If this sounds mean, well, its kind of supposed to. No wonder so many people collectively groan when told they have to go to another “training seminar.” They have this preconceived notion that the seminar is going to be something they have heard a thousand times...and it often is, isn’t it?
I thought it. I admit it, I thought it. I can remember listening to someone who said something to the effect of “Customer service is really important. You have to treat your customers well.” I was then expecting a golden nugget of information after this, but, nope, the need to “treat customers well” really was the nugget. That’s when I thought, “No (kidding), Sherlock!” (Okay, I may have thought something other than, "kidding"-but you get the idea.)
If this sounds mean, well, its kind of supposed to. No wonder so many people collectively groan when told they have to go to another “training seminar.” They have this preconceived notion that the seminar is going to be something they have heard a thousand times...and it often is, isn’t it?
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Happy New Year to all of you! If you manage people, here are some resolutions that I hope you’ll consider for this new year: 1) Better Coffee in the Office: Listen, Folger’s was great for your parents and all, but in the office, isn’t it time for an upgrade? And please offer real cream along with the powdered stuff! (Have you seen what’s in the powdered creamer?)
Alright, so this isn’t really a completely serious resolution-but there are things you can do to show your people that you really do care about them, that may not cost as much money as you think-and coffee isn't a bad place to start! Remember, a happy office is a more productive office! This letter is to certain members of Corporate America-and you know who you are: I believe that I have earned the right to talk to you about business. After all, as the richest man in Bedford Falls, I have achieved the type of monetary success that few people will ever have. As I sit here dictating this letter to you, I must admit to having some mixed feelings. On the one hand, I want to congratulate you on choosing to do business the way I would. I love it when you raise prices prior to a "sale," so that the customer thinks he is getting a bargain. I think it is terrific business when you coerce a customer to tell you what she wants to spend, under the guide of "helping her", only to then raise the price of the good or service to what she told you she wanted to spend.
Can you believe that it’s been 48 years since A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired on CBS in December 1965? While the story of Charlie Brown, a pathetic tree, and the rest of the Peanuts gang has been a traditional fixture during the Holidays every year since it was first broadcast-did you know that the network was originally disappointed with the way the show turned out? According to the show’s producer Lee Mendelson, the network executives who screened the show prior to its broadcast said, “Well you gave it a good shot,” and “It seems a little flat . . . a little slow,” and “We will, of course, air it next week, but I’m afraid we won’t be ordering any more.”
My ex-wife was never a good speller. So many of the cards, or notes she wrote to me would often have a word that was spelled wrong. And, as the spelling bee champ of my junior high and one of the editors of my high school newspaper, I was always a stickler for accurate spelling and so it really bothered me when she spelled words incorrectly. (I’m not proud of this.) It’s V-I-D-E-O...Geez!
There was one word in particular that she would spell incorrectly and that was video. She would often spell it V-I-E-D-O, and no matter how many times I tried to “help” her remember how to spell the word, it didn’t help. So, I’d continue being irritated about it, or making fun of her inability to spell words correctly. (Again, not proud of this.) Then, one day, I discovered that she had met someone else and wanted out of our marriage. I was devastated and hoped that we’d find our way back together. (We didn’t.) Remember the movie Jerry McGuire? In the movie, Jerry McGuire (played by Tom Cruise) is the agent to a football player named Rod Tidwell (played by Cube Gooding Jr.). Tidwell is in the middle of a contract negotiation and he has not received the kind of offer from his team that he feels he deserves. In the famous “Help me-help you!” scene-Jerry is begging Rod to act like he cares about something other than money, to help secure a better offer from his team. To which Rod replies (angrily) “Wait a minute...you’re telling me to dance!” He’s upset because he doesn’t think he should have to “dance”...that his talent and worth to the team should be self-evident.
Yet, it really doesn’t work that way, does it? Sometimes we all have to “dance!” Let me explain further ... You know that feeling you get when you come back to a restaurant whose food you really liked, only to find the food wasn't as good the next time? I remember once when Kacy and I decided to pick up some Mexican food at a place around the corner from our home, that had become one of our "go to" restaurants. We really liked this place when it first opened because the food tasted pretty good and the price was unbeatable. When I arrived home I took the food out of the bag and immediately felt that my burrito seemed lighter than normal. Then they gave us only a couple of things of sauce and they gave us the wrong one! They had always included utensils-but forgot this time. And finally as I ate my burrito, I can tell you that while it tasted good, it didn't seem to taste as good as before.
When Kacy and I first tried the restaurant we were really impressed with it. Yet even as we were enjoying our first meal, we wondered if the restaurant would start to "chintz" on the food after they attracted customers. For example, remember when KFC was really "finger-licking good?" Remember when the Big Mac was, well, big? Have you ever seen the "sandwich artist" at Subway weighing the meat on a scale before putting it on your sandwich? What is that about? We go back to our favorite restaurants because the food is just as we remembered it and expected it right, every time we go. So, for a business to keep earning our business, it must continue to do the things it did in the first place to attract us to the business. And if it stops doing what you loved about it in the first place, don't you often find somewhere else to go? Your relationships work in the same way! So, if you've ever wondered how you can restore the good feelings that you had at the start of a relationship, think about the things that you did at the beginning that helped create those good feelings, and do those again! What are some of the things you've had to re-introduce into your marriage, friendships, family and work relationships to keep the good times going? A few weeks ago I was making breakfast for my daughter in the morning before bringing her to school. It was her first week of kindergarten so I wanted to make sure that she was “powered up” with a good breakfast. I whipped up some scrambled eggs, fruit and a couple of slices of turkey bacon. My five year old looks at her plate, looks at me, and then says ... “Dad, can I have REAL bacon, please?” I had to laugh! Even a five year old girl-who knows nothing about the reasons why we eat mainly turkey bacon in our home, instead of “real bacon”, knows that there is a difference in taste, smell and overall experience between the two bacons. (Although I will say that Trader Joe’s turkey bacon is pretty good, considering.)
My daughter doesn’t have any of the guilt or worry associated with eating pork bacon, because she doesn’t know about any of the negatives associated with it. All she knows and focuses on is how great sizzling, crispy bacon tastes. A modified version of this blog post was originally published for a marriage ministry blog in 2008. I was driving my car over the weekend and my eyes glanced up at the oil change reminder sticker. I realized that it's been more than six months since I last changed my oil and I know that if I want to keep my car running for a long time, I should probably do that soon. Preventive maintenance is critical to the overall health of our cars, isn't it? Unfortunately we often tend to remember this when we need it the most-when the tire is flat, or when the windshield wiper fluid tank is empty, when the brakes start to squeak, or when the transmission sounds like a can being dragged behind a bike.
Cars are not the only things that need preventative maintenance and tune ups...so do relationships! A modified version of this blog post was originally published in 2009. But thought with the start of the NFL season just a week away that now would be a good time to share it again. As a lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I was ecstatic when they won their sixth Super Bowl in February. My wife purchased a DVD of highlights of the Steelers' 2008 season. What I love about these NFL Films productions is that we get to hear the behind the scenes conversations that players and coaches have on the sidelines, in the locker rooms, at the practices etc. I was really inspired by Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and one phrase he used in particular. One of the segments of the DVD showed the Steelers trailing the Dallas Cowboys late in a game. Then, in the fourth quarter the Steelers rallied from behind and won the game.
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Rommel AnacanI am a national speaker, trainer, and strategic consultant to companies and organizations. I'm also Most Read PostsArchives
April 2016
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