From the Observation Deck

To assemble four years from now.

I officially love the Canadians. At the opening ceremony of the Olympics there was a glitch in the torch lighting. So the Canadians made fun of it all by “fixing” it at the closing ceremony. Anyone who can laugh at themselves and turn human error into something funny to celebrate is good in my eyes. The Canadians have shown themselves to be… well… themselves. Good natured, fun, welcoming, lovely people. Thanks Canada for giving us such a wonderful two weeks. As my friends and neighbors have been saying. “We’ve so enjoyed watching the Olympics. Even more than usual. We’re going to miss watching it.”

Before the games started some people were wondering how they were going to top the spectacle the Chinese gave us. Well, as marvelous as that show was, I guess it goes to show that people everywhere are beautiful and talented. We can appreciate people for many different reasons.

And we can appreciate the Canadians for their sense of humor. Seriously, who else but the Canadians would have giant inflatable beavers and moose? And how about the old table-top hockey game with magnets—awesome. It was campy and perfect and the fake antlers for the audience was icing on the cake.

The Olympics give us a look at various cultures around the world. And it’s always lovely. The Olympics is like Christmas in a way. You get that feeling of peace and goodwill. Here we are—humans from different backgrounds, religions, beliefs—all competing peacefully. It shows that we can all get together and appreciate each other and compete without guns and violence. It’s beautiful and it’s one of the many reasons I love the Olympics.

With glowing hearts. That’s what it’s all about.

Congratulations to all the athletes, coaches, parents, trainers, volunteers, officials, and everyone who took part in putting the show on. You did a great job and should be proud of yourselves. Can’t wait ‘til the 2012 games in London!

There is so much about the Olympics that is fun to watch. Tonight I’m giddy because I’m watching the men’s snowboarding halfpipe competition. The star of this sport is a cute, smiling, good-natured red head named Shaun White. He is quintessential American Rockies ski bum. For the past few years he’s been inventing new jumps by practicing on a halfpipe where he can land in a big pile of foam blocks.

Before the competition he was interviewed and was so excited to unveil the moves. He smiled at the camera and said, “You guys are in for a treat.” And there was nothing arrogant about it. He loves what he does and you can see the joy in his smile.

The other guys (and gals for that matter) are also fun to watch. I’m so glad the Olympics added this sport. And the freestyle skiing, too. That one is a thrill to watch as well.

And if you’re watching the games and think that snowboarding looks easy, I want to tell you it’s harder than it looks. My nieces thought it was challenging on basically a flat hill. And they are athletes! Julia ended the day with a fractured wrist. Thank goodness there was no pipeline where we went!

The absolute joy that I get when I see Zenia doing the face plant just makes my day. Of course I realized later that I should have had both of them in helmuts and protective gear, but where’s the fun in that?

I’ve started watching a new show. It’s called Undercover Boss. CEOs go undercover in their own companies to get a better idea of what is happening on the front line. It’s a great concept. CEOs have to be big picture people with vision. But too often senior management loses perspective. Sometimes the details do matter. Sometimes they need to remember that their employees are people who can give a lot to their companies but need encouragement and the feeling that someone cares about them. So, let me describe some of what happened in the first episode.

This guy from Waste Management went out into the field. One guy fired him for being too slow at picking up trash. Another guy is someone I would like to see every day because he’s the kind of guy who loves life. This guy cleans port-a-potties for a living. As he was taking the CEO out to a job he says, “We’re like hunters. It’s not a job, it’s an adventure.”  

On another job, the CEO went out with a woman who was on a trash pick-up route who had to pee in a can when she had to go. It just goes to show that sometimes there are policies put into place to cut costs or increase efficiency that can leave out the human element. I’ve had crappy jobs but I can’t imagine having to deal with that.  

Now it’s easy to watch a show like this and take the side of the workers. It’s a case of corporate vs. front line. But what happens a lot is that there are usually good solid reasons for implementing policies. I’ve worked in places where employees take advantage when there is no accountability. And I’ve worked in a place where there has been too much oversight. It’s about trust, hiring the right people, training, and most importantly, communication. Communicating with the employees before the policies go into effect and communicating the reasons and details after. And then encouraging feedback.

Communication is key to relationships. With employees, supervisors, and with customers. I was amazed that some of these waste management employees were friends with their customers. It makes you think about all the people we interact with each day. And how many people touch our lives and brighten our days.

But the most important thing to remember is if you have to clean up toilets at any point in your life, just think of it as a “Battlefield of Poo,” and do your job well and with pride.