“The first key to greatness is to be in reality what we appear to be.”
Socrates
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about authenticity.
Reports indicate that after World War I, hundreds of shell-shocked French soldiers struggled to remember who they were. Military records failed to help these amnesia victims recall their names and be reunited with their families. Officials decided to hold an identification rally in Paris and announce the event throughout France.
Imagine the anticipation and anxiousness surrounding this effort. Thousands of people gathered in the plaza hoping to identify their loved one. One by one the soldiers made their way to a high platform and pleaded, “Please, please, can somebody tell me who I am?”
That anxious cry -- “Can somebody tell me who I am?” -- resounds throughout the world today. The ability to determine who we are establishes our identity in a world of copycats and allows us to be ourselves in a world intent on us being someone other than we are to attain success.
I thought about Socrates’ comment and the soldier’s pleas as I reread an October 26, 1992 article in the New York Times. You might think the article entitled, “Fragrance Engineers Say They Can Bottle the Smell of Success,” by N.R. Kleinfield is a fabrication but here’s the actual way a portion of it appeared:
“It was bound to happen. Someone thinks he is about to create the Honest Car Salesman in a bottle.”
I chuckled when I read that one of Detroit’s big three auto makers hired Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, a quirky smell researcher in Chicago, to devise a rather exceptional scent. The hope was that when the odor was sprayed on a car salesman, he would - yes - smell honest.
It sounds absurd. In fact, after she was done laughing, Dr. Susan Shiffman, a smell researcher and professor of medical psychology at the Duke University Medical School, remarked, “I was not aware that honesty had a specific smell associated with it.” But Dr. Hirsch, who refuses to name his Detroit client, is confident that he will have the Honest Car Salesman Odor devised within a year. “If he succeeds, he said, the auto maker will entrust the smell to its dealers, who will spray it on their salesmen, and then customers will catch a whiff and cars will fly off the lots.”
My first reaction was, “You have got to be kidding!” This unusual research is a marvelous indicator of a culture obsessed with “doing” rather than “being.” In an effort to get all you can, remember that what you do to be successful is far less important than knowing and being who you are. Authenticity will allow you to begin your journey to greatness. Refrain from artificial ingredients that camouflage the real you.
A modern day model of authenticity is Dolly Parton. In Parade magazine, she said, “People who know me know that beneath these big boobs is a big heart, and beneath this big hair is a big brain. Over time, people see me as a real person and stop staring at the anatomy.” Dolly Parton understands the obstacles she must overcome for people to see the real her. She is keenly aware that no matter what she achieves with her life, living her life consistent with what she really is will be the true measure of success.
Over time, people value the person who knows who they are and respects themselves for what they are. Be a genuine version of you.
“The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don’t let them put you in that position.”
Leo Buscaglia
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Don’t Shove It... Love It!
“The grass may look greener on the other side, but it still has to be mowed.”
B.C. Forbes
I’ve Been Thinking. . . how to make my grass greener.
When you have one of those days at work when the grass looks greener on the other side or you want to scream, “Take This Job and Shove It,” consider the advice of Dr. Nickolas Hall:
On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the section where they have thermometers. You will need to purchase a rectal thermometer made by Q-Tip. Be very sure that you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the drapes, and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed during your therapy.
Change to very comfortable clothing, such as a sweat suit and lie down on the bed. Open the package and remove the thermometer. Carefully place it on the bedside table so that it will not become chipped or broken. Take out the written material that accompanies the thermometer and read it.
You will notice in small print the statement reads, “Every rectal thermometer made by Q-Tip is PERSONALLY tested.” Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, “I am so glad I do not work in quality control at the Q-Tip Company.”
Puts things in perspective doesn’t it?
Let’s say you have reached the point where you want to ‘shove’ your job. It’s not energizing and inspiring you like you want. Consider your options:
1. Do absolutely nothing and hope for a magical intervention by the tooth fairy.
2. Leave your position so you don’t suck the energy out of other people.
3. Take some time to consider what you could do to transform your current job into something you would enjoy.
4. Figure out what your ideal job is and create it or go find it.
If you think the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it might be because someone is fertilizing it. I’m sure the water bill is higher there as well. The perfect lawn doesn’t just happen.
Neither does the perfect job.
Francis Ford Coppola once said, “If you love something, you’ll bring so much of yourself to it that it will create your future.” People who love what they do invest their heart, mind and spirit into everything they do. They are totally immersed and invested in what they are doing. How do you get there? Explore some new ways of thinking and approaching your job.
First, increase your competence. Find a way to get better at what you do. Take one of the basics of your position and become a master at it. Denis Waitley and Reni L. Witt are convinced that, “Enjoyment comes from doing our best. At our best, we want to do and be our best, even when the work we are doing is not our first choice and does not give us the joy we want…”
Do yourself a favor and throw yourself wholeheartedly into becoming a master at what you do. Work as hard as you can to be the best you can be at what you choose to do.
Secondly, light yourself on fire. There’s an old Texas proverb that says, “You can’t light a fire with a wet match.” The world is full of soggy matches waiting for someone to come along and light their fire. Find a way to become your own personal arsonist. If you don’t set the kindling on fire, don’t expect anyone to do it for you.
