Poem on Respect and Responsiveness

Poem on Respect and Responsiveness by M.W. Hardwick

    Idea for poem: Respect and Responsiveness are the keys to employee and customer satisfaction and they seem to be lacking in many organization–for example We can’t do that because of policy.

      R&R is key to brand perception.

      R&R are keys to your ability to look in the mirror. 

      R&R are keys to to leadership effectiveness.

      R&R are keys to long-term relationships and trust.

      R&R are free.

      Embrace and pursue the value of R&R

      R&R require empowerment and empathy…

     Where are they…Where are they… 

Creating Trusted Business Relationships: Be a Person for Others

Daily Quote: ”I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” – Jackie Robinson, First African American Major League baseball player

“The friendships which last are those wherein each friend respects the other’s dignity to the point of not really wanting anything from him.”- Cyril Connolly

Reflection:

Core of Respect for others is a mindset that fosters building effective and long-term trusting relationships.  In this instance, it involves listening to and understanding the other person, noticing details about them and their situation, and then taking an active role in doing something about it. I really consider this to be a strong Quality of worklife (QWL) culture where respect + solution oriented action =friendship and loyalty. Taking action is about participating rather than observing which is essentially communicating disinterest or not caring behavior. Unique connected behavior has the benefit of the concept many are calling purpose-centered behavior which is the reward system for doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. Everything we do, say and act on has a reaction –there are no neutral moves. Because we are connected, almost as quickly as one positive happens the next is sure to follow. This concept is so important, it will change the way you think and do things indefinitely as well as everyone you come into contact with.

Call for Action: What can you to today to create trust and respect at your work place?  Use the Stop-Think-Do technique to get started in creating a more respectful climate and more trusted relationships.   

A great read for the Thanksgiving Holiday–Free e-book by Heath Brothers.

Recently, I was reading The Myth of the Garage by Dan Heath and Chip Heath. This e-ibook is from Crown publishers and is free to the reader. The articles are the best of the Heath Brothers columns from Fast Magizine articles from 2007-2011. The stories range from Mutual Fund investing through customer service. The insights about business practices are mind stretching and not always what you expect, so if you want a great read and some AHA moments try reading this bag of business surprises. To access and download the articles in the Myth of the Garage log into the Heath Brothers Resource collection at  http://www.heathbrothers.com/resources/download/ 

Fact: 80% of employees not involved or engaged at work. Want to change this situation?

In the past I have blogged about the chain for success in motivating and creating engaged employees. I have used SAS, rated last year as number one or best place to work and Whole Foods as models because they pay a living wage above their peer group, individual opportunities for growth through education and training and create pleasant, safe and involved workplaces. The results show if employees are treated fairly and with respect then customers will be satisfied and beat a path to their door. I have ask you to reflect on what a great workplace would be like and you respond with replies that essentially follow some of the elements Tony Schwartz in a recent HBR article. I think Mr.Schwartz has it right and wanted to share some of his observations and insights. He and other researchers have found  – That only 20 per cent of employees around the world report their excited and fully engaged at work. This group sees work as a “want to” not as a “have to”.  This 80/20 gap has important significance for workers, company and especially customers.  Mr. Schwartz says “It’s a disconnect that serves no one well. So what’s the solution? Where is the win-win for employers and employees? The answer is that great employers must shift the focus from trying to get more out of people, to investing more in them by addressing their four core needs — physical, emotional, mental and spiritual — so they’re freed, fueled and inspired to bring the best of themselves to work every day.” He identifies 12 elements for successful workplace that engages and respects employees. For example he talks about sharing the wealth and rewards of profitability with all stakeholders. This element would say to employees we ar all in this venture together “Give all employees a stake in the company’s success, in the form of profit-sharing, or stock options, or bonuses tied to performance. If the company does well, all employees should share in the success, in meaningful ways.” He cites  11 other elements that lend credence to his theory of how to go about creating a win-win environment for all. In this article you are provided with a standard to measure your company against. So get busy seeing if your company passes the test of employee engagement and if you are in a position of influence start thinking about what needs to be changed in your workplace to create an environment that gets everyone engaged and supportive of the organizations mission and vision. .

Four Ways to Connect With Buyers: Start with Listening and Respect…

A recent survey in 2009, reported that 90% of consumers learned about and trusted personal acquaintances recommendations more than ad claims. Consumers mis-trust with media is a difficult hurdle to overcome when trying to increase a product or service visibility and credibility. So what to do?

