IT'S THE SIMPLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Have you ever been given an expensive gift, that was nice but didn't really reflect who you are? And then as a counterpoint you get a gift, that is simple, but shows that the giver actually thought about you, as a person, and gave you a gift that was truly meaningful...and it pales in comparison to the large extravagance?

I am a simple person (Ok, no unnecessary smirks here...I truly am!). So I don't need  expensive over the top recognition of a milestone. Nope, as someone once said I'm a pretty cheap date :)

When you think about yourself in the corporate world, wouldn't it be nice if your leader or a colleague, or a client, just said "Thanks, you are doing a great job, I really appreciate it!"? And do you really know folk you work with well enough that you could get them a small token, be it a chocolate bar, a mug, a pen etc.

We always wait for an event in corporate to recognize someone's efforts...a five year anniversary, the performance review process or the like. We wait for the grand gesture, without realizing that small, simple things have more meaning.

So ask yourself today, do you really know the personalities on your team? Do you know what simple things would bring a smile to their face, make their day and show them you care? Also think about the people in your life outside of work....do you always go for the expensive trinket, because it is easier than actually making a conscious effort to buy a gift that is reflective of them?

Grand gestures are, well, grand. But it is the simple things that often count more.

ABOUT STUFF

I have always loved George Carlin and his comedic rants. However the best one by far was when he illuminated us all about stuff,  several decades ago.

A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff....A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it....Sometimes you gotta move, gotta get a bigger house. Why? No room for your stuff anymore.

If you think about it, most of our activities are geared towards getting more "stuff" or better "stuff." And since the '80's it has become even more so. But how much of life are you enjoying during your push to get this "stuff?" 

And have you noticed how many new self-storage buildings are popping up around in all cities? A whole industry has spawned and grown exponentially because of our need to keep our stuff.

In the last few years I have downsized the size of my abode and as such have gotten rid of a lot of stuff. And if you think it was easy for me, think again....it wasn't, because there is something that makes you think that you are successful and have "made it" because of your stuff. But I got over it, sold a lot and donated more. And although I still have a reasonable amount of stuff, I think comparative to many of my friends, I am pretty lean on the stuff front. 

When my father passed away just over a year ago, you come to realize how little stuff means. My parents had already downsized a couple of years before and there was about 50 years of stuff that needed to be sorted through. A lot of it, unfortunately, was either given away, sold or trashed, because there was no room for most of it in their new accommodations and it was not something of which any member of the family had a desired. But my parents legacy and hopefully yours is not about your stuff.

How many necessary decisions in your life are you putting off because of your love affair with your stuff. Are you staying in an untenable situation, say in a job, because you are afraid of how you are going to continue to afford the stuff you have and how you are going to then go out and get more stuff?

Or would you be happier, and less burdened if you made the decisions you need to make, without concerns about the stuff? Ask yourself,  what choices would you make today, if you didn't have to concern yourself about the stuff.

I know that you can't totally disengage from stuff. I don't live in a cardboard box under the expressway, I do like my stuff, and I do have some nice stuff. But if I had to give up a whole bunch of my stuff tomorrow, to lead a more happy and fulfilled life I would. Luckily at this point I don't have to because I like my life.

As George Carlin said Trying to be happy by accumulating possessions is like trying to satisfy hunger by taping sandwiches all over your body.

So take a critical look at how you are living, because of your stuff! You might be surprised at what you see!

(You can read the transcript of George Carlin's rant at Babyboomer Flashback or see it on YouTube at George Carlin talks about stuff)

(Note :George Carlin passed away in 2008)

ARE YOU A LEADER WHO IS OUT OF TOUCH?

Reality TV programmers are making a tidy income with highlighting leaders who are out of touch with the popular show Undercover Boss, which is now broadcast in 8 countries across the globe with more to come.

I stopped watching this program after the first few shows, when it was first aired in the US in 2010. Why? Because I was disgusted about how little the leaders of these organizations actually knew about what was going on at the grassroots. The show makes these "undercover" leaders into heroes, when they should be flailed for living in an ivory tower for so long.