Simply stated, each of us is responsible to take the initiative to create a passion for what we do. The fast track to this experience is doing what you love. If that isn’t happening for you try pouring your heart into what you do and see what happens.
Take it from Reggie Leach: “Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”
Another “love it” strategy is to focus on people. Ironically, when I unselfishly brighten another person’s world, my world becomes a bit brighter. Who needs you to show a measure of concern? What are the strengths of your co-workers? Show kindness to someone who is unable to return your gesture. Give up fifteen minutes in your day to build a better relationship with one person. You get the idea.
Ben Stein believes that, “Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows.” Give it a try. If you are feeling a little disheartened about your life or job, find a way to enrich the life of someone else. You’ll be amazed at the result.
Finally, stretch yourself. Heighten your personal expectations. Challenge the walls of your current responsibilities. Be imaginative. Confront the status quo and take responsibility to work toward achievements uncommon to your position. Choose to make a difference. Dig in and find a way to produce the unexpected.
William Demille said, “I have always admired the ability to bite off more than one can chew and then chew it.” Feeling restless? Disillusioned? Bored? Uninterested? Try biting off a bigger challenge that stretches you to new levels of achievement. . . and most likely a greater love for what you do.
Don’t shove it, love it is a pursuit worth considering. We tend to enjoy whatever we are doing the most when we choose to find positive ways to engage our talents. Commit now to creating a renewed fascination for what you do.
“Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.”
Dale Carnegie
B.C. Forbes
I’ve Been Thinking. . . how to make my grass greener.
When you have one of those days at work when the grass looks greener on the other side or you want to scream, “Take This Job and Shove It,” consider the advice of Dr. Nickolas Hall:
On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the section where they have thermometers. You will need to purchase a rectal thermometer made by Q-Tip. Be very sure that you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the drapes, and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed during your therapy.
Change to very comfortable clothing, such as a sweat suit and lie down on the bed. Open the package and remove the thermometer. Carefully place it on the bedside table so that it will not become chipped or broken. Take out the written material that accompanies the thermometer and read it.
You will notice in small print the statement reads, “Every rectal thermometer made by Q-Tip is PERSONALLY tested.” Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, “I am so glad I do not work in quality control at the Q-Tip Company.”
Puts things in perspective doesn’t it?
Let’s say you have reached the point where you want to ‘shove’ your job. It’s not energizing and inspiring you like you want. Consider your options:
1. Do absolutely nothing and hope for a magical intervention by the tooth fairy.
2. Leave your position so you don’t suck the energy out of other people.
3. Take some time to consider what you could do to transform your current job into something you would enjoy.
4. Figure out what your ideal job is and create it or go find it.
If you think the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it might be because someone is fertilizing it. I’m sure the water bill is higher there as well. The perfect lawn doesn’t just happen.
Neither does the perfect job.
Francis Ford Coppola once said, “If you love something, you’ll bring so much of yourself to it that it will create your future.” People who love what they do invest their heart, mind and spirit into everything they do. They are totally immersed and invested in what they are doing. How do you get there? Explore some new ways of thinking and approaching your job.
First, increase your competence. Find a way to get better at what you do. Take one of the basics of your position and become a master at it. Denis Waitley and Reni L. Witt are convinced that, “Enjoyment comes from doing our best. At our best, we want to do and be our best, even when the work we are doing is not our first choice and does not give us the joy we want…”
Do yourself a favor and throw yourself wholeheartedly into becoming a master at what you do. Work as hard as you can to be the best you can be at what you choose to do.
Secondly, light yourself on fire. There’s an old Texas proverb that says, “You can’t light a fire with a wet match.” The world is full of soggy matches waiting for someone to come along and light their fire. Find a way to become your own personal arsonist. If you don’t set the kindling on fire, don’t expect anyone to do it for you.
Simply stated, each of us is responsible to take the initiative to create a passion for what we do. The fast track to this experience is doing what you love. If that isn’t happening for you try pouring your heart into what you do and see what happens.
Take it from Reggie Leach: “Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”
Another “love it” strategy is to focus on people. Ironically, when I unselfishly brighten another person’s world, my world becomes a bit brighter. Who needs you to show a measure of concern? What are the strengths of your co-workers? Show kindness to someone who is unable to return your gesture. Give up fifteen minutes in your day to build a better relationship with one person. You get the idea.
Ben Stein believes that, “Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows.” Give it a try. If you are feeling a little disheartened about your life or job, find a way to enrich the life of someone else. You’ll be amazed at the result.
Finally, stretch yourself. Heighten your personal expectations. Challenge the walls of your current responsibilities. Be imaginative. Confront the status quo and take responsibility to work toward achievements uncommon to your position. Choose to make a difference. Dig in and find a way to produce the unexpected.
William Demille said, “I have always admired the ability to bite off more than one can chew and then chew it.” Feeling restless? Disillusioned? Bored? Uninterested? Try biting off a bigger challenge that stretches you to new levels of achievement. . . and most likely a greater love for what you do.
