By JP Maroney
Probably one of the greatest tragedies of life is that so many people underutilize their personal potential. I know people who can sing, I mean really sing, but they don’t do a single thing with it. I know people who could write masterpiece fiction novels, but never produce a single paragraph. I personally know a handful of people who have tremendous talent and ideas for starting their own business, but don’t step out.
Why?
I think that most of them don’t really understand the possibilities of their potential. They don’t see the value in what they have to offer society. They minimize their talents and abilities, and never achieve the goals or dreams planted within their hearts.
I wrote a poem sometime back for these kinds of people. It is called…
“Your Dreams…Your Destiny” ———————– You were given big dreams That You could fulfill, The faith and belief Upon which to build. You were given the eyes To observe the needs, And within your heart Faith planted a seed. Now regardless what force Might stand in your way, You now know the words In response you can say. “Oh be though removed and cast into the sea, for I’m destined to live these dreams given to me.” —————
“Your Dreams…Your Destiny”
———————– You were given big dreams That You could fulfill, The faith and belief Upon which to build.
You were given the eyes To observe the needs, And within your heart Faith planted a seed.
Now regardless what force Might stand in your way, You now know the words In response you can say.
“Oh be though removed and cast into the sea, for I’m destined to live these dreams given to me.”
—————
Please, if you’re one of those people with a book, a business, a new career, a hobby, a poem, a song inside of you, take what you’ve got, and take it to the max. Use what you have. Don’t wait until you have everything you think you need to succeed. Just take what you’ve got, and take it to the max.
Here are my four steps to maximizing your unique personal potential…
Step One: Recognize it!
Take a look at yourself. What special talents do you have? What skills have you acquired? What interests you most? What are you good at? That is your unique personal potential.
It may take some time, but you were given special talents and abilities with which you can serve others. Look around you. What needs exist that you can service? Helping other people should be the foundation on which you build your future.
You might help other people by selling them a product that simplifies their life. Or you might provide a service that make their life easier. You might write a book that entertains or informs.
Look within yourself, and around you as well. You will discover, and recognize your unique personal potential.
Perhaps you are not maximizing your potential on your job. Take a look around. Is there room for improvement. Could you apply your skills to enhance a certain system or process at your place of employment. It is an exciting feeling to know you have personally made improvements that improve service or increase productivity.
Step Two: Energize it!
It is not enough to just have potential. You need a catalyst to set it in motion. Your dreams provide that motivation. Many people call what I do motivational speaking. But, motivation can’t come from a speaker, it must come from within you.
Find something that excites you, something that will keep you excited even when times are tough. That excitement can come a sense of accomplishment, or financial rewards. Develop a burning desire to fulfill your dream. That burning desire will energize your unique personal potential.
Step Three: Mobilize it!
Put your unique personal potential to work. It is like a parked car. If it does not take you somewhere it is useless. Put your potential into action. Many people avoid this step because they are afraid to take risks.
To paraphrase something Abraham Lincoln said… good things come to those who wait, but only what’s left over by those who didn’t. Get out of your comfort zone and take action. Read the chapter in this book called Get up, Get going, or Get out of the way.
Step Four: Maximize it!
Now you’ve put your unique personal potential to work, what next? Right? Keep adjusting and improving. The first time you write a book, it will not be your best. That’s OK. The first time you get on stage to sing, it will not be your best.
That’s OK.
The first time you make a sales presentation, it will not be your best. That’s OK. Take what you learn each time and improve. Maximize your unique personal potential by continually growing and developing yourself. You have unique personal potential…take it to the MAX!
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Exceptional people know and leverage their personal strengths. Rather than focus on their weaknesses, and spend all their time trying to improve those areas, they first look for and then concentrate on areas where they are brilliant.
This idea flies in the face of conventional wisdom, which contends that people should learn where they are weak and then work on improving those weaknesses. Look at the school systems where children are taught to focus on their weaker subjects in an effort to improve their overall grades and develop a “well-rounded” skill set.
