Group Dynamic

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Previous post on this topic.

Jayson’s blog.

The essence of leadership is service.

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If the two-word definition of leadership is “Meet needs,” then you have frequent opportunities to be very explicit about that mission by taking three seconds to ask Read the rest of this entry »

Last fall, I spent two blog posts discussing how effective leaders stay organized. At that time, I was referring to your actual to-do list, which typically won’t have the actual words “pay attention to John on Monday.”

But maybe you should consider it.

A colleague of mine was telling me about a car salesman who kept a Rolodex of every car he’d ever sold (this was back in 2002, so there is a chance he’s gone electronic by now). He checked in with the owners of the cars every year on the anniversary of the purchase. Good service, right?

It goes beyond that. Also on each page of that Rolodex was the birthday of the car’s owner, names of family members, jobs, and a whole slew of personal information. Several times a year, he found a reason to contact his clients- on their birthday, on the car’s birthday, their child’s graduation, etc. And at the end of every greeting card, phone conversation or voicemail was the line, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Nine times out of ten, the answer was no. But that tenth time? Might just lead him to selling yet another car (the auto industry’s equivalent to successfully engaging an employee). At this time, my colleague’s extended family has bought a total of seven cars from him in the past decade.

Do you need a Rolodex with the personal information of everyone you’re leading? Maybe not, but no matter how many people you manage, it takes forethought to ensure you’re regularly engaging them- and asking what you can do for them. Unless you’ve conditioned your brain to be a steel trap, there’s no shame (and probably great benefit) from keeping written track of the key details.

Of course, you could always spend the time sharpening your steel trap.

Sometimes, servant leadership calls for relinquishing power.  Insecure leaders look for opportunities to take power, and we know this on some level. Here’s an opportunity to Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, while working in my home office, workers from a local store came to install a new appliance.  I overheard a shocking conversation that struck me as inappropriate.  I selected a typical excerpt, and posted it on my personal Facebook page to see what conversation would ensue.  I was not disappointed. This was an interesting exchange that touched on Read the rest of this entry »

As promised, this week’s blog is inspired by Veteran’s Day last week.  These are two stories of veterans that I told at a local Memorial Day service this year.  What’s the lesson?  There may be more than one, but let’s lift humility out of this.  No war hero brags; in fact, they share the credit with others.  If these guys can share the credit for these accomplishments, surely we Read the rest of this entry »

This week, five posts that will help you understand the value of great customer service, everyone’s role in it, and some ideas Read the rest of this entry »

Last week we explored the first concept of “the big three.” This week, number two.

This one is simple; it’s just a suggested two word definition of leadership.

Meet needs.

It is astounding Read the rest of this entry »

T=r+d

…where T is “trust,” r is “reliability,” and d is “delight.”

I attended EntreFest 2011, and one of the best sessions I attended was Read the rest of this entry »

In light of the earlier posts regarding generational differences, this article adds nicely to those thoughts:

Why Gen Y-ers are Better at Customer Service : The World :: American Express OPEN Forum.

At the entrance to the service bay of Toyota of Des Moines is a small, plastic, a-frame sign that says simply

“SERVICE ENTRANCE”

and then, toward the bottom,

“Welcome”

Last week, Read the rest of this entry »