Don’t shove it, love it is a pursuit worth considering. We tend to enjoy whatever we are doing the most when we choose to find positive ways to engage our talents. Commit now to creating a renewed fascination for what you do.
“Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.”
Dale Carnegie
Monday, August 1, 2011
Stuck in the Stairway of Life
“You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.”
Les Brown
I’ve Been Thinking . . . how amazingly blessed I am to have uncanny, peculiar and untimely experiences that teach me valuable life lessons.
I recently attended a wonderful dinner on the roof of 101 Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. It was my first visit to this spectacular venue. The view of our nation’s capital was breathtaking as the sun set in the west and the lights of the city illuminated the skylight. The pictures I captured on my iPhone couldn’t do justice to the beauty observed by the human eye.
A couple hours into the evening I needed to use the restroom. The staff politely instructed me to take the elevator down to the ground level (we were on the 11th floor) and follow the signs to locate the restroom. I followed their directions and the signs posted. Success. Relief.
As I made my way back to the elevators, I suddenly learned the door to the lobby was locked. I knocked repeatedly but to no avail. I made the decision to run up the ‘11’ flights of stairs to the doorway leading to the roof where the dinner party guests were all gathered. Arriving sweaty, breathless and a bit panicked, I promptly learned this door was locked as well and no one on the other side was able to hear my repeated beating on the door. . . let alone my deep breathing.
I’m stuck. Two locked doors and an exceptionally warm, humid stairway had me imprisoned from the celebration going on outside. Being an impatient, action-oriented (and thankfully not claustrophobic) person I decided not to wait until someone discovered I was missing to be freed. Running down the stairs to the lower level (wishing I had on running shoes), I began pushing on doors.
Much to my delight a door opened to the alleyway on the side of the building. It wasn’t exactly a suitable place to hang-out for the remainder of the evening so I hastily made my way to the front lobby and pled my case with the security guards.
Minutes later I rejoined the dinner party. I’m sure the sweat dripping from the side of my face, my shiny brow and my relieved expression was no cause for curiosity with my dinner mates. Well, maybe one.
I’ve now had a bit of time to reflect on this brief adventure and the broader application of being “stuck in the stairway of life.” I wonder how many people are running up and down the same stairway everyday seeking a way out of their current circumstances. They are beating on locked doors unable to navigate their way to freedom or catch the attention of someone who might be able to help. Each day begins and ends repeating the steps they traversed yesterday. It’s frightening!
There’s little fulfillment existing in a stairway of stale air fed only by desperate panting and the odor of exasperated and exhausted stairway companions. This is a surefire prescription for monotonous, repetitive, even grueling but unproductive activity. It’s impossible “to live, to love, to learn and to leave a legacy,” as author Stephen Covey says we all want to do, when our life is derailed by circumstances seemingly beyond our control.
The answer is to persevere in finding the ‘alleyway’ to freedom. Find an opening, no matter how small that leads you out of the prison of predictable sameness. This dilemma cannot be resolved with the conventional thinking that got you into the bind in the first place. Liberate your mind to think outside the obvious stairway walls and get a fresh perspective on new, possibly even unusual or extraordinary options.
The elevator to the top is waiting . . .
Your primary job is to make any effort, overcome any obstacle, and scale any height to become the dynamic, unstoppable, irresistibly self-confident person that you are capable of becoming.
Brian Tracy
Les Brown
I’ve Been Thinking . . . how amazingly blessed I am to have uncanny, peculiar and untimely experiences that teach me valuable life lessons.
I recently attended a wonderful dinner on the roof of 101 Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. It was my first visit to this spectacular venue. The view of our nation’s capital was breathtaking as the sun set in the west and the lights of the city illuminated the skylight. The pictures I captured on my iPhone couldn’t do justice to the beauty observed by the human eye.
A couple hours into the evening I needed to use the restroom. The staff politely instructed me to take the elevator down to the ground level (we were on the 11th floor) and follow the signs to locate the restroom. I followed their directions and the signs posted. Success. Relief.
As I made my way back to the elevators, I suddenly learned the door to the lobby was locked. I knocked repeatedly but to no avail. I made the decision to run up the ‘11’ flights of stairs to the doorway leading to the roof where the dinner party guests were all gathered. Arriving sweaty, breathless and a bit panicked, I promptly learned this door was locked as well and no one on the other side was able to hear my repeated beating on the door. . . let alone my deep breathing.
I’m stuck. Two locked doors and an exceptionally warm, humid stairway had me imprisoned from the celebration going on outside. Being an impatient, action-oriented (and thankfully not claustrophobic) person I decided not to wait until someone discovered I was missing to be freed. Running down the stairs to the lower level (wishing I had on running shoes), I began pushing on doors.
Much to my delight a door opened to the alleyway on the side of the building. It wasn’t exactly a suitable place to hang-out for the remainder of the evening so I hastily made my way to the front lobby and pled my case with the security guards.
Minutes later I rejoined the dinner party. I’m sure the sweat dripping from the side of my face, my shiny brow and my relieved expression was no cause for curiosity with my dinner mates. Well, maybe one.