Consider the traditional workplace where people are carted off to seminars, enrolled in training programs, or given books in order to compensate for their weak areas, while the areas where they are truly exceptional go unnoticed and underdeveloped.
Does this mean that people should not improve? Is this an excuse for lacking certain skills? Not at all.
Instead, every effort should be made to insure that personal weaknesses do not sabotage a person’s effectiveness. At the same time, great attention should be placed on discovering where a person is truly exceptional, and then making sure they are involved in activities that make the most of their strengths.
Take time to discover your greatest talents and strengths. Then invest your life in leveraging these areas of excellence in the service of other people.
BY JP MARONEY
Imagine what a day would be like and how few people you could deal with if there were no phones.
    Perhaps you like that idea?
Nevertheless, telephones have made it possible to stay in one place and do business in different cities, states, and even countries. They also have made us more accessible to others.
We are rarely out of touch… especially now that cellular phones go with us everywhere.
Today, even with the growth of email and internet technology, the telephone is still a very relevant and highly vital tool in business today. In fact, it is in many ways more powerful than ever.
Here are 5 telephone tips for answering the call:
First, when you answer the telephone, identify yourself and your company, and offer to help. Some companies find it useful to create a script and instructions for answering the telephone. This provides uniformity for the organization, and familiarity for callers.
Second, speak clearly so the caller can easily understand you.
Third, project a positive image with your voice and attitude. To help you accomplish this, smile when you answer the phone and while you’re assisting the caller.
Even though the caller can’t see you, they will be able to “hear” your smile. Some people even keep a mirror near their telephone to remind them to smile while on the telephone.
Third, if you have to put someone on hold, first ask their permission, and then honor their response.
Fourth, if the caller is trying to reach someone who is either out of the office or busy with another client, do what you can to help them. At minimum capture as much information as possible so that your team member can effectively return the call and satisfy the caller’s needs.
Finally, block out distractions that might prevent you from giving total attention to the caller. These potential distractions can include co-workers, customers who are talking nearby, or the arrival of new email.
It’s important to remember that when you’re on the telephone, the caller on the other end of the line is the most important person at that very moment, and they should be treated with utmost respect and attention.
If you’re truly interested in improving customer service at your business — especially in the area of telephone skills — then you should get a copy of, “Service By Phone,” the complete learning system from my People Builders series.
This program teaches you and your staff:
* How to answer the telephone effectively and    efficiently * How to put people one hold * How to take a message * How to leave effective voice mail messages that    produce results * How to deal with angry callers * How to “Serve By Selling” * How to safely use your cell phone * How to reduce neck and shoulder strain while using    the telephone * And much, much more
It’s available in two formats…
1) Video DVD for group staff training 2) Audio CD for personal learning
The video program includes everything you need to conduct a 45 to 60 minute employee development session on this topic.
It’s a complete, turnkey system that includes:
* Professionally produced 20-min video * Leader’s guide with facilitation instructions * Master copies of employee handouts (for unlimited    reproduction) * Employee feedback forms * 3 motivational posters to reinforce topic * Topic-specific newsletter
Claim your copy of the video system here: http://www.goldbar.net/sc/ap.php?m=7982&i=1244
Claim your copy of the audio system here: http://www.goldbar.net/sc/ap.php?m=7982&i=1245
If you have any questions or need more details, call 1-800-304-5758.
###
JP Maroney a.k.a. “The Pitbull of Business” is a business growth strategist, best-selling author and award-winning speaker. Receive his FREE book, “5 Ways to Double or Triple Your Business” by visiting www.JPMaroney.com
——————————
Interested in publishing this article in your magazine, newsletter, blog, website or article directory? Send an email to info at jpmaroney dot com or call 1-800-304-5758.
Two major stumbling blocks keep people from really having what they want in life.