I get that the CEO of a corporation can't be picking up garbage or busing tables everyday. Yet both they and their senior leaders should,  at minimum on a yearly basis, be out amongst their people, working along with them and create venues where they can obtain regular input in a non-threatening scenario from the floor-sweeper on up. This doesn't mean a town-hall meeting, which can be quite intimidating for many folk who are not keen on speaking in public. It means going onto their turf, whether a warehouse, a call centre, a restaurant and speaking to them in a small intimate gathering. You'd be surprised by what you hear.

I've made a point in my corporate iterations, as well as in some consulting gigs, to work side-by-side, picking orders, riding on trucks, unloading heavy boxes, cutting a purchase order and so on. I didn't have to go undercover for people to talk to me openly about the opportunities and challenges, and it ensured that the staff would feel comfortable with approaching me in the future. The Undercover Boss show suggests that team members will not tell the truth to a senior executive unless the latter's identity is hidden. That speaks more to the lack of connection the leader has to the organization as a whole vs. the staffs' openness.

I also had regular "coffee" meetings with all levels of my staff. I will admit this was tough sometimes to schedule and more than once I had to cancel my attendance, but often my direct reports would take these meetings in my stead. That way, the staff became comfortable with all levels of leadership. I will however say that the areas for improvement and suggestions that came forward were amazing. And not only did we act on many of them, we involved the entire team in the implementation and recognized them. 

Take a few moments and ask yourself "how much do I really know about the inner workings of the team/organization that I lead?"; "how much does my leadership team know?" If the answer is not that much, then it is time not to be the Undercover Boss, but be a leader and go roll up your sleeves and get your hands "dirty." You'll not only glean information that will keep you from making ivory tower decisions that are unrealistic, but you will gain lots of respect from your staff. You've made them feel that their job and opinion is important. 

And your business will soar!

IT'S ABOUT MORE THAN SALES

Organizations are always quick to put sales on a pedestal. Sales is the lifeblood of the organization they will shout from the rooftops. Much effort and money is put towards annual sales conference, sales training, "President's Club" trips, etc. etc. etc.

A stellar sales force is extremely important to a company, because obviously without revenue generation there would be no business. But focusing most efforts on sales is like saying you only need a frontal lobe in the brain, there is no need for the rest of the organ to think and make the body function.

So what about Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, HR, Marketing, IT. Research etc.? Could sales actually put together proposals, sell to the client and deliver excellent service to that same client without these so-called support organizations? Of course not. Yet because these are what are typically referred to as "back-room" functions (or even worse - cost centers) they are taken for granted.

Some organizations get it and celebrate the contributions of stellar individuals or teams outside of sales. But most do not. They will slash other budgets while putting more into sales, not recognizing that the other aspects of the organization are in fact the "client retention" part of the business.

I will address Supply Chain and Procurement specifically here because that is what I have the most experience with, but that is not to diminish the rest of the "support" functions...they are equally important.

When dealing with  product distribution, Supply Chain defines the client experience. From having the inventory available, to delivering the right product, to the right place, at the promised time, in one piece. If you think about whether you would want continue to deal with an organization that never had the product you wanted available, and never delivered to promise, well, you would take your business elsewhere, pretty quickly. 

Supply Chain and Procurement often work hand-in-hand with the sales force in structuring deals, whether in services or product sales. They may even be asked to go on client visits to give some credibility to the "team" approach of their company. I have also seen deals sold, where it was almost impossible to deliver to the promises made within the profitability matrix provided. That's when all the non-sales functions role up their sleeves and become creative on how to make this work. But at the end of the day it will be the sales rep who will get the shiny statue and maybe a trip to boot.

I could give more examples, but I think you have the basic idea. I am not dissing sales, far from it. I actually like sales people. They have a tough job, I mean they have to truly go through a labyrinth, with unknown obstacles hiding away, before they make a sale. So I think it is appropriate to recognize them and train them to do better.

