03/10/2026
Remember to listen:
I oversee a low-margin business, which means if I don’t push my team hard, we don’t survive.
It's not optional - we’ve got to get the most out of limited overhead.
But I also have to be careful that I don’t push my team to burnout, and what I’ve learned in doing so is that my people rarely walk into my office and say out loud, "Stan, I have too much on my plate."
Instead, I have to listen to how they sound when they come talk to me.
Their speech gets faster. There's tension in their voice, maybe a stressed edge that wasn't there last week.
Those little vocal cues tell me everything I need to know: I've pushed too far, and it's time to pull back before we hit burnout or start making mistakes that land on our clients.
In this business, you can't afford to wait for someone to wave a white flag. By then, they're already past the breaking point.
So I stay close, and I listen even more closely. And when I hear a change in tone, I re-balance workloads, add support, do whatever it takes to bring my team back from the edge.
At the same time, I also draw a hard line around personal time. I don't bother people on vacation. I don't call during important family moments.
That time is sacred, and if I'm taking it from them, I'm taking more than I have any right to.
I want to push for excellence, but pay attention. I want to notice when the tone changes and adjust before people tip over.
In our world, you get one shot at keeping good people, so you better be listening.
-some important guy-