1) Doubting the future 2) Pouting about the past
They doubt the future, always expecting the worst possible outcome. I mean really…how can they ever expect to get what they want in life if they doubt the possibility that they’ll ever get it.
Duh!
They need to start thinking optimistically. People who know me say I’m “eternally optimistic.” So I looked up the word “optimistic” in the dictionary. The definition is this: A tendency to expect the best possible outcome. That’s me. In everything I do, I always expect the best possible outcome.
One of my wife’s friends, who is in sales, was over at our house recently, and said something I simply can’t agree with. She said, “when I go in on an appointment, I don’t expect to come away with any kind of sale. If I do make a sale, it’s just a bonus.” Well, that’s not stupidly simple, that’s simply stupid. Why would you do that? To set yourself up for failure? To give yourself a way out if you don’t close a sale?
ive me a break.
If you want to get more of the things you want out of life, you’ve got to start expecting them to come to you. Begin seeing yourself already in possession of them. Believe you can achieve your goal. Expect the best, and you can’t possibly lose.
As I mentioned above, the second thing people do to sabotage their own success is to pout about the past. How many people do you know who say things like these:
I would be more successful if…
Oh, grow up. Forget the past, and PLEASE stop pouting about it.
The economic climate in which we live, removes every single excuse you have for not advancing your career, increasing your income, starting a business, etc. Stop blaming your parents, your heritage, your nationality, your race, your spouse, or any other “lame blame” you can come up with to excuse yourself from succeeding in life.
Each of us is responsible for our own success. Take charge of your future. Remember, it’s up to you. It is your future, after all.
You can’t expect others to do it for you. Besides, when you leave it up to other people, they usually don’t do it like you want it done. Right? That does not mean you don’t delegate responsibilities, but the ultimate responsibility for whether or not the goal is reached, belongs to you.
I actually find that to be exciting. That means I’m in control of whether I fail or succeed. Don’t you prefer that? Instead of sitting around waiting on someone else to produce the results, you can go out and do it yourself.
There is a certain freedom that comes from gaining control of your life. Yes, the responsibility is heavy sometimes. Yes, there are times when you will feel alone in the world. But, resist the urge to blame someone else, or your circumstances, for the fact that you are not achieving your goals and dreams.
One characteristic that really attracted me to my wife when we were dating, was her ability to get beyond the things that happened to her in the past, and go after the things she wanted to achieve in the future.
When she was eighteen years old, on the way back from a church camp, her car veered off the road, then flipped three times. She flew out the window, and landed on the shoulder of the highway. Result, broken back, and paralysis…from the chest down.
She spent months in rehabilitation, and did regain some of her feeling, but she still has no sensation or muscle control below her knees. But, she hasn’t let this stop her from enjoying life. A few years after we married, both of us became interested in scuba diving. We stopped by a local dive shop to explore the idea. The guy working in the shop was very doubtful, and stressed the importance of having use of your feet to propel yourself through the water. That wasn’t good enough for my wife.
So, we stopped by the shop again later, and talked with another, more experienced diving instructor. He looked through some catalogs, and found some webbed gloves designed for surfers. He suggested she could dive successfully using her hands for propulsion rather than her feet. Now, we were getting somewhere.
Diving has become a passion for us. It is something we share and enjoy together. And, swimming under water gives Tonya more freedom of mobility than she has on land. She could have pouted about the past, and let her physical challenges keep her from fulfilling her dream of scuba diving. Instead, she believed that there must be some way for her to enjoy to pleasure. And oh, what a pleasure it is.
Let me give you another example. We decided we wanted to start riding bikes together, for fun and fitness. Again, there are certain limitations with regard to balance, that Tonya has to deal with. So, we found a bike shop that would spend some time exploring possibilities. We decided on a three wheel bike, with a child seat mounted on the back for our daughter Karlista. Problem solved, excellent fun and family time.