Yet don't forget the rest of the folk back at the shop. They don't expect much, they are used to being overlooked. But if you really want a high-functioning organization, make a point of recognizing all the contributors to the achievements of the organization, and promoting that success is the net result of everyone in the team -- not just sales.

WHAT'S IN A WORD?

The estimates of how many actual words there are in the english language vary greatly, but let's say there are anywhere from 250K to 750K words available to us at any given moment. On average, in speech, we use between 6000 to 10000 words every day, the lower side of that range being gender specific, men use less words than women do, but of course, women have been accused of talking more than men :)

So have you ever thought about how many of these thousands of words you use daily are actually delivering the message you want them to convey? The inadvertent use of a word, a phrase or a sentence could either commit you to something you didn't expect or result in the fragmenting of a relationship -- either personally or in business. Words can be used as weapons or as entreaties. 

Words are powerful!

When you are about to present a "pitch"  or negotiate with a potential client, how carefully do you choose your words? Perhaps you ensure that all the words with which you wish to convey your message are written down, but when presenting and negotiating most of the communication is verbal. 

So let me just provide a few examples of words which you may want to avoid when trying to put forward a confident, competent option to your potential client.

• Never lead with a negative . Ok, so I did here, but I chose it specifically for effect. When you say "no, never, not, can't...." people tend to shut down. They hear very little after the negative, because, well, why should they? You've just indicated that things are a "no-go". This is when people start either challenging the comment or just shut-down and  checking their watches.

• "We hope that..." Well, there is a big difference between hoping and knowing. If you are presenting to a client or negotiating, these are words which signal lack of confidence. Because hope is not a strategy and I prefer to deal with people saying "We're sure that...." Whether I am or not, at least you've conveyed you're convinced you did your job!

• "This should..." Will it or won't it? Should is from my perspective one of the most wishy-washy words on the planet. But think of how many times a day you probably use this word. For me it is a signal that there is something I need to probe deeper on, because "should" is a big red flag for me.

• There are words that make people lean in and take notice and surprise, surprise, these are powerful, positive words such as success, goals, will, sure, can, together well you get the idea. 

Maya Angelou said "At the end of the day, people won't remember what you said or did, but they will remember how you made them feel."

Your words, can either make someone feel positive and pumped and thus people who have heard you will feel good. And we all prefer to be around people and companies who are capable of this!

So when you are using your 6000 to 10000 words today, stop for a moment and consider what it is you are actually saying -- the result might surprise you!

DID I REALLY SAY THAT? THE LANGUAGE OF COMMUNICATION

At one point in time in my career, I taught  public speaking, presentation and negotiating skills. And even though there seems to be a resurgence of interest in what we say, without knowing, it is still, unfortunately, a little developed skill set.

When negotiating a deal, you know that you are engaged in a poker game of sorts with often very high stakes. So if you are good at it (either from the buy or sell side) you should be constantly looking for the "tells" which can be in words, body language or eye contact, as well as utilizing aspects of the same in an effort to provide the message to the "opposing" side that you wish to convey.

I usually like to start a negotiation with being very friendly, talking about inconsequential things to the folk from the "opposing" side. This provides me with a three-fold opportunity. It allows me to create an environment where the other side might believe "Oh, this looks good. This might not be a tough negotiation." It allows me to baseline the body language and words people will use when not negotiating and thus I can determine as the negotiation goes forward, how these aspects of behaviour change under stress. Thirdly, what I have found is that when creating this initial friendly, warm space, people will often tell you things that they really shouldn't have exposed. And I make sure that my body language mirrors my friendly words.

