The Coin of Social Capital Is Community

Who We Are: Part IV

Community

Everyone likes using the word “community”. There isn’t a political race that goes by without someone – probably everyone - trotting out a well-worn catchphrase involving “community” designed to make you think they’ve got your back and you can trust them to get your mail next time you’re out of town.

But what does “community” really mean? Why is it valuable? As Keith Hopper puts it in his blog, “Defining Community”, these can be difficult questions to really answer. “Dictionary definitions, for all their permutations seem to miss a good deal of implied meaning in the word community.”

Americans have a unique perspective on communities. Our founding fathers worked hard to create a country where we take care of each other instead of giving total control of our society to the elite (“a government by the people for the people…”). This serious responsibility for our fellows creates something special from what would otherwise be a disinterested bunch of people living in close proximity. It creates communities. Strong communities in turn provide an asset called “social capital”.

When we look out for each other we create strong bonds of trust and reassurance. We know if we're in a bind, our neighbors will be there for us just as we were there for them. A healthy community takes on a life of it's own, providing freedom and security for it's members. That is social capital. You can’t spend it like dollars and cents, but ultimately it provides even better than a whole pile of loot in the bank.

The driver of social capital is community involvement, a fancy way of saying “giving your neighbors a hand when they need it”. At Academy Overhead Door, social capital is precious treasure. We love people and we love lending a hand wherever we can. It can be as simple as giving you a new garage opener with batteries already installed or as big a project as repairing the Palmer Lake Firehouse door free of charge.

We’re your neighbors and we want to be there for you just as others have been there for us. That is
community.

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Excellence: We Are Not Interested In Just Being Good

Who We Are: Part III

Excellence

The word “excellence” is used in marketing so often today that we often glance over the word without considering it’s meaning. In our series about Academy Overhead Door’s core principles, we want to address the concept of excellence and what it means to us.

In his first team meeting as head coach for the Green Bay Packers in 1959, Vince Lombardi announced to his players what he expected of them.

“Gentlemen,” he said, “we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good.”

Understandably, Vince Lombardi became one of the most successful coaches in American football.

Building on our concept of Integrity covered here, we want to relentlessly chase perfection both in our work and in our relationships with our customers and community. Excellence can be gained if we are not remotely interested in just being “good enough” but practice exceeding your expectations of us in everything we do.

In an interesting paper about excellence in business, consultant Murali Chemuturi wrote, “Excellence is a continuously moving target that can be reached through actions of integrity, being front runner in terms of products/services provided that are reliable and safe for the intended users, meeting all obligations and continuously learning and improving in all spheres to meet the moving target.”

(http://www.chemuturi.com/Pursuit%20Excellence%20in%20Organizations.pdf)

Excellence is a moving target because whenever a quality standard is achieved, there is always room for improvement. Excelling at anything requires diligence and practice. It means carefully correcting any errors and striving to always give you better than what used to be our best. Excellence is found in actions, not empty words. By making excellence one of our core principles, we dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of perfection in the hopes that in the process, we will catch excellence.

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door:

We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors Colorado Springs. Academy Overhead Door providing fast overhead door repair and installation today. Call 719-481-2549

For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Integrity

Who We Are: Part II

Integrity 

Integrity is a quality that we value highly here at Academy Overhead Door. It’s a core value that we want to demonstrate with each and every one of you. However, integrity is a word that, while still recognized, many would find hard to define. We would like to explain what integrity means for us, as a company, so that you know what to expect when we say our core values are: Integrity, Excellence, Smiling, Serving and Community.

The first two definitions of integrity in the dictionary are as follows:

in·teg·ri·ty (inˈteɡrədē/)

noun: integrity

1. the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

2. the state of being whole and undivided.

Both definitions are key to our business. We want you to know that, not only do we strive to be 100% honest with you, but even further, you can trust us. We also expect honesty and trust to be present from the owner, to the technicians, to the office staff. Absolutely anyone we hire must meet these standards to be a part of our team, which is why we also consider ourselves whole and undivided.

As Ann Rees Anderson said in her Forbes article, Success Will Come and Go, But Integrity is Forever:

“Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching.”

So, from the technician who comes to your door, to the secretary who answers your phone call and prepares your invoice, to the owner who hires both, We promise to serve you with integrity: honesty that’s undivided, each time, every time, whether or not someone is watching.

About the Author: Christy Haug is a blessed wife and mama of six (so far) sweeties that she gets to stay home with. Homeschooling, childrearing and housekeeping take up most of her days, but she enjoys editing and blog writing in her spare moments.

About Academy Overhead Door:
We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door, providing fast overhead door repair and installation today. Call 719-481-2549
For more information visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com 

Smiling Is The Curve That Makes Things Straight

Who We Are: Part I

Smiling 

For any business, one of the most valuable attributes both internally and to the customer is a cheerful attitude. The simple act of smiling at a stranger is the beginning of many long and treasured relationships.

To smile and be pleasant no matter what the circumstances is not natural behavior to most of us – it’s so easy to let a little roadblock ruin our whole day! However, one of the best experiences in the world is to have a situation that would normally incite bad moods be greeted instead with a smile and a positive outlook.

We believe it is absolute crucial for our business and our lives to never be in a bad mood. It is so important to us that we have made it a core value for our company: to smile and be full of joy every day.

Sound impossible? Not at all!

We are so grateful for the opportunities we’ve been given and the people in our lives that if we focus on those things it’s hard not to smile. Serving our customers is a delight and we want our faces to reflect that. When our technicians leave a home, we hope the thing our customers remember most is that it was a joy to have us around and their day was a little brighter because we were there. We have found the old saying “A joyful heart is good medicine” to be absolutely true. There is no difficulty which doesn’t get better if we approach it with a smile and a good attitude. Stand-up comic Phyllis Dillar offered a piece of insightful thought concerning smiles: “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” A genuine smile at the right time can change someone’s life.

The art of smiling is far more complex than it may seem. It can actually require practice, especially in setting aside the inevitable distractions that often make us feel like not smiling. Making smiling a habit is very rewarding, however. It not only makes you and those around you feel happier, but it has been shown to increase the body’s immune response to infections (including the flu), reduce pain and stress, cause people to live longer and be more successful in both their professional and private lives.

A few tips for learning to smile:

1.) Practice smiling at random strangers. If you are not used to doing so, this may feel unnatural at
first, but you’d be amazed how many people smile back and how much this lifts your spirits.

2.) Rather than just imitating the physical motion of a smile (an expression dubbed the “Botox
Smile” or the “Pan Am” smile), sincerely focus on the person you are smiling at, thinking good
thoughts about them. Smiling as an act of caring and friendship needs genuine warmth behind
it!

3.) Smile with your eyes. This is called a “Duchenne” smile and it is only when the eyes are involved
that a smile becomes infectious.

Find further tips and information about smiling at http://www.wikihow.com/Smile.

Today is a good day because we are blessed to be living it: and that is why we are committed to smiling!

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com