I’ve now had a bit of time to reflect on this brief adventure and the broader application of being “stuck in the stairway of life.” I wonder how many people are running up and down the same stairway everyday seeking a way out of their current circumstances. They are beating on locked doors unable to navigate their way to freedom or catch the attention of someone who might be able to help. Each day begins and ends repeating the steps they traversed yesterday. It’s frightening!
There’s little fulfillment existing in a stairway of stale air fed only by desperate panting and the odor of exasperated and exhausted stairway companions. This is a surefire prescription for monotonous, repetitive, even grueling but unproductive activity. It’s impossible “to live, to love, to learn and to leave a legacy,” as author Stephen Covey says we all want to do, when our life is derailed by circumstances seemingly beyond our control.
The answer is to persevere in finding the ‘alleyway’ to freedom. Find an opening, no matter how small that leads you out of the prison of predictable sameness. This dilemma cannot be resolved with the conventional thinking that got you into the bind in the first place. Liberate your mind to think outside the obvious stairway walls and get a fresh perspective on new, possibly even unusual or extraordinary options.
The elevator to the top is waiting . . .
Your primary job is to make any effort, overcome any obstacle, and scale any height to become the dynamic, unstoppable, irresistibly self-confident person that you are capable of becoming.
Brian Tracy
Friday, July 22, 2011
Demystifying the Magic of Service
Service is just a day-in, day-out, ongoing, never-ending, unremitting, persevering, compassionate type of activity.
Leon Gorman
L.L. Bean
I’ve Been Thinking…there must be a magical answer for consistently delivering unequalled, exceptional, out of this world service. Then, I remembered Walt Disney’s comment that, “There is no magic in magic, it’s all in the details.”
I love the story of the trucker who came into a truck stop café and placed his order. He said, “I want three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a pair of running boards.”
The brand new server, not wanting to appear naïve, went to the kitchen and said to the cook, “This guy out there just ordered three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a pair of running boards. What in the world does that mean?”
Chuckling, the cook said: “Three flat tires mean three pancakes, a pair of headlights is two eggs sunny side up, and running boards are two slices of crisp bacon.”
“Oh, OK!” said the server. She thought about it for a moment and then spooned up a bowl of beans and gave it to the customer.
The trucker asked, “What are the beans for, missy?”
She replied, “I thought while you were waiting for the flat tires, headlights and running boards, you might as well gas up!”
I marvel at the way the server quickly learned to see the situation from the trucker’s point of view. Three simple, brilliant service details evolve from this simple illustration.
First, treat every person you encounter as the most important person in your life. I mean everyone!
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the side of the road with torn clothes, wounded and bleeding, what would you do?”
Visibly affected by the image the teacher described, one little girl softly responded, “I think I’d throw up!”
Some people are more lovable than others. Service excellence digs deep to treat “every person” special and over deliver the way you serve them.
Be so nice to people they won’t believe it. It’s much easier to build a good relationship, treat people with kindness and go out of our way to make them feel special than to struggle rebuilding damaged relationships.
Companies spend fortunes every year on market studies, product evaluations, and future projections. What if they invested equal time in determining from their customers what makes them feel like the most important customer the business works with?
Key Point: The people you make feel special will become special… And they will never forget the way they were treated and who treated them that way.
Second service consideration. Incredible service flows out of the brilliant mastery of small details.
Lee Cockerell, writing about his experience as executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney said: “It’s not the magic that makes it work; it’s the way we work that makes it magic.”
Service mastery means paying attention to the small stuff. Extraordinary results are not an accident. They flow out of consistent, robust, carefully orchestrated common sense practices that sincerely make people the priority.
It’s not the fancy stuff that makes the difference. . . It’s the fundamental stuff. The simple stuff. As W. Clement Stone has written, “Success comes from doing common things uncommonly well!”
Smile uncommonly well. Be interested. Affirm people. Be uncommonly personal. Show the highest level of respect. Be positive. Upbeat. Unshakeable. Uncommon professionalism and unmatched friendliness.
Understand feelings. Get results! Make “please” and “thank you” your favorite phrases. Look people in the eye. Display a contagious positive attitude. Spruce up your appearance.
These are your basic, essential, worth mastering “magic” details.
Key Point: Pay attention to the small stuff and you’ll get attention.
Third service detail worth mastering. Anticipate and exceed people’s expectations.
I’m increasingly convinced the purpose of an organization is to anticipate, identify and exceed people’s needs and expectations. That should also be the priority of every person working in the organization.
Hospitality expert Walt Disney said; “We’re in second place if we meet expectations. We need to exceed them. We’re convinced of that.”
Under promise and over deliver. Know your customer better than anyone else. Get close. Treat every situation as unique. Give personalized attention that meets personal needs. Do what you say you will do and don’t do what you say you won’t do. Eliminate stupid rules that make it impossible to go above and beyond.
Service is no longer about satisfaction. The expectation’s bar is continually being raised. What’s good enough today probably won’t be good enough tomorrow. We are involved in the unending challenge of leaping over the bar to delight a customer. Service standards are higher than ever. There are brief moments, and sometimes enormous windows of opportunity to exceed expectations by doing the unexpected.