For example, in a negotiation a supplier was trying to assess a $750K payment on my firm for product that was destroyed at our behest. We knew we owed some monies, but couldn't remotely find justification for this amount.  During this pre-negotiation the supplier let drop that they had been going through a massive system change and it had caused lots of issues throughout their company including record-keeping and accounts receivable. I kept this in my back pocket and during the negotiation when they pulled out their sheets of numbers etc. which conflicted radically with ours, I just said "you know, you were just telling us how difficult the transition to this ERP system was and how you had to have lots of verification and validation through this timeframe, so considering you went through all of this and that you've indicated there are still issues, can you tell me why I should trust your numbers over ours?" They were flummoxed and we finally settled at $250K. Not bad for a two hour negotiation!

What about body language? Again best to set a baseline before interpreting too much into body language but there are some standard "tells." Unless the room is very cold, people with arms crossed are assuming a defensive position. I watch during a negotiation how the body language changes. Are the arms open, until I ask a question and then the arms cross and the body leans back? Then I know I hit a nerve and you can be sure that I will probe further on that point. If they are open and leaning forward then this is usually an area that we are in agreement on, or they may be willing "to give" on. But be careful to see if your "opposing side" is mirroring your behaviour. As a seasoned negotiator, I will mirror behaviour to make the other side believe that I'm "in tune"with them. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not, but always be on your guard.

What are the other members of your entourage doing while you're speaking/negotiating? I don't only pay attention to the person that is in front of me. I look to see how other members of the team are reacting to what is being said. If all of a sudden I see a team member put their hands up to their face and maybe even put their finger on their lips in a "shushing" position, I know that something is being said that is not quite truthful, or the "speaker" has given away something that he/she shouldn't. There are other things I look for as well, but just ensure that the entire team has been briefed on how to behave and not to give anything away.

When looking at communication and what we are truly "saying", it is not just the words or the body, or the eyes. The language of communication is a 360 degree one. So be aware of every aspect! If you are not sure how you are coming across, role play and video. You'll be surprised at what you see.

(note: I'm going to write about a few other types of communication throughout this week. Stay tuned!)

BE INSPIRED ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Today is International Women's Day. Some may know this, some may not. And although there will be a lot of discussion today on what women have achieved, there may be some that will focus on what hasn't happened.

However, as I always want women to be inspired and think of the possibilities vs. the obstacles, in honour of International Women's Day, my co-author and I are providing you with an opportunity to download an ePDF version of our book 1 Piece of Advice: Exceptional women from around the globe inspire you to unlock your potential.

Enjoy, and please pass on the link to everyone who you may know who may want to be inspired!

Go to www.1pieceofadvice.com to the right hand side of the page and click on Download!

UNETHICAL BY PROXY

If you build that foundation, both the moral and the ethical foundation, as well as the business foundation, and the experience foundation, then the building won't crumble...Henry Kravis

There is unrelenting, increasing pressure on corporations to cut costs. The problem with trying to meet metrics, which are sometimes unrealistic, it  causes the people within that corporation to cut corners, to turn a blind eye, just to ensure that their boss showers them with accolades and possibly a salary increase.

But what happens when you accept a price reduction but it is because the supplier is doing something not quite on the up-and-up? You may suspect this, you may know it, or perhaps not. Regardless, you have now become unethical by proxy and the potential damage to your reputation and that of your corporation are at risk.

When reviewing the response to an RFP, most evaluators will have lots of questions when there is an obvious low-ball offer. But we often don't question when there is only a few percent point differential and as such happily go ahead and award the business. Then we can joyfully put our savings into the spreadsheet, believing that we have done a good days work. 

Yet this is not where your due diligence should end. There are some industries where there are very low margins (particularly when the client is a large corporation), things like couriers, distribution, contract labour etc., where even a few percent difference from the "pack" should give pause. 

Is there something that this lower provider does not include in their pricing that will cost you more in the long run? Or are they doing something behind the scenes that may not be illegal, but falls squarely in the unethical arena? 

In procurement, it is our role to ensure ethical behaviour by all, our internal clients and our suppliers. We cannot end up saying "well, it was them, not us." This doesn't fly and the accolades you got today, could quickly turn into jeers tomorrow. And worse yet if you've been advised that there is some funny business going on, or that you suspect it. 

