Wishing You The Best of the Season & A Prosperous New Year!
My wish for you this season is that you get to spend as much time as you can with those you choose to, and as little as needed with those you don’t. Remember ‘deep breaths’ can spare ‘deep frustrations’, and to laugh as much as a wise old elf, and you’ll be well rested for the new year.
Love Democracy… but it is flawed.
So, leaders in Greece have decided against its controversial plan to hold a referendum on the Europe Zone bailout plan. When announcing the vote earlier this week, the government originally stated that “it was the democratic” thing to do. AGREED! BUT, democracy (although great) is flawed!
The bailout by the Eurozone is predicated on keeping the entire economic union together. If this scenario were to be truly democratic, then all members of Europe should have the option to vote on the plan, not just Greece, as it potentially affects all of Europe. Take this logic a step further, and much of the world should get a vote on this bailout, as our entire economic system is at stake. Why should only one group have the option to vote? And, at that, the ones at the centre of this challenge? Greece has its challenges, and kicking them while they are down, world economic challenges did not help.
When decisions are tough, democracy is not always the way to go. Starting with VALUES will help us make the hard decisions. Those values are agreed to at the beginning, and Greece joining the European Union agreed to a set of values. Those members are stepping up to their side of the deal by driving those values. Now is not the time to step away from them just because it is hard. Real leadership means making the hard decisions when times are tough. You CAN’T use democracy as a scape goat. Drive from VALUES, you will only fail if your values are not good ones.
Know your Customer… always!
Bank of America decided today (Nov 1, 2011) according to news reports, to reverse a decision to charge a $5 monthly fee on debit cards. Last week they softened their approach, but said they were still going to go ahead with the measure.
Time and again, we find ourselves in the same place of losing customers by not talking to them ahead of time and making decisions that impact our business negatively. No doubt there were plenty of customers that spoke with their feet and moved to competitors, like credit unions, that the Bank of America will never get back. It is possible that their income lost would never have been recovered by this $5 fee.
A Step in the Right Direction
Last week, Dr. Oz, on his TV show, presented this new product called the Quantum Scale which retails for $59 plus $10 shipping… not bad for a bathroom scale. What it does I think is simple, yet exceptionally revolutionary for those that need a bit of motivation to moving in the right direction. One of the greatest challenges to STARTING a weight loss program (believe me I know) is to get on that scale the first time and face the fact that you are FAT! You can look in the mirror and realize it, but the scale tells the real tale since it can’t lie to you and you know it won’t be anything like what you weighed in high school.
The Quantum Scale fixes that. You step on it to register your weight the first time and set the scale to zero, but it never tells you your actual weight! It ONLY tells you whether you have moved UP, or DOWN each time you step on it. Much research shows that you are far more motivated if you know you are moving in the right direction and can track that, NOT knowing is NOT motivating, and you may stop a short-term behaviour that could be benefiting you.
Now, none of us have an excuse to avoid the scale and know where we stand. (Please note: this is not a product endorsement, nor do I have a Quantum Scale myself… yet.)
iPhone App: Red Laser QR Reader
I am shocked that most people are still not using QR readers on their iPhone, Android, or Blackberry. They are the coolest way to instantly launch you to websites or specific pages within sites and even download information. I’m seeing them everywhere I go, and use them on most things I print.It turns out ignorance is bliss… about yourself.
An interesting article in PsyBlog discusses some research by Sweeney et al (2010) about why we avoid truth about ourselves.
http://www.spring.org.uk/2011/07/why-people-avoid-the-truth-about-themselves.php
According the research, the three reasons we avoid information about ourselves are:
1. It may demand a change in beliefs. Loads of evidence suggests people tend to seek information that confirms their beliefs rather than disproves them.
2. It may require us to take undesired actions. Telling the doctor about those weird symptoms means you might have to undergo painful testing. Sometimes it seems like it’s better not to know.
3. It may cause unpleasant emotions.
The item in the list above is one of the most compelling when it comes to making change, dealing with change, and why we avoid it.
To read more about this check out the blog at the link above.
Know Your Customer
About 7 years ago I decided to start changing my own car tires between winter and summer. I’m certainly no Sunday mechanic, but figured since I’ve been involved with teaching thousands of people to change tires, and I’ve now seen about 20,000 tires changed, it was a no brainer. This spring, while changing my tires from winter to summer, I accidentally cross threaded one of my summer wheel nuts, rendering it useless (more of a brainer than I thought). Fortunately, a winter nut substituted until I could make it to the dealer to get a replacement on my next oil change. I’ve had my car for 8 years now, and try to take good care of it. It sees the dealer regularly to keep it up with any needed maintenance, but sadly, my current dealer will see me no more and they have no idea why.
I’m not the type to complain on bad service, my feeling is in a competitive marketplace, there is always someone else that can provide me service unless I have a good relationship with plenty of equity that is worth preserving. If something strikes me as odd, rarely are second chances given, and I’ve had many in the area of car service and this one is the latest.
Last week, while getting my oil changed, I requested a new nut to replace my old one. The service manager knew me as he recognized my license place “PITCREW1″. We chatted about my program last time I was in the dealership getting work done. I thought, great to be recognized as a returning customer. He is pleasant and quite helpful to say the least, I can’t fault the service at all except for one odd thing. $4.65 for the new nut… $10 to put it on! At no time when I requested the new nut, did he inform me that it would cost $10 to put it on. This might be an assumption he can make for most customers that they may not be able to or willing to put it on, but I’m “PITCREW1″. He knows I can change a nut. Did he suggest to me that he can give me one to put on and save the $10? No. Just did it… $10 please. Did I expect a fee, certainly… that much, maybe, but I did not get the chance to make the decision before hand.
