. He batted an astounding .471, crushed four homers, had six RBI’s, 13 walks, 22 total bases and a 1.294 slugging percentage!! But did his San Francisco Giants win – NO!! It was the Anaheim Angels that combined the gutsy performances of fielders, pitchers, hitters and base runners that led them to the championship. Look at the TEAM pitching in Game 7 – John Lackey comes out on three days rest to pitch five solid innings. He was relieved by Brendan Donnelly who pitched two scoreless innings before giving way to rookie (yes, rookie!) Francisco Rodriguez who threw big heat for one inning. Finally, closer Troy Percival capped off the victory. Troy Glaus was the Series MVP. Who heard of these guys before now? Not me, yet they captured one of the most coveted trophies in sports.
This all reminds me of the way it works at the Highway Department. We all have our individual responsibilities and tasks that we are to accomplish. Most of it is behind the scenes without a lot of attention or even notice. But unless we all – each and every one of us – live up to our individual duties, the team may fail. I really wouldn’t have it any other way. Individual successes are short lived – team successes will be long remembered and built upon.
We have had many successes this past summer and fall: rut paving, huge construction program, relatively accident free workplace and much more. Let’s continue to build on these successes – as a Team – and we will be bound to achieve many more successes in the future.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - July 2002
Innovation: my deskside Webster’s Dictionary defines it as 1. the act or process of innovating 2. something newly introduced; new method, custom, device, etc.; change in the way of doing things. Well I’m happy to announce that we are fully realizing some innovation right here at the Highway Department.
Take our new rut-filling maintenance program. As we are all aware, rutting of our pavements has been a long-standing problem especially on our higher volume roads where we have long queues of cars and trucks sitting at traffic signals. These ruts pose significant safety hazards in the summer during rain events causing hydro-planing. In the winter, we cannot plow the snow out of these ruts mechanically and must rely on the melting effect of the salt. This causes slush build-ups and forces us to use higher application rates of salt. Anyone who pulls a trailer knows how treacherous it can be to drive a load along a rutted highway. In past years, the only real solution to this problem was a very expensive mill and overlay procedure. But thank goodness for the innovative minds in our Maintenance Section. Ron Haag, Chuck Stone and numerous others were very instrumental in devising a system utilizing our conveyor spreaders, a fabricated trench box on a skidsteer and a fine asphalt mixture to efficiently and adequately fill the ruts in a road. We have done several route segments this year and are planning several more. We have performed this on both urban and rural highways, and on roads of various levels of distress. We will continue to monitor the performance of this new innovative technique, but we are hopeful that we can add this technique to our “solutions toolbox” in striving to get the most life out of our pavement sections. Thanks to everyone who took this great idea and made a reality of it. As Ben Franklin once said, ”Well done is better than well said.” Well done guys.
Innovation number two will come in the form of trying new pavement marking products on the Radisson Road construction project between Main Street and 109th. One of the problems we are having on new construction is that our latex paints are wearing off very quickly – losing both their daytime acuity and their nighttime reflective properties. It isn’t until after these roads have been striped numerous times until we have enough paint and reflective beads to hold up through a whole year. We will be trying two new products along with our standard paint as a research project. Instead of paint we will be trying a polyurea product which is a two-part resin based chemical process. In one application, we will use standard glass beads. In another section, we will be utilizing new ceramic beads and inlay the stripe in the road surface. In the project south of 109th to the freeway, we will be using epoxy pavement markings for a fourth product type. In all cases we will be performing long-term testing and evaluation of these various methods looking for the right effectiveness/economic balance. This is extremely important as new retroreflective standards are soon coming out of the Federal Highway Administration and MnDOT.
It is important that we keep an open mind in evaluating new methods and technologies in all of our operations. Because we are working with taxpayer money and dealing with the public trust, we must move cautiously and conservatively, but that should not unduly stifle creativity and limit us to just our familiarity and existing knowledge base. For as Albert Einstein has said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Thanks and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Take our new rut-filling maintenance program. As we are all aware, rutting of our pavements has been a long-standing problem especially on our higher volume roads where we have long queues of cars and trucks sitting at traffic signals. These ruts pose significant safety hazards in the summer during rain events causing hydro-planing. In the winter, we cannot plow the snow out of these ruts mechanically and must rely on the melting effect of the salt. This causes slush build-ups and forces us to use higher application rates of salt. Anyone who pulls a trailer knows how treacherous it can be to drive a load along a rutted highway. In past years, the only real solution to this problem was a very expensive mill and overlay procedure. But thank goodness for the innovative minds in our Maintenance Section. Ron Haag, Chuck Stone and numerous others were very instrumental in devising a system utilizing our conveyor spreaders, a fabricated trench box on a skidsteer and a fine asphalt mixture to efficiently and adequately fill the ruts in a road. We have done several route segments this year and are planning several more. We have performed this on both urban and rural highways, and on roads of various levels of distress. We will continue to monitor the performance of this new innovative technique, but we are hopeful that we can add this technique to our “solutions toolbox” in striving to get the most life out of our pavement sections. Thanks to everyone who took this great idea and made a reality of it. As Ben Franklin once said, ”Well done is better than well said.” Well done guys.