By proxy you are as culpable as the culprit -- you are an enabler or as they say in criminal court you are an accessory. 

So be careful about just being metric and not ethics oriented, because otherwise your carefully constructed pyramid of savings will crumble in an instant, along with your reputation.

LEAD LIKE LINCOLN

Let's forget about Maroon 5's "Move Like Jagger"...let's embrace "Lead like Lincoln!"

On Saturday, wishing to see a few more movies that were up for Academy Awards, I went to see the movie Lincoln -- a truly phenomenal film. I certainly learned a lot about Lincoln, whom I did not know that much about except his Gettysburg address and his enduring legacy with 13th constitutional amendment.

When I was watching this movie I was struck by the leadership qualities which Lincoln demonstrated. It was no wonder he was a much loved President and consistently ranks in the top 3 of all American Presidents. Even if some poetic license was taken by the scriptwriters, there is a lot to be gleaned on what makes not just a good, but great leader from this depiction of Lincoln.

A clear and consistent vision

Lincoln knew what was necessary for the country and he felt he knew the best way to achieve this vision. He succinctly articulated why the abolish of slavery would be good for the countr,for all the people of America and for all of humanity. He pushed forward regardless of potential defeat and danger to his personal well-being, as well as the unrelenting pressure to abandon his vision for an "easier way out".
Lincoln didn't veer from his conviction. He was consistent. No one, whether his colleagues or the country, were ever in any doubt as to what Lincoln stood for.

A strong, opinionated team

Lincoln's cabinet were not a bunch of yes-men. They argued with him long and hard and loudly against moving forward with the 13th amendment proposition. Other options were provided, the downsides were clearly articulated, all whilst Lincoln sat there and quietly listened. But at the end of the cathartic release from his cabinet, he slapped his hand loudly on the table and then clearly and with passion espoused why this had to be done "Now".  His speech to his team indicated that he had heard them, but  it was necessary to move forward, not for today, but for tomorrow.  His cabinet seemed inspired by his passion and worked toward ensuring that their leader's vision was realized.

Delegated, but got involved when things were going off the rails.

Lincoln's team were still several votes short of obtaining a two-thirds majority to pass the 13th amendment. His advisors identified a few key influencers who they didn't believe could be convinced to vote yes, but if they did, then there was a good chance the amendment would pass. Lincoln went and visited each of these congressmen individually. Which brings me to his next leader's quality.

Don't tell -- convince

Lincoln's approach was not one of "telling" the potential "make or break" congressmen what they should do. His was an approach of indicating he understood their point of view, but hopefully they will consider his and then he laid out the "whys". It was the combination of his personal visit and his sincere empathy that made these individuals change their vote.

Sincerity and the common touch

Lincoln was not an ivory tower leader. He was accessible. He told stories to make a point, but  the stories also made him more human to those around him He sincerely liked the people who worked with him, he liked the "common man"  and that was evident throughout the film. He thanked people and he emphasized his understanding and empathy with a touch. Whether it was a slight touch on a shoulder or a double-handed handshake, he connected on a human level.

Lincoln was not a perfect human being. He had his struggles,  but when you look at his leadership qualities they are something to which we all should aspire . If you think about him sticking to his vision, and ensuring that his team and those around him not only understood how this was the right path for humanity, by connecting, he made others embrace the possibilities and the "rightness" of his vision.

If you think of what Lincoln achieved it reminds of this quote:

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

This is a quote from Martin Luther King Jr., who may never have had an opportunity to inspire the world had it not been for the Lincoln, a truly alchemist leader.

THE UPSIDE OF DOWNSIDES

Have you every had a pineapple upside down cake? I am sure that if you have, you would agree with me that it is quite yummy! But do you really think that this cake was intentionally made to be turned around? It was probably someone's mistake, where the topside of the cake turned out less than desirable and then just turned it around and made it work. 