So what dreams have you allowed your past to steal? Can you think of anything you would really like to do, be, or have? What’s stopping you? Step beyond the boundary of your past, and start believing in the future.
Stop pouting about the past, and start believing in the future. It is then, and only then, that you will begin to achieve your goals and dreams.
(101 simple but often overlooked ideas…)
1. Friendly employees
2. Employees who are willing to help the customer
3. Employees who are knowledgeable about their products and services
4. Employees who provide courteous service
5. Employees who give personal attention to the customer
6. Companies that carry quality products
7. Companies that offer good prices
8. Stores that have a pleasant atmosphere
9. Employees who provide good service
10. Employees with a clean and neat appearance
11. Stores that offer convenience as service.
12. Employees who handle complaints quickly and thoroughly
13. A business that is conveniently located
14. Employees who recognize the customer
15. Stores that carry a wide variety of products
16. Employees who explain their product and product usage clearly and in everyday language rather than technical terms.
17. Employees who give prompt service
18. Employees or companies that express a genuine interest in your business
19. Employees who show care and concern about the customers
20. Stores that keep an ample inventory on hand
21. Employees who call customers by their name
22. Businesses that give you value for your money
23. Employees who are well-organized
24. Employees who make the customers feel appreciated
25. Employees who present a professional appearance
26. Employees who greet you upon entering
27. Employees who go the “extra mile” for the customer
28. Employees or companies that are honest
29. Employees who are efficient
30. Companies that offer a guarantee on their products or service
31. Available/visible personnel to assist customers
32. Employees who thank customers for doing business with them
33. Employees willing to listen to customer complaints
34. Employees who thank customers for doing business with them
35. Employees who are patient
36. Employees who make the customer feel important
37. Employees who aren’t pushy or intimidating
38. Employees who show respect for the customer
39. Employees who make the customer feel welcome
40. Employees or companies who create a friendly atmosphere
41. Employees or companies who follow up on promises made to the customer
42. Companies / Employees who provide quality service
43. Companies that offer a good return policy
44. Businesses that have comfortable surrounding
45. Companies that provide the service you require
46. Employees who are accurate
47. Businesses that have safe facilities and parking areas
48. Employees who take time with the customer
49. Reliable employees
50. Employees who are personable
51. Employees who give service and assistance when needed
52. Employee who treat you like family
53. Consistency of service to customers
54. Dependable employees
55. Employees / companies who work hard for your business
56. Employees who show pride in their company and products
57. Employees that communicate effectively with customers
58. Employees that have competitive prices
59. Businesses that are easily accessible
60. Businesses that have flexible hours for working people
61. Restaurants that have good food
62. Employees who are cheerful
63. Enthusiastic employees
64. Employees who show responsibility
65. Employees who honor confidentiality
66. Businesses that have clean restrooms
67. Businesses with specialists in their field on staff
68. Companies with good reputations
69. Employees who are trustworthy
70. Employees who are eager to help
71. Businesses / Employees who are responsive to the customer’s changing needs
72. Employees who are informed and aware
73. Employee who take pride in their work
74. Companies that provide good service after the sale
75. Employees who make eye contact with the customer
76. Employees who show confidence in their products and services
77. Employees with a sense of humor
78. Credit card privileges
79. Businesses that offer discounts or coupons
80. Companies that are accommodating to the customers’ needs
81. Businesses that have correct prices in advertisements
82. Businesses that are upfront about pricing and don’t bring out “hidden” additional costs at completion of sale
83. Companies with easy payment plans
84. Employees that are not high pressure
85. Stores that are brightly lit
86. Businesses that offer product promotions or sales
87. Stores that offer unique product lines – and may be only store to have what the customer is looking for
88. Empathetic employees
89. Businesses that carry brand name products
90. Stores that are recommended by friends
91. Stores that give incentives
92. Businesses that are accommodating to children
93. Businesses that give rain checks on out-of-stock sales items
94. Employees who smile and speak to you
95. Stores with reasonably priced merchandise
96. Well-organized stores
97. Employees who have good personalities
98. Stores with prices easily seen on products
99. Stores who employee personal friends or relatives of the customers
100. Employees are as willing to handle the complaint as they are the sale
101. Employees who make the customer feel good about doing business with them. ###
It was the “Perfect Plan.” We gave them the complete details. And they shoved it back in our face!