Fix things, seek alternatives, and freely admit mistakes. Apologize, customize and individualize your approach. Deliver on your promises. . . Plus one percent.
Key Point: You don’t decide if you’ve exceeded expectations. The customer does.
Virtually every guest at the Walt Disney World Resort typically sees three very recognizable aspects of the magical service: the cleanliness of the park, the show and certainly the sincere friendliness of the cast.
Comments, surveys, focus group and letters affirm the business philosophy of Walt Disney, who said; “Quality will win out! Give the people everything you can give them. Keep the place as clean as you can keep it. Keep it friendly. Make it a fun place to be.”
This basic philosophy applies to every form of business. Demystifying the magic of service begins with treating every person as a V.I.P. Then determine how you can anticipate and exceed people’s expectations. Finally, pay attention every minute detail that makes the first two possible.
Sincere efforts to deliver excellent service are easy to spot. They are personalized, focused and leave the customer looking to their next experience.
Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it.
Peter Drucker
Leon Gorman
L.L. Bean
I’ve Been Thinking…there must be a magical answer for consistently delivering unequalled, exceptional, out of this world service. Then, I remembered Walt Disney’s comment that, “There is no magic in magic, it’s all in the details.”
I love the story of the trucker who came into a truck stop café and placed his order. He said, “I want three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a pair of running boards.”
The brand new server, not wanting to appear naïve, went to the kitchen and said to the cook, “This guy out there just ordered three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a pair of running boards. What in the world does that mean?”
Chuckling, the cook said: “Three flat tires mean three pancakes, a pair of headlights is two eggs sunny side up, and running boards are two slices of crisp bacon.”
“Oh, OK!” said the server. She thought about it for a moment and then spooned up a bowl of beans and gave it to the customer.
The trucker asked, “What are the beans for, missy?”
She replied, “I thought while you were waiting for the flat tires, headlights and running boards, you might as well gas up!”
I marvel at the way the server quickly learned to see the situation from the trucker’s point of view. Three simple, brilliant service details evolve from this simple illustration.
First, treat every person you encounter as the most important person in your life. I mean everyone!
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the side of the road with torn clothes, wounded and bleeding, what would you do?”
Visibly affected by the image the teacher described, one little girl softly responded, “I think I’d throw up!”
Some people are more lovable than others. Service excellence digs deep to treat “every person” special and over deliver the way you serve them.
Be so nice to people they won’t believe it. It’s much easier to build a good relationship, treat people with kindness and go out of our way to make them feel special than to struggle rebuilding damaged relationships.
Companies spend fortunes every year on market studies, product evaluations, and future projections. What if they invested equal time in determining from their customers what makes them feel like the most important customer the business works with?
Key Point: The people you make feel special will become special… And they will never forget the way they were treated and who treated them that way.
Second service consideration. Incredible service flows out of the brilliant mastery of small details.
Lee Cockerell, writing about his experience as executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney said: “It’s not the magic that makes it work; it’s the way we work that makes it magic.”
Service mastery means paying attention to the small stuff. Extraordinary results are not an accident. They flow out of consistent, robust, carefully orchestrated common sense practices that sincerely make people the priority.
It’s not the fancy stuff that makes the difference. . . It’s the fundamental stuff. The simple stuff. As W. Clement Stone has written, “Success comes from doing common things uncommonly well!”
Smile uncommonly well. Be interested. Affirm people. Be uncommonly personal. Show the highest level of respect. Be positive. Upbeat. Unshakeable. Uncommon professionalism and unmatched friendliness.
Understand feelings. Get results! Make “please” and “thank you” your favorite phrases. Look people in the eye. Display a contagious positive attitude. Spruce up your appearance.
These are your basic, essential, worth mastering “magic” details.
Key Point: Pay attention to the small stuff and you’ll get attention.
Third service detail worth mastering. Anticipate and exceed people’s expectations.
I’m increasingly convinced the purpose of an organization is to anticipate, identify and exceed people’s needs and expectations. That should also be the priority of every person working in the organization.
Hospitality expert Walt Disney said; “We’re in second place if we meet expectations. We need to exceed them. We’re convinced of that.”
Under promise and over deliver. Know your customer better than anyone else. Get close. Treat every situation as unique. Give personalized attention that meets personal needs. Do what you say you will do and don’t do what you say you won’t do. Eliminate stupid rules that make it impossible to go above and beyond.
Service is no longer about satisfaction. The expectation’s bar is continually being raised. What’s good enough today probably won’t be good enough tomorrow. We are involved in the unending challenge of leaping over the bar to delight a customer. Service standards are higher than ever. There are brief moments, and sometimes enormous windows of opportunity to exceed expectations by doing the unexpected.
Fix things, seek alternatives, and freely admit mistakes. Apologize, customize and individualize your approach. Deliver on your promises. . . Plus one percent.
Key Point: You don’t decide if you’ve exceeded expectations. The customer does.
Virtually every guest at the Walt Disney World Resort typically sees three very recognizable aspects of the magical service: the cleanliness of the park, the show and certainly the sincere friendliness of the cast.