Three things are important for anyone’s media strategy:

1 Listen, Show and Problem Solve. Be sure to understand the  target audience needs, desires and pain then  customize ads and be responsive in face to face interactions to begin to solve these problems.

2. Integrate Web, Facebook and twitter in to your brand strategy. This provides the opportunity for word-of-mouth campaigns or virus to develop.

3.. Respect people’s time–show the how the product will save them time or help them use time in a more efficient and effective ways.

4. Stop,  Tell and Sell approach–Give buyers tangible view or experience with your product or service. They will determine the value and benefits. Use success stories, testimonials and  visuals to make a “unique connection” with target audiences.

Are you missing out on how to sell your services or products? Learn The Secret to Selling…

Do your sales people’s conversations enable them to stand out from the crowd – and explain to your prospects why you are distinctively different, and worthy of their consideration? If not, you should be aware that your sales people’s ability to conduct compelling conversations influences B2B buying decisions more than any of the other factors – brand, product or price – combined.

Your most natural salespeople – usually the top performers -have a particular talent for earning the trust of their prospects. They do it by sharing valuable information and by telling compelling, credible stories that make the listener respect their expertise and want to learn more. But the power of compelling conversation does not have to be restricted to the gifted few.

What if you could capture this capability and share the skills with your whole sales team? What if you could equip them to have engaging and stimulating conversations?  The good news is that the “gift of trusted conversationalist can be taught. The answer is to develop compelling stories that can be shared with potential customers and clients.  We’ve proved it time after time.  All the average sales person needs is a little help, the necessary resources – and the right attitude.

We’ll work with you to identify your most meaningful messages and capture your most compelling sales stories.  We do this through a combination of interactive workshops with your most gifted sales people (we can usually find some on every sales team) and the lessons learned from voice of the customer interviews. We’ll help you say something different, remarkable and meaningful – and enable you to stand out from the crowd. Storytelling is the new differentiator. Facts and figures, specifications and price all still matter, for certain. But it takes stories to connect with customers on an emotional level. The motivation to choose one brand over another – when the choices are endless – is triggered by emotion. More on next blog about how to connect through emotion and tips for collecting and developing your stories.

RETHINKING SALES MANAGEMENT FOR THE 21st CENTURY

RETHINKING SALES MANAGEMENT FOR THE 21st CENTURY

The 8-Step Process of  In-Sync Sales Management

Develop the over riding purpose and vision

• Set the vision and direction – Create a vision to help direct the sales campaign change effort

Making the Connection

1.  Pull Together the Intelligence and Sales Coalition Team.
   Make sure there is a powerful group guiding the sales campaign —one with information, insight and influence skills, bias for action, credibility, communications ability, technical competence, problem solving /opportunity finding and networking skills.
2. Create a Sense of Collaboration and Importance of Team.
   Help team see the need for cross functional knowledge and the importance of campaign.

Decide What to do– Creating The Coalition Building Plan

3 . Develop the Sales Campaign Vision, Strategy and Goals
Clarify how the future will be different from the past, and how you can make that future a reality. Explore and develop an in-sync plan that focuses on client needs and imperatives, your position with the client and competition, present key and new relations needed to win, opportunities for differentiation and solutions that are measurable and results based. Get commitment to the idea of working together to share information and resources and work closely together to execute plan.

MAKE IT HAPPEN

4. Communicate for Understanding and Empathy and Buy-in.
Include cross-functional areas and senior C’s as possible resources for executing the client service and sales vision and the strategy.

5. Empower People to be Involved and Act.
Remove as many barriers as possible so that those who can contribute have the authority to actively pursue the vision, strategy and goals a reality.

6.Produce Solutions that Differentiate offerings and can be measured with tangible metrics.
Create results that are visible and produce unambiguous successes such as ROI, cost reductions and new revenue for the client organization.

7. Mobilization– Don’t Let Up and keep the team rolling
Press harder and faster after the first successes. Be relentless with instituting change after change until the vision, strategy and goals become a reality.

MAKE IT STICK THROUGH KEEPING PROMISES AND EXCEEDING CLIENT EXPECTATIONS

8. Create a Sales Culture based on new roles, goals and methods for winning client’s loyalty.
Hold on to the new ways of communicating and collaborating within and external to the sales organization. Make sure the new behaviors are reinforced, rewarded and continuously improved  until they become a part of the very culture of the company.

