Do you recognize the value of internal customers? Karl Albrecht once said “If you’re not serving the customer, you’d better be serving someone who is!” Everyone in your organization must be conscious of who they are serving.
We don’t tend to think of our co-workers in the same way that we view outside customers. Every internal position in a well-run company has a unique and important role. Generally, these roles are developed to work in conjunction with others. Together, we get more done than if we worked in isolation.
For example, let’s consider a small distribution company. The front line employees consist of sales and customer support. These are the people with the greatest direct contact with the outside customer. Can they serve the customer needs without the help of others? Of course not.
First, they need others to be sure that the product requirements are being met. Someone must purchase the product in time for the customer needs, so that when the customer places an order it can be fulfilled. Someone must receive the products that are ordered and place them in the warehouse using a system that allows efficient shipment. And of course, someone must be responsible for shipping the products accurately and effectively to the customer.
In order for all this to happen, human resource staff must help get the right people hired. IT staff must help set up the user systems. Accounting staff must accurately bill the customers, and receive payment. While these people may never have contact with the end customer, their roles are critical in enabling front line workers to satisfy customer needs. All of these people ultimately serve the customer, even by serving a co-worker that serves the customer.
By treating our internal customers with the same respect and urgency that we give to our external customers, we build extraordinary teams designed to exceed the expectations of our customers. After all, isn’t that why we’re in business?
Coach Charrise
Does your business serve your life, or does your life serve your business? In my coaching practice, I find that many small business owners spend far too much time working in their business. They believe that they must spend as much time as possible working and nearly obsessing in the process. After all, we all know that we must make sacrifices in order to be successful!
In fact, if our business is to serve our life, we must be committed to living that life our business makes possible. Taking time away from your business is essential in creating success. After a while, we lose our perspective. We get tired, and begin to resent the time we perceive that it takes to build a successful business. Stepping away every day for a certain amount of time and doing something you love will actually have a positive impact on your business.
We all begin our business for different reasons. Perhaps you had a passion for the kind of business you’re building. Perhaps you chose a business for yourself because you wanted full control of your destiny. You may have started your business because you wanted the freedom to work when you wanted to work, and build it the way you want to build it. Whatever the reason, nobody chooses to become a business owner so that they can be trapped in their business.
What does that mean, trapped? If you spend more than 8 or 9 hours a day working in your business, you are heading for burnout. Even if you love what you do, you can’t possibly keep up that kind of pace indefinitely. One of the benefits of being the business owner is your ability to take time off when you want to. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen often because of the perceived demands of the business.
Today is Friday. Remember when you worked for a boss, and you were always ready to celebrate TGIF? Why not be a real boss, and knock off early today? Do something that feeds your spirit, or go home and take a nap. Remember that business is meant to serve your life, and allow yourself to live that life.
Coach Charrise
When I work with a company to help facilitate organizational change, it becomes clear to me at the outset that the source of the difficulties is usually somewhere at the top. Contrary to what a business owner or leader might think, any dysfunction that exists is at the very least perpetuated by the leaders response to that dysfunction.
As an example, I once worked with a company whose culture was based on silos. Each department had their own agenda, and each department head protected that agenda and the people they managed. There was no focus on the overall mission of the organization. The leaders of this company acknowledged that it was a problem, yet they continued to allow the behavior of their department managers to create a disconnect with other departments.
It’s one thing to acknowledge a problem. It’s quite another to take committed action to resolve it. Leaders who bury their head in the sand hoping the problem will go away are simply not showing leadership at all. The fact is that everyone is watching how the leader reacts to situations, and bases their attitude and behavior on what they see from the top.
It’s an enormous responsibility for leaders. Leaders are people who create culture by being who they are, whether this is an intentional action or not. If the leader operates with integrity, and encourages an open communication style among their teams, that leader develops ethical teams who embrace the truth. If the leader operates from scarcity, choosing not to communicate in a truthful and open manner, the team will align with that communication style.
The function of a leader is to create the desire for people to follow them. Just like children emulate parents, followers emulate leaders.
It all starts at the top. Leaders must take a stand not to allow their teams to act in an inappropriate way. Condoning poor performance sets a bad example. People lose confidence in leadership, and once that happens, a company is on their way out of business.
Coach Charrise
I’ve spent too much time lately on technology. It’s very easy to do. I determined that my technology wasn’t serving me the way it could be, so I made some changes.
First, my Blackberry was not bringing in email reliably. For a long time, I ignored it, because I was dreading spending time on the phone with my carrier’s technical “support”. I just knew that I couldn’t trust it to give me all my mail, and I put up with it for a long time (even though I was paying dearly for it.)
I finally got to the point where I was annoyed enough that I took the time to call technical “support”. I spent several hours on the phone with them by the time they took me to “Tier 3″, the area of support which was supposedly the most qualified. I played a little phone tag with this expert, and then got busy and let it go for a week or so. When I reached Tier 3 again, the gentleman told me it had been too long and he had closed my ticket. I would have to begin again by calling the regular line and taking the same steps.