Here’s what happened…
I had been consulting with a retail company for some time. We had trained the sales associates, created a growth strategy for the company, and implemented several results-producing, sales-building systems.
This time, we delivered to the sales team a guaranteed commission-builder… on a silver platter.
The program we designed was called, “Hint Cards.”
Simply put, when a client was in the store, the sales associate was to offer the customer an opportunity to choose several items they absolutely loved.
Then, the associate would gather the names of one or more people who might be soon buying gifts for the customer; spouse, children, etc. We happened to be introducing this program on the eve of the Christmas buying season – an ideal time to try it.
The associate was instructed to then contact the people listed to let them know about the gift ideas on the “Hint Card.” They would offer to make gift buying easy and worry-free for the buyer.
It was a win for the customer because they would get exactly what they wanted. It was a win for the “buyer” because they wouldn’t have to wonder whether or not they were buying something the other person wanted – they would know for a fact.
And, the sales associate would win because they could almost guarantee a sale. All they had to do was follow through on the system.
We gave them complete instructions on how to implement the system. We trained them on the approach – how to introduce it to shoppers. We gave them step-by-step instructions on how to complete the cards and how to follow through.
Oh, I almost forgot, we offered to buy “Dinner for Two” for the associate who turned in the most “Hint Cards” the first week – as long as they got at least 10… an average of just 2 a day.
Only one problem… When we “turned them loose” with this new system, the sales associates all did the unexpected… they did nothing. The most anyone got was two completed Hint Cards – in the entire first week.
When questioned about their lack of follow through, they came up with every excuse in the book – in fact they found some excuses not even in the book. Their number one excuse was that people didn’t want to take time to “fill out the cards.”
They had missed the point.
Of course nobody “wants” to fill out anything. But, they do want to get gifts – the exact gifts they have selected.
And the “buyers” they were supposed to contact would love to know exactly which gift(s) they can buy their spouse, mother, friend, etc.
I went so far as to prove that the system worked. I actually spent time in the store talking to clients about the program, and had no trouble getting customers to tell me what items they most wanted, and who I should contact to buy the items for them.
The owner/manager of the store did the same thing with similar results. In fact, customers seemed excited about it when he approached them with this idea.
The difference between the success experienced by the owner/manager and I – and the responses (or lack of responses) experienced by the employees was in how we approached it.
It was all about the difference between our attitudes and their’s.
They made up their mind about the program from the very beginning. They decided first that it sounded too much like work. These “clerks” had never been asked to doing anything proactive in terms of selling, and this was completely new to them.
They second decided that since they didn’t “like” the idea, customers wouldn’t like it either. They could not have been more wrong. But, because of their thoughts and feelings, clients reacted negatively in the few occasions they actually approached anyone with the idea.
Remember, whatever you want other people to think and feel, you must be thinking and feeling first. Since they didn’t feel positively about this program, it influences customers negatively as well.
What to do when employees refuse to follow guidelines and procedures
An employee who refuses to follow guidelines, systems and procedures is a blatant business buster. There are only two logical courses of action.
1) Inform them that you will not tolerate their lack of participation in “required” programs, and that they will be expected to contribute in the future or find other employment, or
2) Fire them on the spot.
If you have already seen a trend of a particular employee not following instructions and guidelines, it’s likely that they will not change in the future. Furthermore, when you bring additional people into the company the existing “business buster(s)” will infect their thinking with the same lack of concern.
You’re better off removing the source of problems now.
