I was thinking today about how we greet friends and colleagues. There is a cheerful “good morning” greeting and there should be time to ask how someone is, perhaps not everyone all the time in a busy office, but certainly some of the time and if you are in a senior position, you should try to cover everyone in the week.
There are though, different ways of asking - a very brief “hiya, how are you, alright?, …”, whilst passing and almost walking away - not really giving someone time to actually say how they are, not really being interested, and almost answering the question yourself. This is not really asking and it certainly a habit I have found myself slipping into.
Better I think to give a bright hello to everyone and if you do ask how someone is, be genuinely interested and take a little time.
This reminds me of a story many years ago, when a friend of mine new to the building sites of Kent from rural Ireland explained that it took him a year or so to work out the reply to the morning greeting “allrightmate” was “allrightmate”….
I felt a bit a judge on “the voice” the other day, whilst watching a video and deciding whether or not to buy the book by the same presenter… The video is here,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeJSXfXep4M
part of a long series of presentations to google, on youtube:-
And after only a short way in, i was ready to press the button and buy the book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002Q1YE3K/ref=docs-os-doi_0
only just started it, review to come…
One of the core values of Childrensalon is to innovate from our mistakes.
Interesting to read Brian Tracy on the subject - “It is impossible to succeed with failing. Failure is a prerequisite for success. … Success is a numbers game. There is a direct relationship between the number of things you attempt and your probability of ultimately succeeding”.
Thomas Edison, when being questioned by a journalist on why he persisted after 5,000 unsuccessful experiments to create the light bulb, is said to have said:
“Young man, you don’t understand how the world works. I have not failed at all. I have successfully identified 5,000 ways that will not work. That just puts me 5,000 ways closer to the way that will.”
Take everything seriously, for in the smallest error might lie great opportunities for improvement.
Interesting article on Zappos in Business insider -
http://www.businessinsider.com/zappos-customer-service-crm-2012-1
with a fantastic little video advert…
Looking forward to the Zappos insights webinar tonight - “Bring your vision to Life”
It’s interesting when you read a couple of articles within a day or so of each other, where the message is linked. As with a lot of these things, the fundamentals are the same but are put across in different ways. I love to read everything, but always find some articles or authors will resonate with you more than others, it’s just a question of finding the right fit.
this article on “the power of positive thinking” from Greg Habstritt sits well alongside “its only table tennis” from Tony Phillips.
I think both are excellent and that you cannot underestimate the power of thinking positively and managing any negativity throughout your day.
Stephen R Covey in his book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” (a highly recommended read), has an interesting take on the saying “the best is the enemy of the good”, the subject of a previous post.
In the context of the advice to “put first things first” and saying no to people in certain circumstances, Covey said that saying yes to something good can keep you from doing what is best.
“Even when the urgent is good, the good can keep you form your best, keep you from your unique contribution, if you let it.”
Good leaders don’t have a permanent open door policy; there isn’t time to get everything done so there will be times, perhaps many, where you will need to say firm, but polite, no.
Whatever business you are in, putting the customer first makes financial sense. According to research, companies which outperform the American Customer Satisfaction Index also outperform the stock market in terms of success. Put your customer first, and profits will follow.
Interesting reading on customer service research from Shep Hyken here.
Each working day we have work to do that differs in its value - admin tasks at $10 an hour to high level creative at $200. Target to increase the $200 work, even a small percentage increase will make a huge difference to your work or business.
And whatever level you are at, write your job description - watch this excellent short video from Paul Lemberg
A couple of ideas I came across, online and from a colleague recently, to start and finish the day.
Creatives often start early, and spend the first 30 minutes of the day writing, often before breakfast. This is a great way to have a positive effect on the day, for momentum and creativity.
And an excellent suggestion for the end of the working days is to spend 5 minutes jotting down what you have learned, and taking time to thank those you have help you or who you have been able to learn from.
Focusing on your core values is a key to success in many business and personal coaching models. I came across this useful exercise from Culturesync - the team behind the excellent book, Tribal Leadership.
http://www.culturesync.net/happiness
Its well worth downloading and completing for yourself, and for your organisation.
Also listen to the audio instructions from Dave Logan - with some excellent insights.