Comments, surveys, focus group and letters affirm the business philosophy of Walt Disney, who said; “Quality will win out! Give the people everything you can give them. Keep the place as clean as you can keep it. Keep it friendly. Make it a fun place to be.”
This basic philosophy applies to every form of business. Demystifying the magic of service begins with treating every person as a V.I.P. Then determine how you can anticipate and exceed people’s expectations. Finally, pay attention every minute detail that makes the first two possible.
Sincere efforts to deliver excellent service are easy to spot. They are personalized, focused and leave the customer looking to their next experience.
Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it.
Peter Drucker
Monday, July 11, 2011
The Incredible Power Of Choice
“One’s philosophy is not best expressed by words. It is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run - we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are our responsibility.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
I’ve been thinking. . . about how life is filled with changes, challenges, demands, pressures, and a host of other unavoidable dilemmas. That’s reality!
This, too, is reality. We can choose how to deal with these issues. Whining, complaining, moaning, and groaning are popular. In fact, pessimism has become a national pastime. It is the popular way to look at the world. It’s seems too painful or takes too much energy to do something about the undesirable events. Instead, we want others or the situation to change so life will be easier for us.
Choosing to rise above the circumstances is powerful and greatly affects the outcome of the day’s activities. It’s not the events that mold your life, determine your feelings, or guide your actions. Rather, it is the way you decide to interpret and respond.
We must be convinced that we actually have the ability to choose our responses. The value, power, and impact of any life event are determined by your response. Unfortunately, there are many who have conditioned themselves to practice just the opposite.
Internalize this simple yet profound truth. You alone make all of your life's choices and these choices determine the quality of your experiences, what you become and the destination you attain. The seemingly smallest choice, just like a gentle breeze, will set in motion the influences to dramatically affect your life.
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi invested twenty-five years researching what makes people happy. He discovered that happiness doesn’t just happen. He was also intrigued to find that happiness had little to do with money, power or material possessions.
Csikszentmihalyi’s conclusion showed that “people who control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to being happy.”
Our present and our future are not a matter of chance but are intricately woven with the threads of our own choosing.
Be careful not to allow yourself to be victimized by the society in which you live. It’s not the culture, the times, the social circumstances. When we blame these elements for our conditions, we return to them for the answers and are continually disappointed. This is the fast track to “victimitis.”
Another roadblock to life by choice is assigning undue control to inherited traits. These people are convinced the quality of their lives have been predetermined through some “gene-o-matic” or DNA mixer. There is no doubt that our social and family conditioning impact each of us but I would be quick to contend each of us possesses the ability to rise above those influences.
Master motivator Og Mandino wrote in The Choice: “There is a better way to live. Choice! The key is choice. You have options. You don’t need to spend your life wallowing in failure, ignorance, grief, poverty, shame, and self-pity. But, hold on! If this is true, why have so many among us apparently elected to live in that manner? The answer is obvious. Those who live in unhappy failure have never exercised their options for a better way of life because they have never been aware that they had any choices!”
“As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is up to us.
Arnold J. Toynbee
Eleanor Roosevelt
I’ve been thinking. . . about how life is filled with changes, challenges, demands, pressures, and a host of other unavoidable dilemmas. That’s reality!
This, too, is reality. We can choose how to deal with these issues. Whining, complaining, moaning, and groaning are popular. In fact, pessimism has become a national pastime. It is the popular way to look at the world. It’s seems too painful or takes too much energy to do something about the undesirable events. Instead, we want others or the situation to change so life will be easier for us.
Choosing to rise above the circumstances is powerful and greatly affects the outcome of the day’s activities. It’s not the events that mold your life, determine your feelings, or guide your actions. Rather, it is the way you decide to interpret and respond.
We must be convinced that we actually have the ability to choose our responses. The value, power, and impact of any life event are determined by your response. Unfortunately, there are many who have conditioned themselves to practice just the opposite.
Internalize this simple yet profound truth. You alone make all of your life's choices and these choices determine the quality of your experiences, what you become and the destination you attain. The seemingly smallest choice, just like a gentle breeze, will set in motion the influences to dramatically affect your life.
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi invested twenty-five years researching what makes people happy. He discovered that happiness doesn’t just happen. He was also intrigued to find that happiness had little to do with money, power or material possessions.
Csikszentmihalyi’s conclusion showed that “people who control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to being happy.”
Our present and our future are not a matter of chance but are intricately woven with the threads of our own choosing.
Be careful not to allow yourself to be victimized by the society in which you live. It’s not the culture, the times, the social circumstances. When we blame these elements for our conditions, we return to them for the answers and are continually disappointed. This is the fast track to “victimitis.”
Another roadblock to life by choice is assigning undue control to inherited traits. These people are convinced the quality of their lives have been predetermined through some “gene-o-matic” or DNA mixer. There is no doubt that our social and family conditioning impact each of us but I would be quick to contend each of us possesses the ability to rise above those influences.
Master motivator Og Mandino wrote in The Choice: “There is a better way to live. Choice! The key is choice. You have options. You don’t need to spend your life wallowing in failure, ignorance, grief, poverty, shame, and self-pity. But, hold on! If this is true, why have so many among us apparently elected to live in that manner? The answer is obvious. Those who live in unhappy failure have never exercised their options for a better way of life because they have never been aware that they had any choices!”
