July08_Connections_Spread:Newsletter Layout - Dynabrade Inc.

A Tribute
to Our Colleague,
SID BARNES
A 13-Year Voyage with Dynabrade Europe
Sid Barnes started working at Dynabrade Europe in January,
1995 and is planning to retire in December, 2008. A very young
spirit with a strong personality and great sense of humor, Sid is also a person
of commitment, knowledge and enthusiasm. Described by most Dynabraders
as a joker, he is always ready for a laugh.
As he prepares to leave Dynabrade Europe, we decided to ask people for
their impressions of Sid throughout his 13 years with us. So we asked three
basic questions, and here are some of the replies. (Naturally all sources were
promised anonymity.)
What was your first impression of Sid Barnes?
“I was impressed and scared; this man seemed to know all.”
“This guy should be on Fawlty Towers.”
“A personality with a positive approach to life and work, with a great sense
of humor.”
“Quick to anger, quick to cool down. He could look furiously at a group that was
ten minutes late and ask,‘What part of 8:00 did you not understand?’ Just a
few minutes later he would happily observe, ‘I really like these meetings when
we talk to each other.”
“When I first met Sid I thought I had a very proper British gentleman in front
of me. A talkative, humorous person, and reliable too.”
“Sid is thoroughly efficient, honest and a capable member of our staff.”
“The way he treats young colleagues is very gentle and kind. He is an excellent
tutor, excellent presenter and a really good human being. Sid became a friend
very quickly via joke exchange sessions.”
“He is always talking. I later realized that there were
two reasons for that: First and most important was to
keep himself awake, and second was because Sid has an
opinion about everything. Nothing is too big or small.”
“Knowing Sid for over twenty years, my first impression
was that he was a man of great integrity, with a wealth
of knowledge in the metal finishing industry. I also
found him to be a man with great management skills.”
What have you learned from Sid Barnes?
Considered an excellent teacher, most of our
employees have learned a lot from Sid. Many
European Application Engineers spent time
training in the UK and experienced Sid’s
willingness to share information, teach about product
applications, and passionately spread the
Dynabrade story. Here are some facets of Sid’s
colorful philosophy that were mentioned:
4
Sid Barnes holds his award as top Regional Sales Manager of 2007. Standing with Sid are
(l-r) Steve Young, Ian MacDonald and Brian Munden.
• NEVER reply to an abrupt letter straight away.
• ALWAYS tackle even small clients and their minor
problems in the most professional way.
• ALWAYS stay calm and try to find a solution
for both parties.
• ALWAYS carry the “AA Good Pub and Food
Guide” with you.
• It is of fundamental importance to focus our daily
activity on the shop floor.
• It is not a problem to admit you cannot do something
immediately — provided you tell when and what you
will be able to do. Then stick by your commitments.