Don’t Forget the Journey…

I was introduced to fly fishing from a pontoon boat a few years ago and fell in love with it. This method of angling allows you to access water you might not normally fish but to me, more importantly, drifting a river in a boat is one of the most relaxing ways to spend a day I can imagine.

One of my good friends who also is an avid fly fisher lives in an apartment with little storage so he keeps one of his pontoon boats in my garage. Thankfully he has generously offered the use of the boat when I want with the proviso that if I break it I pay for it. I am happy to provide a place to keep the boat and appreciate the opportunity to use it but am embarrassed to admit that I have not been able to get out with it yet because of my work schedule. He knows this and has been politely pushing me to join him on a camping/fishing trip on the Mississauga River in the Kawarthas.

I have the gear. I live close to great fly fishing and have access to a boat. But I have not yet gone. What’s wrong with this picture ?

I had the pleasure recently of attending a celebration in London for a client of mine who is retiring after 37 years with his company. I was honored to be invited because few people in my ‘other job’ (commercial real estate leasing) are fortunate enough to get the opportunity to work with companies like his – and fewer still develop the relationship we have. Frankly, if you were to describe a great company it would be his and if you were to wish for a ‘perfect’ client it would be Allan. It truly has been a delight working with him and I join his associates in wishing him and his wife all the best as they begin this new chapter in their lives.

Allan’s company employs over 100 people in their London office and everyone crowded into their lunch room for a surprise slide show that chronicled his career with his company. The office manager rose at the front of the room to give a talk about Allan’s tenure but also touched on his love of family and the outdoors including his passion for hunting. There were of course more than a few laughs and as I sat and listened, I watched the faces of those around me and realized how fortunate I am to be a small part of this company’s culture. They not only care for one another, they care about their company and their suppliers – and it shows. At the end of the presentation Allan rose to address the room. What he said, and how he said it, spoke volumes about why I have enjoyed – and been humbled by – working with him over the years.

Allan started by thanking everyone for attending. He laughed again at the pictures they had shown and the stories that were told and then he talked about how fortunate he has been over the years to work with the people in his office who have become his extended family. As he spoke about his tenure he explained how thankful he was that in 37 years he had never been asked by his company to cut corners on a project or to put earnings ahead of ethics. This from a man who is on the senior management team with an engineering firm that is one of the most recognized – and profitable – in its industry. He then gazed at the faces of those gathered in his honor and said that his greatest satisfaction was in helping put together the team that stood before him and knowing that the future of the company was in great hands.

He ended his remarks by passing along the same advice he received from a senior manager when he started with the company all those years ago: “work hard, be honest and enjoy the journey.”

Having principles and integrity are things that are often spoken of but not as often employed – especially when money is on the table. I have been very fortunate to have worked with Allan and his team over the years and know that his company will continue to grow after his departure because of the culture he is leaving behind.

As we left the room Allan turned to me and asked not how our office leasing projects are going across the country but rather when next I was going fishing. I paused, smiled and said, “I have a trip with a friend coming up that I have been putting off, but it looks like it is time to go…”