“As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is up to us.
Arnold J. Toynbee
Monday, June 20, 2011
Tap Into The Power Of Your Potential
“You have enormous untapped power that you will probably never tap, because most people never run far enough on their first wind to ever find they have a second.”
William James
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about the awesome concept of potential? I’m grappling with Denis Waitley’s challenge to “Never rest on your achievements; always nurture your potential.” How does that apply to me? What is my potential?
City slicker Smith smiled as he exited the hardware store with his brand new power chainsaw. Guaranteed to cut down several trees an hour, this was his ticket to clearing away land on his new country acreage. Two days later, he returned to the store in a fit of frustration and anger. “This saw isn’t worth a plug nickel. You guaranteed me it would cut down several trees an hour. I barely fell one tree in an entire day.”
Somewhat puzzled, the store manager stepped outside with the saw, flipped the switch, and gave the cord a rip. The saw fired up and the steel-toothed chain whirled around the 24” guide bar. Startled by the deafening noise, Smith jumped back. “What’s that noise?” he gasped.
Smith’s failure to use the saw’s built in power is similar to our common approach to getting more done. Limits are set on our achievement potential because we underestimate our capabilities. People sincerely believe they are just too busy to do more than their present output. They are only capable of cutting one tree per day. Yet, compared to what we are capable of, our horsepower may be functioning at only half or three-fourths its potential.
Countless intelligent people limit their life enhancing, achievement producing potential. They never move further than the boundaries of their self-imposed limitations or bountiful excuses. As scientist Willis R. Whitney pointed out, “Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can.”
I’m attempting to align myself with Erma Bombeck’s desire that, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’”
Winners are people who do not leave to chance the gift of time or opportunity to achieve. They realize they are not yet everything they are intended to be -- even though some of us have come farther than we ever thought we would. They pursue it systematically through the use of simple, fundamental truths that generate a new world of opportunity.
“A sobering thought:” pondered Jane Wagner, “what if, right at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential?” I sincerely doubt that it is ever possible or we would need to redefine potential. In fact, Stanford research indicates we use less than 5 percent of our mental ability.
Be bold enough to envision and create a level of effectiveness beyond your present scope of thinking. You are intended to be a different person next month than you are today. There are accomplishments out there for you to encounter that haven’t even entered your mind. You have potential power that is waiting to have its’ engine started.
“The only reason you are not the person you should be is because you don’t dare to be,” said William H. Danforth. “Once you dare, new powers harness themselves for your service.”
Consider the advice of St. Francis of Assisi: “Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” What a great way to reveal the dormant, unused, untapped potential that exists within.
What do you ‘dare’ to become?
“Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we have never used.”
Linus
Peanuts Comic Strip
William James
I’ve Been Thinking. . . about the awesome concept of potential? I’m grappling with Denis Waitley’s challenge to “Never rest on your achievements; always nurture your potential.” How does that apply to me? What is my potential?
City slicker Smith smiled as he exited the hardware store with his brand new power chainsaw. Guaranteed to cut down several trees an hour, this was his ticket to clearing away land on his new country acreage. Two days later, he returned to the store in a fit of frustration and anger. “This saw isn’t worth a plug nickel. You guaranteed me it would cut down several trees an hour. I barely fell one tree in an entire day.”
Somewhat puzzled, the store manager stepped outside with the saw, flipped the switch, and gave the cord a rip. The saw fired up and the steel-toothed chain whirled around the 24” guide bar. Startled by the deafening noise, Smith jumped back. “What’s that noise?” he gasped.
Smith’s failure to use the saw’s built in power is similar to our common approach to getting more done. Limits are set on our achievement potential because we underestimate our capabilities. People sincerely believe they are just too busy to do more than their present output. They are only capable of cutting one tree per day. Yet, compared to what we are capable of, our horsepower may be functioning at only half or three-fourths its potential.
Countless intelligent people limit their life enhancing, achievement producing potential. They never move further than the boundaries of their self-imposed limitations or bountiful excuses. As scientist Willis R. Whitney pointed out, “Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can.”
I’m attempting to align myself with Erma Bombeck’s desire that, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’”
Winners are people who do not leave to chance the gift of time or opportunity to achieve. They realize they are not yet everything they are intended to be -- even though some of us have come farther than we ever thought we would. They pursue it systematically through the use of simple, fundamental truths that generate a new world of opportunity.
“A sobering thought:” pondered Jane Wagner, “what if, right at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential?” I sincerely doubt that it is ever possible or we would need to redefine potential. In fact, Stanford research indicates we use less than 5 percent of our mental ability.
Be bold enough to envision and create a level of effectiveness beyond your present scope of thinking. You are intended to be a different person next month than you are today. There are accomplishments out there for you to encounter that haven’t even entered your mind. You have potential power that is waiting to have its’ engine started.
“The only reason you are not the person you should be is because you don’t dare to be,” said William H. Danforth. “Once you dare, new powers harness themselves for your service.”
