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FROM THE WINGS

Find the Fun!

PJ Kleffner, DTM

Immediate Past District Director

Are you having fun? If not, I highly recommend who decided to
that you figure out why—life is too short to be sit in on some of

miserable or even just dull and boring. One of our classes to see
the favorite jobs I had during my 40+ years in what we did. After he
the high-tech industry was training new sales heard my welcome speech,
engineers how to operate the equipment we he took me aside and really
sold. This was so they could demonstrate the chewed me out. He said it cost us over

equipment to potential customers and provide $100,000 to train each new sales engineer, so I
support as needed after they bought it. shouldn’t be telling them to quit! I said, “Sorry,
To give you some perspective, this training sir, I stand by what I said. If they are not enjoying

was 40 hours per week for 13 weeks! Yes, it was themselves and having fun, they are not doing
intense. Over the decades, our equipment was their best, and our customers will pick up on that
used in the development and manufacture of attitude.” We didn’t exactly agree to disagree, but
color televisions, airplanes, computers, cell I continued doing what I was doing long after
phones, lasers, and fiber optic networks. he was gone.

In addition to the actual equipment operation, Unfortunately, I didn’t always follow my
we had to teach our sales engineers about own advice (who does?). I spent nearly 30 years
these emerging technologies and the various at that company and had many different jobs.

applications for our equipment. I found it very Most of them were great, but some, not so much.
rewarding to know that I was contributing to I finally realized that I was no longer having fun
these technological breakthroughs. and felt so relieved when I walked out the door
During their orientation on the first day on my last day. I went on to work with a former
of class, I welcomed all of the new students. colleague that didn’t turn out how I planned. I

I told them that they had the best job in the committed to working “part time for two years”,
company, which was interacting directly with our which turned in to full time and stretched over
customers and discussing their many fascinating 12 years before I finally retired. I was still having

applications. I went on to tell them that when fun, but decided it was time to quit punching
they stopped having fun, get out, because I didn’t the clock.
want them working for “my” company anymore. Some of you may remember a book that was
After one of many reorganizations, our popular in the 1980s, Do What You Love, the Money
training group reported to a new vice president, Will Follow, by Marsha Sinetar. Unfortunately,

20 ONE COMMUNITY