My grandad started as machinery worker at 16 in a Med device company. After WWII he returned and then made steady progress all the way to General Manager. The factory workers loved him for his honesty, fairness and the genuine love he showed for his people.
He used to take me to the factory when I was very young. He would speak to every employee on his way to the office. He would remember their children’s names and make all who met him feel special. I think his workers loved him as much as I did. I would get Hovis biscuits in the canteen and then walk up to his office and watch him work. Adding life and colour to a room with every human interaction.
Towards the end of his life (he passed away of cancer in 1992). We would spend many days together, and even more evenings talking about his life experiences. He told me how he rose to general manager and he had so much wisdom to share, I would soak it up like a sponge. He told me one thing I never forgot. I am now passing that on to you. Enjoy
“There will always be someone better looking than you, someone taller, more capable, smarter, more educated. You can’t control that, we are all what we are. But you CAN control being the hardest worker in the room. If you are the hardest worker in the room. Then who knows what you can achieve.”
Dennis Chestney
Sea's The Day 