As the old saying goes "stuff happens" (well the old saying uses a different word, but I'll just not go there today :) and some people panic and just see the negatives in everything. And then they try to drag everyone and everything down into that rabbit hole with them.

Because of my generally optimistic nature people assume that I've just never had anything which would be defined as "bad" happen to me. That I can only be smiling because my life has been filled with puppy dogs and rainbows. Those who know me well, know that this is hardly the case, but you know, I can generally find the proverbial silver lining or at least the humour or irony in pretty much every situation.

Do I ever have a pity party? Oh, every once in a while, I might allow myself 5 minutes with a "woe is me" approach, but it truly does just last for 5 minutes (or less) and then I get on with it. I can't change what's happened, I can only a) learn from it and b) consider the opportunities that have now presented themselves.

As an example, I have counselled many people who have lost their job, divorced, etc. When they are in the throes of the grieving process, it is difficult for them to hear me say "This is the best thing that's ever happened to you! You are being given an opportunity to go on to new vistas." Some look at me, wondering what illicit substances I might be imbibing, but experience has told me that this type of unexpected event is the proverbial "blessing in disguise."

But they can only be that if you allow them to be. If you become negative and "grumpy" and look up into the heavens and say "why me" and can't rise yourself above the fray, you will get stuck there. And the more you are like this, the less positive things will come your way and you have created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because regardless of scientific evidence, opposites truly don't attract -- negative begets negative and positive begets positive.

So remember the upside down cake. Even when your life has been turned topsy turvy, you have a new perspective from where you can consider your options. And most likely they will be "yummy!"

DOES A MOMENT CHANGE A LIFE?

I watched a movie this weekend called "Run, Lola, Run". The same scene is repeated three times, with minor changes, such as Lola tripping, and this seemingly inconsequential action,  totally alters the outcome for her,  as well of those individuals that she encounters along the way. It has some similarities with the movie Sliding Doors, where a woman's entire life outcome is changed because of either catching a train or missing it.

There is a lot of talk about coincidence and the randomness of life. Everyday, we are dealt with many opportunities in which one could potentially change one's own life and as well as that of others. And you may not even know that you do. Mitch Albom's novel The Five People you Meet in Heaven tackles this interesting subject.

Think about how many people you could impact on a daily basis. When you drive, it is your care, concern and aptitude that makes sure those driving beside you get home unscathed. When you hold an elevator for someone, have you ensured that this person is on time for work, an interview, or their day is just better because you were courteous.

Let me give you a couple of examples.

A few weeks ago, I was in a hurry, going to a meeting, rushing down the subway stairs, hoping to catch the train that was just pulling in. As I hurried along, there was an elderly lady who was trying to maneuver with her heavy rollator down the stairs. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I looked back up and thought "this is just a disaster waiting to happen." So I pushed against the flow of humanity that was rushing down the stairs, past this woman and I got up to her and asked if I could help. She asked if I could take her walker to the bottom of the stairs, and wait for her. I got to the bottom of the stairs with the rollator (note, I was wearing high heels and carrying a briefcase) and then went back up to hold her hand as she slowly walked down the stairs. She started saying that she was afraid she was going to pass out, that she hadn't eaten much for a couple of days, because it was toward the end of the month and she had mostly run out of her pension money. I got her to the base of the stairs, and I don't know if it was a scam or not, but I took twenty dollars out of my wallet, gave it to her, touched her shoulder, wished her well and moved down the subway platform. Needless to say, I had long missed my train, but I hope I made a difference in her life. 

Yet let me point out, that no one else stopped to help her, nor did any of the men or younger people stop and help me carry her walker down the steps. They were too focused on their own lives and issues. I missed my train and was put out by a few minutes, but it was worth it. 

How often do we see people walking through office buildings or on the buses and subways, where we admire something that they are wearing, but we don't say anything? Those of you who know me, know I love purses (and shoes) and I saw this unsmiling woman on the subway, who had a really magnificent purse and so when I got up at my stop, I went over to her and said "I really like your purse!" She looked startled (perhaps she thought at first that I was going to steal it), but soon smiled and said thank you. I got off at my stop, but I hoped that I made her day just a little brighter.