Innovation number two will come in the form of trying new pavement marking products on the Radisson Road construction project between Main Street and 109th. One of the problems we are having on new construction is that our latex paints are wearing off very quickly – losing both their daytime acuity and their nighttime reflective properties. It isn’t until after these roads have been striped numerous times until we have enough paint and reflective beads to hold up through a whole year. We will be trying two new products along with our standard paint as a research project. Instead of paint we will be trying a polyurea product which is a two-part resin based chemical process. In one application, we will use standard glass beads. In another section, we will be utilizing new ceramic beads and inlay the stripe in the road surface. In the project south of 109th to the freeway, we will be using epoxy pavement markings for a fourth product type. In all cases we will be performing long-term testing and evaluation of these various methods looking for the right effectiveness/economic balance. This is extremely important as new retroreflective standards are soon coming out of the Federal Highway Administration and MnDOT.
It is important that we keep an open mind in evaluating new methods and technologies in all of our operations. Because we are working with taxpayer money and dealing with the public trust, we must move cautiously and conservatively, but that should not unduly stifle creativity and limit us to just our familiarity and existing knowledge base. For as Albert Einstein has said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Thanks and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
County Engineer's Message - June 2002
By the time you read this message, we would have already submitted our proposed budget for 2003 to the County Budget Team. I feel that we have submitted a responsive and responsible budget that, if approved, will allow us to continue to perform our jobs and meet our goal “To plan, build and maintain the County Highway system in a safe, efficient and proactive manner, keeping in tune to the needs of Anoka County citizens and the traveling public.” Kudos go out to everyone that was involved in the preparation of next year’s budget. We have quite a bit of work yet to do before the Board ultimately approves the budget in December, but I am confident that we will be given the resources we need to operate the Highway Department effectively. On a negative note, the State Legislature’s failure to pass a transportation bill and their failure to provide for long-term transportation investments in our highway and transit systems will place even further demands on us in our efforts to meet our goals and objectives. How their decisions (or lack thereof) will ultimately affect Anoka County and the Highway Department specifically is yet undetermined but we know there will be cuts. We have already trimmed this year’s budget by 3½% ($350,000) to address impacts on this year’s budget and to prepare for impacts on next year’s budget.
One important note to make about the whole budget process. You can see that we have already been working on the next year’s budget for several months. In effect, we need to be making equipment, personnel and road improvement decisions potentially two years ahead of the actual need. Keep this in mind when you’re performing a task, using a piece of equipment or driving a road. A major equipment purchase cannot happen instantly. It needs to be budgeted and approved. While we have very effective equipment replacement plans and a defined Road & Bridge 5-Year Plan and a 20-year Transportation Comprehensive Plan, we need to recognize and plan ahead well in advance of the actual need.
You may have noticed that this column has been re-titled as “County Engineer’s Message” (formerly called the Director’s Message). As the newly appointed County Engineer I would like to take advantage of this column to once again publicly thank and acknowledge the County Board for having the confidence in me to fill this position and to lead the Highway Department. I would also like to thank Jon Olson, our Public Services Division Manager, for the outstanding job that he has done for the County and for me personally, and I hope to continue the fine work that he has accomplished during his tenure as County Engineer.
My success as County Engineer will only be possible with the help of all of you, the employees of the Highway Department. Looking around this Department I see so many capable, knowledgeable and skilled individuals that I am confident that as a team we will be able to accomplish a great amount of good work for the citizens and the traveling public of Anoka County.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
One important note to make about the whole budget process. You can see that we have already been working on the next year’s budget for several months. In effect, we need to be making equipment, personnel and road improvement decisions potentially two years ahead of the actual need. Keep this in mind when you’re performing a task, using a piece of equipment or driving a road. A major equipment purchase cannot happen instantly. It needs to be budgeted and approved. While we have very effective equipment replacement plans and a defined Road & Bridge 5-Year Plan and a 20-year Transportation Comprehensive Plan, we need to recognize and plan ahead well in advance of the actual need.
You may have noticed that this column has been re-titled as “County Engineer’s Message” (formerly called the Director’s Message). As the newly appointed County Engineer I would like to take advantage of this column to once again publicly thank and acknowledge the County Board for having the confidence in me to fill this position and to lead the Highway Department. I would also like to thank Jon Olson, our Public Services Division Manager, for the outstanding job that he has done for the County and for me personally, and I hope to continue the fine work that he has accomplished during his tenure as County Engineer.
My success as County Engineer will only be possible with the help of all of you, the employees of the Highway Department. Looking around this Department I see so many capable, knowledgeable and skilled individuals that I am confident that as a team we will be able to accomplish a great amount of good work for the citizens and the traveling public of Anoka County.
Thanks, and be safe out there.
Doug Fischer, County Engineer
Copyright 2019 Douglas W. Fischer Minneapolis, MN