What We’re Not Changing, We’re Choosing

Marty here with Warehouse and Operations as a Career. This has always been my favorite time of year. Not just because of the holidays, although I do enjoy a little time off and getting to spend some quality time with family and friends. It's always been my reset or reboot time of year. I know a lot of people that look at spring as their reboot season. I don’t know, maybe because one year is closing and another one is opening, for me, reflecting on the last 52 weeks and planning on the next 52 just gives me pause, and I look forward to it!

So, let's see, we’ve been at this now for what, just over 7 sets of 52 weeks, or a little over 7 years. When I started the podcast I envisioned doing 50 episodes, and here we are at 347!

OK, 2025, what a year right. This year we covered a wide range of topics, we’ve talked about 32 different light industrial task or positions. We’ve learned a little about our handling our finances, a lot about the supply chain, and spoke about the many different career opportunities in this industry. I hope we’re all a little better off, or more prepared for and in our careers for it!  

I’d like to make this first episode of 2026 about reflection, planning, professionalism, and purpose. I was telling a group of managers and facility managers yesterday that purpose is going to be my go to word for the 1st quarter. I’m making Purpose about ethics and commitment. It’s about doing the job right, even when the job isn’t glamorous. And most importantly, it’s about understanding that this is a long game, and the end goal for all of us is retirement, not burnout, definitely not injury, and not regret in any form or fashion.

This year I’ve had the fortune to see at least 3 people advance to executive management positions. And I think 2 directors move up to V.P. roles. Well over 14 team members from the floor promoted to supervisors, and I think 9 individuals move into lead roles. And a wealth of associates moved into other departments or tasks.

And on the negative side, no that's the wrong word, not negative. Let’s say there was also a lot of us still finding our footing and growing. I heard of a few instances where management had terminated associates, probably no more than 10 or 20 though. And every year we hear of several hundred that terminate or fire themselves. Remember how we’ve talked about those attendance rules, tardy rules, safety rules, and how insubordination, losing our tempers, or just accepting a position that isn't a good fit for us, what else, oh, the NCNS. Things like that I think we can all agree we kind of ended our position on our own. But you know what. That's OK. I’m sure we learned from it, and we’ll take that knowledge to our next opportunity. Every job isent for everybody. So those situationaren'tn't even close to being a negative, we learned something about ourselves so its a positive in my eyes.

A few things I ask myself this time of year is did I show up consistently? I don’t mean daily or on time. I mean was I there mentally, and focused on my job every day. And did I follow direction, or did I cut corners? Every position in our field of light industrial work has some type of regulatory, safety, record documentation or reporting we’re responsible for. It’s so easy to cut a corner here and there. That's one I really work on every year. And here’s my favorite one, did I take ownership of my role? This is a hard one, and I’d like to say I did a good job with it this year!  And of course I have to ask myself, did I improve my skills every month, or did I just repeat the same month 12 times?

I’ve definitely learned that growth doesn’t come from activity alone, it comes from intentional improvement. You can work hard and still stand still if you’re not learning, listening, and adjusting when necessary. And as we’ve learned, that’s especially true in the light industrial world. Warehousing, manufacturing, and transportation demand discipline, precision, and trust. This isn’t a place where chaos survives for long.

Another word I’ve taught to this year was ethics. Ethics aren’t just about stealing or dishonesty. Ethics show up in whether you follow safety procedures even when a supervisor isn’t nearby, whether you handle equipment responsibly, and whether you raise your hand when something goes wrong. Ethics are about doing the right thing when it would be easier not to. In our industry, ethical shortcuts can get people hurt. They damage equipment. They cost jobs. They end careers early. And they don’t stay hidden for long. The associates who last, the ones who get promoted, trusted, and grow, are the ones management never has to worry about regarding rules and procedures being followed.

And that makes me think about commitment. I made like 25 commitment forms this year for a host of different positions. I think, somewhere along the way, the idea of job commitment got twisted. Now, commitment doesn’t mean giving your life to a company. It simply means doing what we said we’d do, showing up when we said we would, being dependable, taking responsibility for our role, and understanding that our actions affect others. Sounds simple right? In a warehouse, one person not doing their job can create downstream chaos. Missed picks, delayed trucks, overtime, safety risks, all because someone decided their role wasn’t that important. We learned this year that they are all important. I forgot what episode we said, Every role matters. Every shift matters. Every decision matters. Commitment isn’t old-fashioned, we just need to bring it back into the fold!

Oh, here’s one, I hear it all the time, and you know it makes me frown. It’s just a warehouse job. No, it’s a professional environment with real risk, real responsibility, and real opportunity. Professionalism shows up in how we speak to our coworkers and supervisors. How we handle feedback, how we accept and wear our PPE, and how you treat equipment and safety procedures. One thing I shared with an unloader this week was, you don’t become professional after you get promoted. Professionalism is what earns you that promotion. People notice the associate who listens, adapts, and carries themselves with respect. They also notice the ones who complain, argue, and resist direction.

In the light industrial world, following instructions isn’t about control, it’s about safety, efficiency, and consistency. We learned this year that procedures are written because someone got hurt, or something was damaged, time was lost, or money was wasted. You don’t need to like every instruction. And you don’t need to agree with every process. But we do need to follow them. As long as there legal and safe.

I have a picture hanging in my office, a quote from Vince Lombardy that says, The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. I read that every Monday morning!

Another thing we learned this year is that If you’re doing the same job the same way you did two years ago, you’re falling behind, even if you’re good at it. Technology changes. Equipment changes. Expectations change. Learning doesn’t always mean formal training. It can mean us asking better questions or more questions, watching how the top performers work, and understanding the why behind the process, oh and accepting coaching without getting defensive. I think the most career damaging words in any operation are, that’s how we’ve always done it.

For me, constant improvement is a mindset. Improvement doesn’t require massive changes. It just needs small, consistent adjustments. Better communication. Better time management. And better focus. Those small improvements compound over time. And over a 20-, 30-, or 40-year career, they make a massive difference. I’m living proof of that!

OK, enough of 2025! And although this is my magical time of year, goals don’t magically work because the calendar changes. If you and I want 2026 to be different, you and I need, Clear expectations, Measurable goals, and to hold ourselves accountable, even when it’s uncomfortable and gets tough. We need to ask ourselves, what skill do I need to improve? What habit do I need to change? What behavior is holding me back? I write those answers down and talk about them, and I revisit them monthly.

And I want to talk about the part nobody explains clearly enough to us. The end goal of this game isn’t just a paycheck. The end goal is retirement with health, dignity, and options. That means protecting your body, avoiding injuries, managing stress, saving consistently, and making smart career moves. You don’t wake up one day ready to retire, we have to build toward it slowly, intentionally, and patiently. Another way to put it is plan for it! Every safe shift, every certification, every promotion, every smart financial decision gets you closer.

As we close out 2025, remember this, You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to be intentional. Ethics matter. Commitment matters. Professionalism matters. And learning matters. And the choices we make today shape the options we’ll have tomorrow.

So lets all plan with purpose. Work with pride. And never forget, this isn’t just a job. It’s a career, and it’s leading us somewhere.

So welcome to 2026, another 52 weeks to change what we want! Let’s have fun with it, be safe doing it, and make it the best and safest work year yet.