Now please know that I'm not going around everyday, talking and helping strangers, I cannot profess to being so noble or such an altruist. But I am doing it more these days, because I find that we are becoming too depersonalized and that bothers me. 

All I'm asking of all of you, is to just consider that you have so many possible moments that are presented everyday where you could change a life. Will you try to do that today?

NEW SPEAK - OMG!

I feel like a luddite! Here I was thinking I was so hip, texting, not using too many short forms, but some. I thought I had gotten past my mistaking "lol" several years back and wondering why a colleague would be saying "lots of love." Let me tell you it made me uncomfortable for a while! (hopefully all of you reading this know if means "laughing out loud")

So today I am messaging with my son and as some of you many note on this blog I use "..." often instead of a comma, period or hyphen, or it represents a continuation or some such. Yet today my son messages me "What's with the ellipses?" 

Huh? "What ellipses" I respond? Then his messages back "..." So I ask, for me these are just periods, what do ellipses mean in your youthful part of the world? His response "It is a literary convention meaning uncertainty or dishonesty." He quickly added "not that I'm saying your dishonest."

OMG. So now, I don't only have to try to decipher all the text talk around me (my texting still comprises mostly full sentences with the odd "u" or "r" put in to show that I can text, but mostly grammatically correct sentences with caps and periods) but I have to worry about literary conventions. 

What is this ellipse thing anyway? Since when did a period, graduate to being an ellipse? It must have done some really amazing sucking up to the grammatical gods to get this promotion.

So, please when you see me using "..." don't think I'm being uncertain or dishonest. Just consider me ill-informed in the new world order! g2g, LoL!

WHY DO WE NEED A DAY?

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, a commercially successful made up day, where all are supposed to recognize and remind loved one's that they are in fact loved. But why do we need a made-up holiday where people feel compelled to buy overpriced flowers, chocolates or other trinkets just to say I care.

Whether in a relationship or not, I've never liked Valentine's Day. And I know many of my friends and acquaintances feel the same way. There is too much pressure and expectation put on partners (particularly men) to outdo themselves in professing their caring. But true caring should be shown regularly, not because of a day that is somewhat made up. (and before you think I don't know the legend of St. Valentine, being imprisoned for performing weddings and then writing to his beloved prior to his execution...yup, I know the legend)

It got me to thinking though,  why are we always waiting for something to nudge us to tell someone else that they are appreciated. Why do we have to have an Administrative Assistant day? Shouldn't you be telling your admin regularly how much her/his effort is appreciated. I know I did, regularly, bought stuff, lunches etc., but I also got my admin something for the "day" because otherwise the other admins would have said "oh you poor dear!"

Similarly, why do many leaders wait until performance review time, to tell someone that they are doing a great/good job or conversely not that good? Shouldn't feedback be continuous and ongoing?

I guess because I've always been the person who gives continuous feedback, bought small gifts or showed I care in other ways,  I'm jaded because I don't see the need for a day.

So if yesterday, you celebrated Valentine's Day by buying things, going out whatever, good for you, but just remember not to leave it for another year. Show you care every day!

THE PERSONAL TOUCH

In this world of there being an "app" for everything, when it comes to business there is no substitute for the personal touch. When you remove the personal touch, then your business becomes a commodity, which means you have made it easier for your customer to switch to another provider.

We seem to have lost sight of the fact that humans still need to "touch and feel" (figuratively not literally) the people that they will do business with. That's right, the people. Because we still do business with people not corporations. I know in the past when a sales rep whom I knew provided stellar service, was trustworthy and I knew the product I was getting was at a good price (you don't always have to RFP, you can do a market review), I began considering other companies, because that bond had been broken.

