Letter on the Third — August 2022

Dear Datamax Family,

I’ve got a cartoon illustration in my office that I like to share with people from time to time. It’s four cows, each leaning their necks over to the others’ side of the fence to eat grass (Click on the cartoon to enlarge). As employees, sometimes we’re sometimes prone to think the same way. We convince ourselves that “the grass is greener over there,” when really, the grass is greener wherever you water it.

Green and Growing is a phrase you’ve heard me say many times.

The concept first came to me from longtime friend and fellow Copier Dealers Association member Jim Fuchs. We discussed the ideas behind the phrase at length, and the more we talked, the more it grew on me. As the phrase goes, “You’re either green and growing, or you’re ripe and rotting.” Green and Growing can mean many things at Datamax, from acquisitions we make, to the diversifying of our solutions, to the cultivation of our culture.

But what does Green and Growing mean for you?

It means always be looking at your skillset, asking yourself “am I really the best I can be?” Do you know our product? Do you know all the programs and competencies that Datamax offers? When you are talking with a customer, are you equipped to help them in the best way possible? Always be learning.
It means taking care of our own people and nourishing their experience at Datamax. As managers, it’s important that our teams understand everything that we do and how we do it. It’s being the best we can be with onboarding and also with training. When an employee has a question or concern, we should take it seriously and work to address it.

Green and Growing also means taking care of yourself.

This month will be especially busy as we deliver literally thousands of devices to the schools we serve across Texas and Arkansas. It’s hot out there. Make sure you’re fully prepared and that, along the way, you’re fully hydrated. It’s all hands on deck this month, and as manufacturers continue to free up more products, it will continue to be that way. In busy, frantic times, I’d ask you to revert to The Little Blue Book. “Focus on the Things that are Productive.” And if after honoring our systems, they’re NOT productive, then by all means “Initiate Positive Change.”

Finally, never forget: We’re not truly Green and Growing at Datamax without your individual contribution and your specific expertise. Even in the extreme heat of August, it’s crucial that you keep your grass green.

The Best is Yet to Be.