I have seen a few instances where a manager or owner was able to turn around the cooperation and commitment of employees. Usually this happens by clearly defining what’s expected, and providing rewards and consequences related to the expectations.
But, in most cases, people don’t change!
If you look closely, you’ll often find that the lack of participation is the result of one or two negative people – and those negative influences are causing other good and decent people to perform improperly.
Remove the negative influences. Do it quickly!
Remember, one negative person can pull down five positive people, but five positive people cannot pull up one negative person. Remove the problem, and you’ll see productivity, morale and cooperation soar.
Unless you’ve had your head in the sand you realize that we are living in a changing world, a changing universe, a changing marketplace. Change is everywhere.
You can’t avoid change. You can’t ignore change. You can’t prevent change. You just have to live with it!
And if you fight change you’ll ultimately end up the loser.
So how do you deal with change? And if you’re a leader, perhaps the more important question is, “How do you help your people deal with change?”
The truth is…
“People resist change with every fiber of their being!”
They would rather things stay the same than to risk change. They would prefer to go about business as usual. Perhaps brought on by fear of the unknown.
In the past, keep things the same was ok. But those days are over. Technology significantly and dramatically influences nearly every imaginable industry. In the last ten to twenty years, entire market segments have disappeared.
The phonograph, eight track tapes, and LPs have given way to CDs, DVDs and MP3s. As a result, companies find themselves forced to either change to keep up with the times, or simply go out of business.
No doubt, you’ve seen businesses right in your hometown ~ or in your industry ~ that have resisted change – and lost! In today’s world, businesses either move ahead, or get left behind!
Change leaves its mark on history. If no one were willing to embrace change, we would still ride horses to work and have outhouses. Lucky for us, our forefathers were not afraid to ask, “What if?” and to seek the answer.
Candlelight is romantic on occasion. However, I sure enjoy flipping the switch and being able to see. It’s more than a convenience – it’s a way of life.
Thank goodness, Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison were persistent in finding a better way. You can be sure the skeptics scorned and criticized these change agents because they did not understand the possibilities of electricity and light bulbs.
Much like electricity, automobiles, telephones and microwaves, some change can be positive. Sure, it may not be “the way we’ve always done it” but it just might produce better and faster results.
Ultimately, that is the kind of change we should embrace. That’s what our customers expect ~ in fact, it’s what consumers today demand.
Change is happening everywhere
Think about some changes that challenge us in business and in the workplace. What changes are we seeing, and what can we do to meet the challenge of those changes?
First, we’re seeing changes in customer mindset or expectations. Customer’s today have a microwave-mentality. They want their needs met and their problems solved, and they want it right now!
They don’t want to wait. They don’t want delays. They don’t want excuses. They want it now! And, if you can’t deliver what they want –when they want it — they’ll go somewhere else.
Have you ever been searching for a product or service, and called through the numbers in the yellow pages? What happens when you don’t find what you’re looking for at the first place you call? You call the next one right?
What does this mean for you and your organization?
Well, it means when customers call, employees should answer the telephone quickly, and with a sense of urgency in their voice. In fact, sometimes speed is the primary reason a company gets the business.
The person answering the telephone should possess knowledge in the company’s products and services. That person should effectively ask questions to identify specifically what the customer needs, and then either solve their problem, or direct them to the appropriate person or department who can meet their needs.
When people come in to your business, they shouldn’t feel as if they are intruding – but instead should feel like the most important person who has walked through the door all day. In other words, they need to know that everyone, and I do mean everyone, in the company is there to serve them.
Some people say, “Well, customer service is not what I do!” Wrong! Customer service is what everyone does.
I saw a sign the other day that said, “We don’t have a customer service department. We have a customer service company!” I love that. In fact, we turned that phrase into a FREE poster you can download from my website at www.JPMaroney.com.
We’re also seeing significant changes in technology!