Change is a matter of central concern to sales managers. In their book, Project Manager’s Portable Handbook, David I. Cleland and Lewis R. Ireland state, “Projects are the principal means by which the organization deals with change.” While projects may be the mechanism for change, the actual how-to steps of implementing change are often a frustrating, unsolved mystery.

Daily Quote and Reflection: High Cost of Arrogance, Poor communication and Zero Empathy Skills

Daily quote and reflection: Most people don’t associate the word “empathy” with effective leadership. 

Reflection: what do you associate the word “empathy” with?  I associate the word with the ability to put yourself in someone’s shoes without  judgment. Recently, I had a conversation with a friend that called for empathy. They were describing their frustrating position at work. They had ideas for improving training with doctors and their ability to be more sensitive in communicating with patients. She presents ideas for improved and open communication to fellow doctors  with little support reaction to the suggestions. Later, she received  feedback from her supervisor that she was over-steeping her role and authority in making patient-doctor communication advice. Her boss liked her initiative  but others indicated that she must being to aggressive with her advice. The boss said her approach might be threatening doctors autonomy and control of patient care.  After this she took a more subservient role for the next few weeks..Eight weeks later the “Transplant physician was sued by a patient for malpractice.The key point in the law suit that the doctor did not listen and answer questions when the patient shared side effects of the medication plan. According to the lawsuit he and the Transplant Team were unresponsive to patient requests and questions about side effects of the medicine   But as with so many things in life something small changes might have made a difference but no one was listening to the patient and her family. The doctor proceed to blame other people for not providing him with the right information and did not know the problems with the patient.  Consequently, the patient had a sever stroke and fell into a coma. She was rushed to the Emergency room of a nearby hospital  The patient never came out of the coma and was later declared brain-dead by the  emergency room physician.   During the depositions it was uncovered that this doctor was insensitive and a displayed a very callous and  no-nonsense approach  to this transplant operation. He saw the operation as routine and spent little with the Transplant Team and patient. after the initial operation.  The patient’s family felt neglected and had a hard time communicating their concerns with the doctor and his team.  Whether the stroke had anything to do with his insensitive manner and poor communications with the patient will now be settled in a very expensive trial. In other words, the doctor and his team were having communication problems and little time was spent in building  a more empathic and effective relationship with the patient and the family..

How to create sustainable Value to your Relationships: Try these 5 proven and powerful Mindsets.

How you  can add sustainable value to your relationships:

• You can listen and observe then provide feedback
• If asked you can offer valuable insights and provide solutions to pain or problems.
• You can ask challenging and profound questions that stimulate thoughtfulness and creativity
• You can show people how to make or save relationships and maximize possibilities.
• Build trust by giving credit away and providing a win for others.

These techniques are seen as helpful by most people. Just keep them in balance to develop long-term impact.

Blanche Lincoln needs to go–”Tell her don’t ask”

Newsflash–Blanche Lincoln just committed career suicide. It’s not enough that she was against the Public Option and a progressive voice for HC reform. She now is against eliminating “Don’t Ask Don’t tell” for gays in the military.  This was her second big opportunity to show she supports change and represents the voters of Arkansas –she failed.

Lincoln was a critic of the public option, backed the Baucus bill in the Finance Committee, and lobbied not even to put the “Public Option” on the table for discussion. So after this wrong headed position what does she do but vote against even discussing the “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell” amendment.   She is not a leader who is championing change or even compromise. She has taken up the banner of fear and  no change of the republican party. Maybe she needs some time off to figure out who she was sent to represent and how to get things done that will improve the quality of life for her constituents and the American people. Maybe we all need to become more effective advocates for change. Let her know you thoughts and ideas for change by calling or e-mailing her office today:

1-202-224-4843 or e-mail her http://lincoln.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

BEST Companies to work for :Whole Foods from Hippyville to Customer and Employee Centered

If you are a committed and a determined to change some specific behavior or situation in your life, remember the quality of your life has nothing to do with excuses, unresolved conflicts, or  negative experiences. It has everything to do with the HERE AND NOW–YOU. YOUR ESSENCE AND PASSION FOR LIVING A MEANINGFUL, CONTROLLABLE and CONSTRUCTIVE LIFE. It has to do with your thinking, reflection, choice, behavior, and impact–The pressing question: What do you want to change and how do you go about sustaining that change in finding  the right place to work and life?

