| It's September 10th and there I am again, driving | | | | the sayings placed under old glory on the |
| North on the New Jersey Turnpike towards | | | | overpasses. My favorite one reads America, |
| Kenilworth (this time). This is the first day of eight | | | | Diverse and Free. I think about how important it is |
| over the next three weeks at a company in this | | | | for everyone to constantly remember that. |
| town off exit 11 and up the Garden State | | | | America really is a Team, made up of all kinds of |
| Parkway, interspersed with a couple days in | | | | people. That's one of the things that makes us so |
| Maryland, two in Connecticut and one in | | | | strong and makes so many people outside and |
| Manhattan. Three weeks of constantly being on | | | | inside our country so envious.The seminar the |
| the go, being busy conducting seminars and | | | | next day brings those points to fore. What better |
| consulting.Team Building is the topic for this day, | | | | example of Team Building? Instantaneously we've |
| with four more to follow. How to build effective | | | | become a Team. Things go well under the |
| and efficient teams, communicate better, know | | | | circumstances that day and the next. The |
| your and your team members' strengths and | | | | American Team Building has even spread to the |
| weaknesses, delegate, motivate and of course | | | | Garden State Parkway on the 13th where |
| have some fun along the way.What a great group | | | | motorists have pulled over, gotten out of their |
| of folks they are, a dozen in the morning class | | | | cars and stand next to their vehicles holding |
| and the same for the afternoon session. I leave | | | | candles. It continues for miles. I leave North |
| at around 5:30 to head home to Philly. On the | | | | Jersey after more Team Building Sessions on the |
| road I'm mentally figuring out how much time I | | | | 14th.The next week the haze remains to some |
| have to eat, make my calls, spend some time | | | | degree. More Kenilworth Monday and Tuesday. I |
| with my son maybe talking, just relaxing and or | | | | must say I really like the people I'm working with. |
| watching sports before going off to sleep. | | | | They seem to realize their team building needs |
| Tomorrow is a special day. September 11th and | | | | quite clearly and are already using some of the |
| I'm to meet my clients Paul and Lynn in Trenton | | | | techniques to bring about change.Thursday and |
| at 7:30 A.M. to catch the train to Manhattan. | | | | Friday I'm in Maryland. Thursday night I go to |
| We have a day of meetings scheduled and a | | | | sleep around 10:30. The workshop I'm doing starts |
| "surprise" Birthday Party in the evening.The | | | | early. Somehow I hit the pillow and I'm out, sound |
| party's for me, Paul had arranged it and even | | | | asleep until a blast wakes me up at who knows |
| called people on his speakerphone while I was in | | | | what time. I jump out of bed open the curtain |
| his office to say "Are you coming to Dan's | | | | look outside to hear sirens and see flashes of light. |
| surprise party on the 11th?" And we'd all laugh. | | | | My hand reaches for the remote, I turn on the |
| September 11th is my Birthday. I can't calculate | | | | TV to see what has happened and there's no |
| how many times I've told people, "Do you know | | | | signal. How my reference points have changed. |
| how much money I had to spend to get my | | | | Two weeks before I would have known it was |
| birthday on all those Police Cars! 911....it wasn't | | | | thunder and lightening, now I'm not sure if it's |
| easy"?Paul calls late and leaves me a message. | | | | another attack. I figure if it is they'll come and get |
| "There's a change of plans, we're gonna take the | | | | me, if not I might as well make an attempt at |
| eight twenty-five (or the train around that time)". | | | | more sleep.At the Seminar I ask how many folks |
| I call him. I don't think he's feeling too well, maybe | | | | heard the thunder and how many of them |
| he wants to get a few extra minutes of sleep in | | | | thought that it was another attack. More than half |
| the A.M. "Check in with me in the morning" he | | | | the hands go up. Most of the rest slept through |
| says. Five forty is my call into Paul. "Dan I think | | | | the noise.The next week takes me back up to |
| we can take the 10:35, I just wanna lay in bed for | | | | North Jersey again and Connecticut. The drive to |
| a bit, but we're definitely going, see you at the | | | | Connecticut is strange. I leave Philly a little after |
| station".So I eat my breakfast, take my shower | | | | 5:00 PM. I get on the Jersey Turnpike and take |
| and get all my "stuff" in order.Now it's a few | | | | exit 13 Elizabeth.In order to circumvent Manhattan |
| minutes after nine and the phone rings, it's my | | | | I go through Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and |
| friend. He asks if I'm still going to Manhattan. I give | | | | the Bronx on route 278. It gives me an incredible |
| him an affirmative and he says, "Oh no you're | | | | view of the Manhattan skyline. It's so beautiful and |
| not, turn on the TV".I press the on button and | | | | majestic. I have time. The Battery Tunnel is |
| there it is. I'm numb, frozen, in disbelief. Can this | | | | closed. Traffic backs up and I look at the City |
| really be happening? I attempt to think, but | | | | while listening to NPR on my radio. Then I see it. |
| disorganization gets thrown into the mix. | | | | The smoke is still there. The haze remains, not |
| Sometimes I'm fully cognizant of what I'm doing | | | | just in my thoughts but in the skyline. Those |
| and other times I have to think and rethink to | | | | buildings that I ALWAYS looked for, the ones that |
| make sure that I'm comprehending even the | | | | signified that I was close to my destination were |
| "normal" things away from the commentary and | | | | gone. All I could see were those other buildings, |
| pictures on CNN.The calls go out, to my son, Paul, | | | | ones that have become familiar to me only |
| other family members and friends to see if | | | | through TV, the ones with the greenish domes |
| everyone's ok. And to tell them that I didn't go.I | | | | that formerly were dwarfed by their neighbors, |
| speak with Anne Marie who works in Manhattan. | | | | Tower One and Tower Two.On my way home |
