On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was

"How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknown Soldier"  ---- All three missed it --

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 Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:
 
1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?

21 steps:  It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

3. Why are his gloves wet?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time
and, if not, why not?

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes a 90 degree turn, faces the tomb for 21 seconds, then turns again to march back.   He moves the rifle to the outside shoulder, away from the tomb to show that he is protecting the tomb at all times.

5. How often are the guards changed?

During the open hours for the cemetery, Sentinels (which is what the military calls the guards) are changed every thirty minutes in the summer (April 1-Sept 30) and every hour in the winter (Oct 1-March 30).  When the cemetery is closed, the sentinels are on duty for 2 hours at a time.

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 4" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.     

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their uniform signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 525 presently worn. The guard must not disgrace the tomb for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.  A total of nine have been revoked to this day.      
 
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the sides of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.

There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

A guard must be aware of who is buried at the cemetery and where they are interred. 

Among the notables are:   

• President Taft
• Joe Lewis {the boxer}
• Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII of Hollywood fame

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.  

This question no one could answer on Jeopardy.

So here is my question to you.  Do your employees know how dedicated you are to the business?  Do you pay attention to all the details?  I can remember working in the business in Phoenix, it would amaze me how much attention Jim Donley paid to the details.  He knew when we had a tech going to the wrong home, it was almost scary how he would see an appointment from across the room.  Even if we were a little uncomfortable when he discovered the mistake, there was no doubt as to his commitment.  He was involved in all the details.

And if you are blessed to have an employee who is serious about their job, who really wants to help customers, thank them.  Show your appreciation in front of the other employees, let them know you are glad they are part of the team.  I just finished up a session in the Pacific Northwest, and gave them this challenge.  If you find a person who can pass the drug test, has a decent driving record, and has a good attitude, hire them. Hire for attitude, train for skill. We can always teach them the business, but it is really hard to get a person to change their personality.

Thanks for listening, we'll talk later.