Some companies believe because they have a unique product/service, they don't need to worry as much about the personal touch. The problem with that philosophy is that other companies will likely catch up, eventually, and if you haven't treated your client well, then guess what? You will be sitting on the street corner lamenting as to why you didn't see this coming.

The world is "flat" and as such a lot of communication must be done by phone or Skype or text...name your poison. But even in those instances you can develop a long and lasting relationship which can withstand competitive pressures. An example of this is that I have had the same insurance broker for over 25 years. I've never met him, but when we chat it is like good friends catching up. The reason I stay even though there may be other insurance "deals" out there? Because when I've had claims, he has been there as my advocate, I know he knows the market and what I need. I trust him. It is theis personal bond we've created over the years that ensures I remain a loyal client (and a referring client...I've sent a fair amount of friends his way).

So don't forget the personal touch. It will bode well for increasing your business and it should make your work a lot more pleasant!

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN!

When I went to the grocery store yesterday, an excited cashier at the checkout told me about the rewards program that Foodland had put in place for the next few weeks. For every $10 purchase you get a stamp to put into a booklet and if you fill the booklet (which means you have to spend at minimum $500) you get a "free" knife!

To which I said "So this is like the green stamps from days of yore!" She looked at me for a moment (she was in her early 20s) with a confused look. "I guess you don't remember green stamps." She nodded in affirmation.

There must be a new generation out there, that is stealthily going into the history books and hoping that there is no one alive who remembers when these things were rolled out in the past. But really? In this electronic era, you are giving me a booklet (not really environmentally friendly) and you are expecting me to take all these little stamps, place them in the booklet, and bring them back for a knife I don't need? At least with green stamps you could save them and buy something substantial. 

So these stamps are not a new idea, out of step with this era and from a loyalty perspective, not really a compelling value proposition.

It got me to thinking about how many old ideas are being recycled. It goes from fashion (platform shoes and yes ladies, shoulder pads are back), to TV shows (Hawaii Five-0 really?) to movies (another Star-Trek is in the works). The list goes on.

What I find utterly amazing though is that some of the younger generation (OK, now I'm sounding like an old person...let's just call me wise, not old) seem to believe that these ideas were an epiphany from someone inventive soul in their ranks vs. the reality that we were there first.

We were recycling well before it became trendy today. In fact, everything had a substantial deposit on it, so you were compelled to return it. Milk bottles for example. When I was very, very young, we still had milk delivery and you put the old glass milk bottles out, to get new ones in return. When the milkman faded out, the plastic gallon milk jugs had a 40 cent deposit...a veritable fortune at the time. There was no energy used to destroy these bottles and make them into something else. They were sterilized and sent back out...seems to be this from an energy consumption point of view, as well as reuse..a lot more environmentally friendly.

And paper bags? I was amazed when I was talking to someone younger who is in the sustainability field and this person didn't know that paper grocery bags used to be the standard, not the exception. And that we survived quite well back then without plastic bags. And now as paper bags are being re-introduced, there seems to be a "hey, look at us and how environmentally friendly we are." Ok, I'll give them that the bags at that time were not from recycled paper and that's better than cutting down a whole bunch of trees, but they didn't invent using paper bags, we did (this is the royal "we"). I didn't see a plastic bag being used until I went with my parents to Europe in the 70s and it was "wow, look at these!"

Organic food? We didn't have anything but organic food. There was no genetic modification or antibiotics put into our meat. Fruits and vegetables.?Well, I remember Mr. Galletti coming by every Saturday with his truck full of fresh vegetables. He parked on our street for about a half hour, selling to everyone in the neighborhood, and then moved on to the next street. Fresh, "organic" and delivered right to your street, meaning you didn't really need any bags at all to carry them home.

It's not a bad thing that some of these things are being re-introduced. But let's give the previous generations a little credit for what was in place in the past.

Hmmm, I feel like after writing this I should amble over to a rocking chair, pull up an Afghan (that's a quilt like thing, not a dog, nor a person from the Afghanistan) and reminisce about the "good old days!"