I had a $300 phone and was paying over $100/month for service that I couldn’t count on. This was not acceptable to me. I then drove to a local carrier store, where they spent another two hours not fixing my phone. By this time, I had invested nearly a full day on this project.
Then, I went to another carrier store. They advised me to call my carrier and threaten to cancel my accounts. Apparently this is the only way to get someone’s attention. Sad, right? I did call them, and I did let them know of my dissatisfaction. They did indeed react by offering me a phone upgrade for a reduced price. I accepted their offer.
When I got the phone, I took it to the store to have them transfer the information from my old phone to my new one. It was there that I learned that the new phone would not interface with my Outlook contacts and email. The salesperson told me that I had been sold the wrong phone. After again threatening to cancel, this salesperson set me up with the right phone that would serve my business needs.
When I received the bill, I was billed $249 for the phone, not the agreed upon price. I spent two more hours on the phone, again threatening to cancel my account. During this transaction, I actually felt my blood pressure rise. How could a silly cell phone issue cause me that much stress?
I could go on, because the technology story does not end there. I won’t do so, because this is beginning to feel like whining. I don’t like to listen to whiners and I don’t like being one.
And there is a point to all this. What happened to the commitment to the customer? There are many cell phone companies from which to choose. As a customer, do I matter? The revenue they receive from me seems to matter. But what about me? Why is it that we put up with this poor level of service? It seems as though getting good service from a cell phone company is unheard of. Am I willing to settle for less because the alternative is not having a cell phone at all?
Having technology that works is important to my business. Receiving poor service does have a negative impact on my bottom line. Why does it feel like none of my choices are good ones?
If your company provides customer service, what kind of grade would you get? How committed are you to customer relationships? Does the quality of the customer experience matter to you?
The ultimate winners in business understand the importance of standing apart from competition, and it seems in the cell phone industry it wouldn’t take much to look good. Is anyone listening?
Coach Charrise
Over the past several years, I’ve worked with many different kinds of people. I’ve worked with ambitious people, and lazy people. I’ve worked with people who get things done, and I’ve worked with people who talk about getting things done. I’ve worked with people who see every possibility, and others who see every flaw.
The distinction that creates these differences between people is rooted in the way they think about things. Of course there are factors that help to create a positive or negative mindset. The truth is that some people rise above circumstance, and others wrap circumstance around them like a blanket, using it for an excuse not to achieve.
High achievers are world changers. They don’t make excuses. They get things done. They partner with people who can help them make big things happen. They lead without ego, doing good for the sake of doing good, rather than for the accolades they might receive. They perfect their game each and every day. They innately understand that they have a responsibility to contribute in a way that makes a difference.
Circumstances are always changing. Great leaders don’t allow conditions to define them. There is always a way around an obstacle, and true leaders are willing to be creative and do the work. They persevere while others lose hope. They operate with extreme discipline and focus.
“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstances.”-Bruce Barton
What circumstance are you allowing to stop you today?
Coach Charrise
Wasn’t I just talking about change? Well, as it happens, something big in my life changed this past weekend. My father-in-law passed away suddenly from an aortic aneurism. He was only 68 years old. This condition is rarely survived once it ruptures, though the doctors worked feverishly for several hours trying to do so.
While this experience was very painful for us all, there were moments of grace too. As we all gathered closely together to witness his last moments, the priest issued last rites. His heart stopped beating, and suddenly the weather changed from a relentless pouring rain to a beautiful ray of sunshine coming in through the hospital window. We took that as a good sign that Joe had been delivered into heaven.
For my husband’s mother, this means tremendous change. Since 1960, she woke up every day lying next to him. She will encounter reminders of his presence everywhere. Her long road of grief is just beginning. While she can’t truly believe this has happened, she is a strong woman and will persevere. This too, is a lesson in grace.
As we collaborated as a family on the words to be crafted into an obituary, I was struck by the idea that words cannot truly express the essence of a person’s life. We can make note of those pre-deceased, as well as survivors. We can talk about how his years were spent. The truth is, the legacy of a person is ingrained in the memories each of us hold through the experiences we shared together during life. It’s those memories that become the eulogy. It’s tough to put an entire life into a few paragraphs.
Joe was like a father to me. As I watched him die, all I could think of was the one year that he sent me a valentine’s card. This was very much out of character for him, as my mother-in-law usually handled those things. He was not a demonstrative man, but this was his way of showing me he loved me. It’s a memory I will treasure, another touch of grace.
He had many friends, and playing golf was his favorite thing to do. We’ll celebrate his life at the golf course clubhouse, with a big party. His ashes will be buried on the golf course next to the hole where he once shot a hole-in-one. In his memory, we will sponsor a junior golf scholarship. He would have loved all of that.