Consider the advice of St. Francis of Assisi: “Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” What a great way to reveal the dormant, unused, untapped potential that exists within.
What do you ‘dare’ to become?
“Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we have never used.”
Linus
Peanuts Comic Strip
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Easing The Pain
“Flexibility means the ability to bend mentally and physically, to adapt one’s self to any circumstances or environment while maintaining self-control and composure.”
Napoleon Hill
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about the comparison between back pain and life’s pains.
Our foursome was enjoying the customary Memorial Day round of golf. We arrived at the challenging par 3, sixth hole and I reminded myself not to worry about the water in front of me or the sand traps protecting the front of the green. My final thought before swinging was to swing easy and let the club do the work.
As I stroked the ball and let my body follow through with the swing, an excruciating pain suddenly shot through my lower back and down my right leg. Before I knew it, I was on my knees, unable to move. After several minutes of careful maneuvering, I hobbled over to the golf cart. Needless to say, I didn’t finish the hole or the round of golf.
For the next several days I endured several visits to the doctor, chiropractor and physical therapist. As the therapist concluded her initial consultation, she indicated I had a problem with flexibility. “I rate patients on a scale of unsatisfactory, marginal or satisfactory,” she said.
“Where do I fit on your scale?” I asked.
“Let’s just say it is going to take considerable effort to get you to a marginal level of flexibility. Until you increase your flexibility,” she continued, “the pain will persist.”
Lack of flexibility isn’t a one-time event. It often creeps up on you without advance notice or warning. The climax is painful and sometimes paralyzing. There is no quick-fix prescription for healing. It normally involves a lifetime of exercises designed to increase flexibility and thus minimize the pain.
I’ve learned the hard way that intermittent stretching won’t fix the problem. If I perform the prescribed exercises only when the pain surfaces the result is temporary relief. Permanent improvement in my flexibility requires adjustments in the way I sit and stand, learning to adequately stretch before physical activity and maintaining a daily regimen of exercises.
There is a direct correlation between the challenge of maintaining physical flexibility and the ability to remain mentally and emotionally flexible through life’s challenges, changes, painful moments, and demands. People stuck in habitual behavior and thinking, without being strengthened by a fair amount of stretching beyond what’s currently comfortable, will sooner or later experience considerable discomfort.
These are unsettling times in which we live. Anyone who pretends that life goes as planned is a consummate fool. Stability is no longer on the agenda and adapting only to your own schedule isn’t acceptable. Success in this environment requires continual flexibility and adaptability. Consider this -- if the rate of change in the world exceeds your rate of change, pain is certain.
An immediate and ongoing commitment to loosen up, stretch, and go with the flow will brighten your day-to-day life and ease potential pain. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to give it a try.
“People wish to be settled. Only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Napoleon Hill
I’ve Been Thinking . . . about the comparison between back pain and life’s pains.
Our foursome was enjoying the customary Memorial Day round of golf. We arrived at the challenging par 3, sixth hole and I reminded myself not to worry about the water in front of me or the sand traps protecting the front of the green. My final thought before swinging was to swing easy and let the club do the work.
As I stroked the ball and let my body follow through with the swing, an excruciating pain suddenly shot through my lower back and down my right leg. Before I knew it, I was on my knees, unable to move. After several minutes of careful maneuvering, I hobbled over to the golf cart. Needless to say, I didn’t finish the hole or the round of golf.
For the next several days I endured several visits to the doctor, chiropractor and physical therapist. As the therapist concluded her initial consultation, she indicated I had a problem with flexibility. “I rate patients on a scale of unsatisfactory, marginal or satisfactory,” she said.
“Where do I fit on your scale?” I asked.
“Let’s just say it is going to take considerable effort to get you to a marginal level of flexibility. Until you increase your flexibility,” she continued, “the pain will persist.”
Lack of flexibility isn’t a one-time event. It often creeps up on you without advance notice or warning. The climax is painful and sometimes paralyzing. There is no quick-fix prescription for healing. It normally involves a lifetime of exercises designed to increase flexibility and thus minimize the pain.
I’ve learned the hard way that intermittent stretching won’t fix the problem. If I perform the prescribed exercises only when the pain surfaces the result is temporary relief. Permanent improvement in my flexibility requires adjustments in the way I sit and stand, learning to adequately stretch before physical activity and maintaining a daily regimen of exercises.
There is a direct correlation between the challenge of maintaining physical flexibility and the ability to remain mentally and emotionally flexible through life’s challenges, changes, painful moments, and demands. People stuck in habitual behavior and thinking, without being strengthened by a fair amount of stretching beyond what’s currently comfortable, will sooner or later experience considerable discomfort.
These are unsettling times in which we live. Anyone who pretends that life goes as planned is a consummate fool. Stability is no longer on the agenda and adapting only to your own schedule isn’t acceptable. Success in this environment requires continual flexibility and adaptability. Consider this -- if the rate of change in the world exceeds your rate of change, pain is certain.
An immediate and ongoing commitment to loosen up, stretch, and go with the flow will brighten your day-to-day life and ease potential pain. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to give it a try.
“People wish to be settled. Only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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