Many who know me know I am a collector of quotes, or as I affectionately refer to them, “nuggets of wisdom” that guide my life. I cite them often to keep myself on track and for others to keep me honest to the principles I try to live by.

I was delighted to pick up several nuggets at Tuesday’s session at the International Roofing Expo – “Mastering the Multi-Generational Workplace.”  The session – moderated by GAF’s own Jennifer Keegan – was comprised of a panel of roofing business owners and contractors spanning across generations. These inspiring people have spent their share of time in the field – which, for a roofer, means up on the roof. Thus their great advice comes “from up above” (literally) and I’m delighted to share it with you for sake-keeping and life-guiding:

  1. Email is appropriate for documenting and broadcasting. Use your voice and human compassion for “real” conversations as much as possible. It’s a sign of respect in any generation, especially in a society where keyboard bullies are prevalent.
  2. “You can be wrong, but you can’t be wrong for long.” (Jack Scalo) We all make mistakes; it’s important to learn from them, and more importantly, to put the learnings into practice. Which leads to #3.
  3. “You don’t need to be perfect, you just need to be excellent.” (Another gem from Jack.)  He offered a bonus: “Learning from your own mistakes is helpful, but real learning comes from observing others’ successes and learning from them.” Let that be inspiration as it is all around us every day.
  4. Work/life balance has given way to “life balance.” “Work” and “life” are no longer on/off switches but are volume controls. Figure out what the right volume is for you and appreciate everyone’s may be different – for valid reasons. If you’re a leader of people, you are well-served to understand and embrace this new reality. Teams need to be managed by their results, not by face time.
  5. “Be pleased, but never satisfied.” Never being satisfied is akin to the horizon – it’s always ahead of you to see and reach for but you never really reach it – yet it fuels our motivation to keep doing so. Being pleased allows us to give recognition along the way and acknowledging we’re headed in the right direction.

May these nuggets fuel your day with positivity and motivation to make a positive impact on the world, like the awesome roofing professionals I was inspired by do every day.