We Don’t Need More Thinkers. We Need More Thinking Doers.
3-27-26
We don’t have a shortage of ideas. If anything, we have the opposite problem. Everyone has a perspective, a plan, a better way things should be done. Sit in any meeting or scroll through anything online and you’ll hear sharp analysis, well-structured arguments, and confident opinions about what needs to happen next.
And yet, very little actually happens.
Because thinking is safe. It feels productive. It sounds productive. You can spend hours breaking down a problem, identifying risks, refining an approach, and walk away feeling like you accomplished something. But nothing has changed. No progress has been made. No ground has been taken. It’s motion without movement, and over time, that becomes a habit.
The trap is subtle. It doesn’t look like avoidance. It looks like diligence. There’s always one more pass to make, one more angle to consider, one more risk to eliminate before moving forward. But that moment, when everything is perfectly clear and completely risk-free, never comes. Waiting for it isn’t discipline. It’s hesitation with better branding.
Real zeal doesn’t live in conversation. It doesn’t show up in how well you can explain a plan or defend an idea. Zeal shows up in movement. It’s the willingness to step forward when things aren’t fully certain, to make a decision when the information isn’t complete, and to act while others are still debating what should be done. Not recklessly, but decisively.
That’s the difference. The people who actually move things forward aren’t the ones who avoid thinking, they’re the ones who don’t stop there. They think with a purpose. They gather what they need, make a call, and go. They expect friction. They expect to adjust. They understand they won’t get everything right the first time, and they move anyway.
Because action creates clarity.
Most people have it backwards. They think clarity comes first, that if they just analyze long enough, they’ll reach a point where the path is obvious. But clarity comes from engaging with reality. It comes from testing, adjusting, and learning in motion. You don’t think your way into perfect understanding, you move your way into it.
And while one group is still refining their plan, the other is already learning from real outcomes. That gap compounds quickly. Momentum builds on one side and disappears on the other. Not because one group is smarter, but because one group is willing to act.
This is where things break down in organizations, teams, and even in our own lives. Problems stick around longer than they should. Opportunities slip by. Not because people don’t know what needs to be done, but because no one takes ownership of doing it. And once that pattern sets in, everything slows down. Decisions get heavier. Action feels riskier. So people think more, and move less.
If we want better outcomes, the standard has to change. Thinking still matters. Good thinking always will. But it can’t be the finish line. It has to be the starting point. We need more people who are willing to carry their thoughts into action, even when it’s not perfect, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when there’s risk involved.
Because execution is what separates those who talk from those who build.
At some point, every situation comes down to a simple reality: nothing changes until someone moves. Not the best idea. Not the most detailed plan. Not the most thoughtful discussion.
Movement.
So think, think well. But don’t stay there. Make the call. Take the step. Adjust as needed.
But move.
In solidarity,
Zachary Taylor
IBEW 723 Business Manager/Financial Secretary
Zeal: The Difference Between a Job and a Calling
2-19-26
There is a word we don’t use much anymore. Zeal is energy rooted in belief. It’s the difference between showing up and building something. It’s the difference between punching a clock and protecting a standard.
And right now, across industries and across generations, there’s a growing narrative that “people don’t want to work anymore.” That narrative misses the mark. Workers have not lost the ability to work hard. What many have lost is zeal. Zeal doesn’t thrive in environments where effort feels disconnected from outcome. It doesn’t survive long in systems that feel unstable, impersonal, or transactional. And it certainly doesn’t grow where workers feel disposable.
But the truth is, Zeal has always been the driving force behind union labor. Our wages weren’t negotiated by people going through the motions. Our safety standards weren’t won by apathy. Our contracts weren’t protected by indifference. They were built by men and women who believed the work mattered. Not just the job, the standard. There’s a difference. A job is what you do to get paid. A standard is what you defend so the next worker stands on higher ground.