Upon completion of the work he and let me know then that the $10 was there as a fee. I wonder what goes through his mind when he informs a customer after the fact of an unexpected fee and realizes they could have done it themselves? I’m not arguing the fee, nor could I after the fact. It did takes someones time and expertise to put it on, but my point is simply this. KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER. Could he have given me an option and let me decide?
I thought he did know me, and enough about me to know that I could have done it myself, or that he would just do it as a courtesy. To nickel and dime your customers will only ever give you that… nickels and dimes. You will eventually lose them on the bigger stuff, like the future of my business. I hope they enjoy the $10, it’s the last they will get from me.
When a Customer is NOT a Customer!
Not every person who gives you money is a customer…
An INVESTMENT is not an act of a customer. There is risk with investments.
Today I ran into someone I have not seen in a while, but have known for over 25 years. He has vast experience in his industry, which is untouchable, and knows what he is talking about with great authority from someone who has, ‘done it’. Recently, he taught at a community college to share is vast experience and ran up against a challenge I’ve seen, have dealt with, and am greatly concerned about. – I’ll call it, “The Student As Customer Dilemma”.
One side of the dilemma states that: “Students today believe that since they are paying for a ‘service’, they should dictate the parameters of the ‘customer’ relationship, including: workload, curriculum, and EVEN grades. Schools have even bought into this notion! Evaluations of teachers/professors by students, both by the school and in social media, have turned the tables to favour the side of the student demands. If the student is paying for a service, they should get what they want.”
The other side of the dilemma states that: “The student is the product and the ultimate customer is the community or company that will eventually hire that student. Students are a rough piece of material that needs to be tooled the fit the mould needed and often demanded by industry. At the end of the day, it is the community which is the customer, not the student, they are the product.”
Let me weigh in with my thoughts.
Remember… education is an INVESTMENT!
Is the student getting a service? NO DOUBT… ABSOLUTELY! There are some things that the student should demand that they get the best for their hard earned investment. In my books these are: knowledgeable and engaging instructors; leading-edge applicable curriculum; and a track record of successful job placement for graduates. Like an investor, they are a stakeholder, but NOT the customer.
The scales tip here for me in Job Placement. Is this not really what the student is buying or investing in? What students are NOT buying, or should EVER BUY are grades, instead, they are buying practical skills that employers need and demand. This is an INVESTMENT!
I’m hearing time and again, and seeing students demand from teachers/professors that they are the CUSTOMER! NO…. NEVER! This is an INVESTMENT of which the student can decide to withdraw from if they don’t like the return, but it needs to be understood for what it is.
What is becoming a more harsh reality is that some students have begun to demand good grades from their instructors/professors with the ultimatum of poor rankings on the teacher evaluations. We are seeing the scales tip in favour of the student as customer. This is the proverbial tail wagging the dog, and what has also begun to happen is, teachers then give the grades so they can keep their jobs leading to grade inflation. At the end of the day, students are not held accountable to what they need to learn, and are being graduated without the proper skills required by industry. Soon an “A+” will be meaningless and Job Placement becomes the issue as companies stop hiring from that school and the whole system falls apart. Schools can only survive in the short-term in this endeavour, and it will eventually come back to hurt them and ultimately the student.
My friend is not teaching because he held his ethics in grading to a high standard, however his students felt different in their ethics and grading him low. The school felt the ‘customer’ was right. Is it possible there were other circumstances leading to the end of his short teaching career? Perhaps. But I’ve seen this before, and I’m very concerned about the state of higher education if this is reality and continues.
Under Promise and Over Deliver?
I’ve always had a bit of problem with this statement, “under promise and over deliver,” and often get annoyed when I hear this statement used to justify poor performance.
Are you old enough to remember the game show, “Name That Tune?”
“I can name that tune in 5 notes…”, followed by the next contestant that bids, “I can name that tune in 4 notes… “
The lowest bidder wins the opportunity to try and name that tune.
When we under promise, we are over-bidding our competition, and there is always someone else that can come along make the bid look more attractive. They will then get the opportunity.
I’m not suggesting that when something is out of your control that you should not give yourself some room, but when it is under your control 100% then you should promise exactly what you can deliver and deliver it every time. Your customers willingness to do business is dependent upon what you promise and then deliver. Consistent delivery over a period of time will buy you some equity in case things don’t always go as planned, however, being transparent is crucial in maintaining this trust.
Be careful if you under promise, someone can always do better… And will!
Energy Level Critical to Success
I’m very fortunate to work with some of the best in the world in organizational development. Last week, while sitting in on a session with Dr. Robert Cross, from the University of Virginia who is the foremost expert on internal networks, he shared some interesting insights that relate to the relationships we create. An insightful question he asked was, “When you interact with a specific person, are you energized more or less afterward?” Those that give you energy are the ones you are more likely to engage with and network with in the future. Are you an energy giver or taker?
Energy, according to Cross, is 4 times the predictor of high performance than just an open network. Energizers win out in the internal market and with customers.
Spend some time thinking about those you like interacting with, and those that challenge you, then reflect upon the energy they give out. Now, ask yourself the tough question, “Do you energize others, or suck it out of them?” A key is to understand that whether you give or drain energy can vary from person to person that you interact with. This can also change from environment to environment, team to team, and situation to situation. Those that consistently give out energy have more developed networks and find that people are more willing to help them.
Pit Crew Challenge Website
Walk on Wet Paint Website