| She was supposed to attend the dinner party. | | | | to Philly I thought about business and how those |
| She tells me that a mutual friend, who she works | | | | two towers had, to some degree, symbolized the |
| with, had just dropped off a package to his | | | | motors of commerce and how their demise had |
| roommate on the 102nd floor of Tower One, | | | | slowed it down. I counted a scant eleven airplanes |
| taken the elevator down and reached the lobby | | | | from central Connecticut to New York City. |
| when the plane hit. He's fine but he doesn't know | | | | Eleven. How unreal. |
| where his roommate is.The party, the meetings, | | | | Then I realized that those eleven planes were |
| the business seems oddly meaningless and | | | | more than I had seen in the sky in quite some |
| meaningful at the same time. How nice it would | | | | time. |
| be to have the party, sit in a meeting and do the | | | | We'll make it I thought. A little more cautiously on |
| business of business. And how absurd it all seems | | | | one hand and a lot more determined on the other |
| at this time of tragedy.The day passes painfully, | | | | but we'll make it.Connecticut, Maryland and North |
| my birthday will mean something so different to | | | | Jersey are, for now, behind me.Three weeks of |
| me and everyone else from here on out.I try to | | | | life (and counting) filled with extreme emotions |
| call the Red Cross to give blood but all the lines | | | | and the everyday chores we may treasure |
| are busy. Finally I get through and they tell me | | | | somewhat differently.It may be me but I get the |
| that there's a blood drive being held in Flourtown | | | | feeling that people are driving differently since the |
| (my Flourtown) tomorrow starting at 2:00. No | | | | eleventh, I would even say more courteous. We |
| appointments will be taken.The 12th is more of | | | | seem to be a bit more grounded. Is it that we've |
| the same, everything to do with business is | | | | been hugging our kids more often, understanding |
| cancelled and who would want to do anything | | | | each others' strengths and weaknesses with |
| anyway. I wonder about my friends in NYC and in | | | | more tolerance, perhaps even putting our priorities |
| North Jersey and hope everyone is ok.I walk | | | | in order.What does this mean for business?I hope |
| down the block and there, a few houses away is | | | | it means a richer, slower more invigorating |
| a makeshift shrine on the steps of a neighbor. | | | | business climate. One that appreciates everyone |
| Five or six candles and two photos, one of the | | | | and everything that makes our businesses work. |
| photos is on a piece paper that looked so much | | | | It may mean that we have to look around at the |
| like the photos I've begun to see on TV, held by | | | | folks we work with and tell them how much we |
| distraught relatives and friends. Missing 102nd | | | | enjoy seeing them each day, yeah, even those |
| floor, Tower One (the same tower and floor of | | | | who used to annoy us. And perhaps it would help |
| my friend's roommate), followed by his name and | | | | to smile at the people who pass us by each day, |
| the picture of a man smiling. How sad. What do | | | | say thanks to all of those who clean our streets, |
| you do? Or Think? Or say? My mind still shifts | | | | pick up our trash, deliver our mail, put out our |
| between thinking straight and the haze that so | | | | fires, protect our safety, check us out at the |
| many people continue to say appears from time | | | | supermarket and sit in the offices and cubicles |
| to time in their thoughts.I get to the blood drive | | | | around us.Maybe it really is time to put our |
| at 1:50 P.M. there are about forty people waiting. | | | | business lives in perspective. Have more fun. |
| And the line continues to get longer. The day | | | | Treat people with added respect. Continue the |
| proceeds, I wait, and the realization hits me that I | | | | capitalist pursuit with a little smile.Maybe it's time |
| have to go back up to North Jersey the next | | | | to think about this amazing Team we've built and |
| morning. At 7:25 P.M. I've been thanked, my blood | | | | be thankful.Dan Goldberg, MBA, is President of |
| has been given and I head home. The Team | | | | Dan Goldberg Consulting L.L.C. a training, coaching |
| Building Seminar Series is to continue in the | | | | and business development firm located in the |
| morning.Team Building has come to America in a | | | | Philadelphia, PA area. He is the founder and former |
| manner that theory, academic exercises or | | | | owner of "For Eyes" the highly successful |
| lecture can only reinforce in a seminar. We've | | | | international optical company and an internationally |
| illustrated it by our actions. The firefighters, police | | | | recognized keynote speaker. Dan is the author of |
| officers, emergency workers, and "civilians" have | | | | the book "Stand Back A Second, Just don't fall |
| reacted in a way that shows the best in | | | | off the edge," and of "The Six Steps To Solid |
| people.Everyone is helping and supporting, giving | | | | Sales Success" and "The Seven Elements Of |
| money and or blood, sending supplies, performing | | | | Successful Management" programs. He is |
| tasks that must be done in order to make things | | | | Executive-In-Residence at Kutztown University |
| move somewhat smoothly in what otherwise | | | | and has been the subject of stories in |
| would be a totally chaotic situation. And we do it. | | | | Newsweek, Business Week, Playboy, Successful |
| From psychological help to just talking with each | | | | Business, Investor's Business Daily, major |
| other. We somehow realize that we need one | | | | newspapers in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, |
| another.Then there are the flags. More than I've | | | | D.C., Boston, Baltimore, Miami, San Francisco, |
| ever seen. I wonder how many are displayed out | | | | Oakland, St. Louis, Chicago, Los Angeles and many |
| of respect, how many out of real patriotism and | | | | other national and local publications. In addition, Dan |
| how many out of jingoism. I hope the former | | | | has appeared on Good Morning America and other |
| two far out weight the third. I glance up to read | | | | national and local television and radio programs. |