Zeal is what makes a skilled trade more than labor. It’s pride in craftsmanship. It’s mentoring the apprentice. It’s holding the line when shortcuts are easier. It’s attending meetings when you’re tired. It’s voting. It’s participating. It’s stepping up instead of watching from the sidelines. Zeal is not loud. It is steady. And here’s the uncomfortable part, zeal is contagious, but so is disengagement. If we want a stronger local, a stronger industry, and stronger contracts, we cannot wait for inspiration to arrive from somewhere else. Leadership is not a title. It’s participation. Solidarity is not a slogan. It’s action. No one builds momentum alone.
When members participate by asking questions, volunteering, attending meetings, mentoring new hires, and holding management accountable through the process, standards improve. When members disengage and only participate from the outside, standards erode quietly.
The future of our Local will not be decided by headlines or corporate decisions. It will be decided by whether we approach our trade and our Union with zeal. The belief that what we do matters and that collective effort multiplies strength. We have the skill. We have the contracts. We have the history.
The question is whether we still have the zeal. Let’s build like we do.
In solidarity,
Zachary Taylor
IBEW 723 Business Manager/Financial Secretary
When Telecom Forgets What Matters Most
4-21-25
Telecommunications is built on fundamentals: strong infrastructure, skilled labor, and reliable service. But somewhere along the way, corporate leadership has taken its eye off the signal.
These days, executives talk more about ESG, Environmental, Social, and Governance scores, than they do about service calls, safety standards, or broken equipment. Public-facing reports are packed with sustainability goals, recycled buzzwords, and corporate pledges that have little to do with the core mission: delivering dependable communication services to the public.
Let’s be clear: sustainability and ethical governance matter. But in an industry where reliability is everything, ESG has become a convenient distraction. A corporate checklist that allows telecom giants to focus on image over outcomes. While leadership is polishing quarterly reports, workers are out in the field with outdated tools, shrinking crews, and growing pressure.
Instead of investing in training or long-term workforce development, companies are leaning hard into contractor models. Offloading responsibilities to third parties to reduce liability, not to improve service. The result? Lower accountability, weaker continuity, and greater risk for everyone. From field techs to customers to the communities we serve.
Network lines are left exposed. Response times grow longer. Safety corners are cut. And the people doing the work are often the last to be heard.
What gets lost in all this noise is the foundation of the industry itself: skilled labor. Craftsmanship. Institutional knowledge. The ability to problem-solve under pressure, not with a spreadsheet, but with a tool in one hand and years of experience in the other.
We don’t oppose forward thinking. We oppose *empty gestures* and short-term savings that come at the cost of long-term reliability. The telecommunications industry doesn’t need more consultants or clever rebranding. It needs investment in training. It needs full-time jobs with career paths. It needs leadership that understands you can’t subcontract quality and you can’t automate accountability.
At IBEW 723, we believe progress should be measured by how well the job gets done, not by how slick a company looks on paper. And until corporations stop chasing vanity metrics and start prioritizing safe, effective service, we’ll be here to remind them who actually keeps the signal strong.
In solidarity,
Zachary Taylor
IBEW 723 Business Manager/Financial Secretary
The Value of a Grievance
3-17-25
Too often, the word “grievance” gets a bad reputation. Misunderstood as a sign of trouble or seen as something only worth filing when someone’s been severely wronged. But the truth is this: a grievance is one of the most powerful tools working people have to hold the line.
Grievances aren’t about being difficult. They’re about accountability. When we enforce our contract, through dialogue, documentation, and yes, sometimes arbitration, we’re not just protecting one worker. We’re protecting the integrity of everything we bargained for at the table. Every time we let a violation slide, we risk setting a new precedent that chips away at what we’ve won together.
It’s also important to remember that a grievance doesn’t have to be combative. Many issues are resolved through conversation and clarity, especially when there’s a pattern of consistency behind our enforcement. The more employers know we take violations seriously, the less likely they are to test boundaries.
If you ever feel unsure about whether something is grievable, that’s what we’re here for. Talk to your Steward or a union officer. There’s no harm in asking, and the only way to protect your rights is to understand and use them.
Solidarity isn’t passive. It takes vigilance, action, and a willingness to speak up. Not just for ourselves, but for those who come after us. That’s the value of a grievance.
In solidarity,
Zachary Taylor
IBEW 723 Business Manager/Financial Secretary