Maybe Whole Foods is the place for you. Checkout their openings, workplace climate and interviewing tips at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/careers/workhere.php

Whole Foods ranked 18th in the BEST Companies to work for by Fortune magazine.Whole Foods is fast growing with over 270 retail and non-retail locations and presently 1600 job openings in the US, Canada and UK. Their motto and mission are inspiring and captivating. Their approach to business is about making a difference — in the lives of our Team Members and the customers they serve, and in the communities in which they operate. Whole Foods Market is the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket retailer. Their philosophy is to satisfy and delight customers — and to support Team Member happiness and excellence. Why? Because they believe and operate on the principle of equality and fairness which means each and every team member is a valued contributor.

They look to recruit passionate people who are passionate about food and can function as member of  motivate and customer service teams. The employee teams are focused on excellence in everything they do. They empower team members to make their own decisions, creating a respectful workplace where people are treated fairly and are highly motivated to succeed.

If the above  words don’t inspire you to look into job with Whole Foods. Go talk to a few team members who will tell you the company “walks the talk” in regard to treating people with respect and dignity.  Remember in job hunting it is your persistence and PASSION that can separate you from the average Joe or Jane looking for a job. If this one doesn’t work for you take a look at the other BEST 100 Companies to work for. Good Luck and stay in the game.

Biting the Hand that Feeds You–Failed Leadership

Inaccurate thinking and loss of emotional control can cost you, your employees and especially customers.

Here is the story. At a nationwide upscale retail store the policy for discounts which was communicated to employees was simple. If a customer wanted to buy a floor model they received a 10% discount.

On a recent Sunday morning, a husband and wife enter the store and were greeted by a sale associate. Asked if they needed help they point to the display window and asked if  the copper Kitchen Aid mixer which cost $800+ was in stock. After checking the sales rep reported there were none in stock but they had three options : 1. order the mixer on line and the shipping would be waived. 2. The sales associate would check with near by stores to see if one was available. 3. They could purchase the floor model for 10% discount. They choose option three. Before the sales associate went for a box the wife pointed out what she believed was a scratch. The sales associate agreed and said that’s why floor models were discounted. So far so good the sale was on track. (Oh, by the way the store has not sold one of these copper Kitchen Aid mixers in four years.) Then enter the male “alpha” store manager who had found a box and over heard the comment about a scratch which he told the sales associate in the back room was not true. The customer who was waiting outside the door over heard the manager’s comments and yell into the back that yes it was scratched and he would show him the scratch.  The manager stormed out of the room to confront the customer and an alpha male battle over who was right proceeded.  The customer took offense and disagreed with the manager and ended up saying–never mind I will order it online and turned on his heels to leave the store.  The employee was embarrassed and apoligized . The cutomer said not to worry because it wasn’t her fault. Did the manger try to recovery wth the customer? No. He said to the confused and embarrassed sales associate that this incident was not her fault.

What was the impact of this loss of emotional control?  The customer left unhappy and according to research will tell at least twenty other people of their poor treatment at the store.  The sales associate was confused about the policy of floor discounts and embarrassed about the lack of support and empowerment. And the sale was not made. What lessons can other leaders or managers take away from this story?

1. Take the time to see the interaction from the salesperson’s or the customer’s point of view. 2. Don’t try to win at any cost. 3. Making the customer wrong creates a lose-lose situation for all involved.

 Will this bad event happen again? Yes, if the manager does not recognize a simple fact of customer serice –The customer is always right and you never win an argument or get a sale by fighting with people who have choices. For this reason many consultants and therapists–beginning with Freud–have clients create a ‘mimesis’ — meaning they role-play the situation from the offending party’s perspective. The hope is that, through this training and role-playing, managers and employees might better understand why someone might want to emotionally take a bite out of them when they are attacked for being wrong, if they listen and learn the lesson in maybe can avoid being bitten again!

Your Assignment: If you’ve been caught between an irrational manager or customer by being yelled at– or experienced any other kind of impulsive emotionally bulling— take the time today to try to see things from a ‘Customer’s Point of View’ so you can perhaps avoid being stupid, rejected or yelled at again. Plus this exercise will help you lessen the built up anger in your life. Good Luck.