A few years ago, my four-year-old daughter was with me in a popular copy shop and business center. I had just finished using one of their computers to print out a document when I heard her ask me, “Da Da, what’s this?”
I turned and realized she was looking at a typewriter. And it hit me just how much things are changing. Here she was, a preschooler who has her own computer, a binder full of computer games on CD, and she’s NEVER seen a typewriter.
Think for a minute how technological changes have affected people and companies who once depended on the sale and service of typewriters for their income. Pretty scary isn’t it?
The fact is…none of us are immune to the changes in technology. We must accept technology and learn to adapt and leverage it to fit our needs.
The other day, I was searching the Internet for a mailing list company. At one website, they had a button that said, “Click here for live support.”
I clicked and immediately someone from that company came online and began communicating with me using text-based Internet chat. What a great example of using technology to improve service. But it was an improvement brought about by… change!
Today, we’re seeing major changes in the workplace!
The new world of work has placed new demands on workers at all levels of the organization. In many cases they’re being expected to accept new responsibilities, expanded job functions, and increased workloads due to downsizing, restructuring and mergers.
These changes require a person who is flexible and willing to adapt with the times. It demands that individuals continuously upgrade knowledge and skills to meet the needs of customers and team members. We need people who are willing to change!
So what do the people in the organization need to do in order to compete and thrive in a changing marketplace? What actions are required by savvy employees and managers.
First, we need to get beyond business as usual. We cannot afford to become complacent and feel that our past successes will guarantee our future results.
Sometime back, I saw a movie, “Pirates of Silicon Valley” which is based on the early days of the personal computing industry, including the rise of Microsoft and Apple Computer. In the movie, the character of Bill Gates says, “Success is a menace. It fools smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”
That is just it. We cannot allow past successes to lull us into believing that we are invincible. We must consistently challenge status quo.
It suggests that we should question everything! Existing processes, existing methodologies, outdated products and services should all be subject to review in order to make sure we are still relevant in the marketplace.
How better it is to initiate change and revamp or update products and services than to find yourself forced to do it because of shifts in demand or more formidable competitors. Wait too long and you could find yourself reacting too late.
Second, we must keep open lines of communication throughout our organization. Teams, departments, branches and satellite offices should communicate with each other on a regular basis.
This creates a sharing of ideas, including: What’s working, what’s not, and where do we need to improve? Technology now gives virtually any size organization – even those spread across broad geography – to connect people and facilitate idea sharing through online message boards and forums.
That communication of information is vital for future successes. It ensures that everyone knows the specific direction of the company. It also keeps everyone focused on how the organization plans to get there. Everyone should very clearly know the mission of the company, and the strategic plan for achieving that mission. At every level, team members should know the goals of the company, and should know how they fit into the big picture with their own area of personal responsibility.
The second thing we must do as a company is focus on fundamentals. This includes delivering exceptional products and services that meet the needs of clients. It means providing customer service that exceeds expectations.
People only do business with an organization for one of two reasons: One, you make them feel good. And two, you solve their problems. Preferably both!
Focusing on fundamentals in a changing marketplace means getting down to the nitty-gritty of how to best solve client problems and make them feel good. It means going above and beyond what’s expected -doing the unexpected.
Michael Dell, Founder and Chairman of Dell Computer wrote about this in his book “Direct from Dell.” He said, “At Dell, we’ve always tried to exceed (our customers) expectations with our products and service. But when you go beyond just offering better products and services, and attempt to build a meaningful, memorable, total experience, you win customers for life.”
Focusing on fundamentals means listening to what customers and clients say about your products and services and being willing to adapt and change with the needs of the market. The climate of our times demands this kind of flexibility and adaptability. Ready or not, change is happening. It is happening everywhere -especially in the workplace.
For organizations to grow, evolve and keep up with the changing times, we must teach people in organizations the importance of flexibility. We must teach them how to adapt and change with the times. Ultimately, that is one of your primary roles as a leader.