Through tragedy, we become closer. We get in touch with what really matters. We notice grace in unlikely places. And we survive.
Coach Charrise
You know how it is when you stretch muscles that you haven’t stretched in a while? It may hurt a little, but we feel good about taking the stretch just a little deeper. It seems like progress to lengthen the stretch just enough to really feel the burn of your muscle’s reaction. I imagine the muscle might say ‘Dang, why haven’t you kept me in shape, girl?”
Professional and personal development is much like this. We get comfortable staying in the zone we’re in, knowing that changing our mind about something might upset our apple cart. We’re doing okay in our job; after all it does pay the bills. We may not consider the opportunity cost of not stretching and growing our minds, and operating outside what is comfortable for us.
And there is an opportunity cost. Hunkering down and coasting really doesn’t serve anyone. What could you accomplish if you felt excitement and passion for your work? How much more productive could you be if you learned how to manage your tasks better? What if you changed your mind about the fear that freezes you from doing something big? What kind of stand could you take on an issue if you became better informed and involved?
Naturally, I’m a big believer in reaching for knowledge that helps us grow. I believe it’s important to spend at least 15 minutes every day developing your mind, and your mindset. I also believe that when we get comfortable with our work we have a perfect opportunity to question whether it’s work we love, and whether or not there is something else we could be doing to serve a greater purpose.
I’m also a big fan of change. Perhaps it’s my tendency to become bored very easily, but I love shaking things up every once in a while. I realize other people are not like me, and I’m really okay with that. However sometimes, people are stagnant simply because they can’t clearly see what is possible for them.
That is one reason that I love being their coach.
Coach Charrise
My fellow colleague, Lori Hamann has created a wonderful manifesting program called “The Butterfly Experiment”. This is a free, 30 day exercise laid out for you in one email each day, with the intention of practicing your manifestation abilities. In this manifestation exercise, we manifest butterflies!
After about the 3rd day of participating in this experiment, I began to see butterflies everywhere. Really, everywhere. Each time I see another butterfly, I grin unabashedly, knowing that it was no accident that this butterfly showed up in my life. Since butterflies are near and dear to my heart (see logo) this was a perfect way for me to discover my power to manifest what I want in my life.
Lori is a wonderful coach, and she is doing worthy work with this program. She announced today that she will be creating “The Butterfly Experiment Part 2″ soon. If you’re interested in checking it out, go here.
I was telling one of my clients about this experience, that I had manifested butterflies. At the time I told him my story, he was distracted and it didn’t really connect with him. Yesterday, one of the first things he brought up during our coaching call was that since I told him the story, he has noticed butterflies everywhere! Just think what he could do if he were really focusing on the manifesting exercises! He asked me to re-tell the story because he was now very distracted with butterflies, and he wanted to know more about how to translate this manifestation to something he really wanted in his life.
This illustrates how powerful our thoughts can be, and is a testament to our ability to create anything we want in our lives. There really are no excuses. The things we focus our attention upon will grow and flourish.
What can we focus on today that will make our lives happier, richer, and more rewarding?
Coach Charrise
I recently read a fascinating book, “The Art of Possibility” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander, which has helped me to understand how we place self imposed limits on what we believe is possible. It’s very liberating to live in a world of possibility, rather than a narrow, pragmatic existence rooted in limitations. At home and at work, living in possibility expands our opportunities for success and happiness.
Benjamin Zander is the conductor for the Boston Philharmonic. He works with musicians, teaching and motivating them to give spectacular performances each and every time. His wife, Roz, is a teacher and counselor. Together, they share their experiences in helping people reach higher places.
One of their beliefs is that grades given to students generally say little about the work that was done. Their philosophy is called “Giving an A”, and it applies not just to school environments. In the book, they illustrate how we make judgments about the potential of people in every aspect of our life, including judgments about ourselves, which ultimately limits performance. Their contention is that if we give everyone the benefit of the doubt that they are capable of great things, people will accomplish much more because we expected more.
In education, grades provide a way for teachers to compare one student to the next. But what purpose does that really serve? It doesn’t measure the areas of proficiency within a given subject; after all, what does a B+ mean? Giving grades perpetuates a competitive world, where one can’t succeed without taking a measure of success from another. It’s true, there must be some way to measure a person’s proficiency against a standard in order to qualify that they have learned what they need to perform certain jobs. But the traditional system of grades simply doesn’t do that.
The Zanders state: “The practice of giving the A allows the teacher to line up with her students in their effort to produce the outcome, rather than lining up with the standards against these students. Instead of providing real information to a student on his learning, it tells him by how much, in the eyes of authority, he has fallen short.”
What would happen if teachers automatically gave their students an “A” at the beginning of the class? Perhaps the student would experience a higher expectation from both themselves and their teacher, and would reach for a higher level of performance. Their mindset would change dramatically, beginning from a place of worthiness rather than feeling as though they had to prove themselves. They may take more risks if they knew their teacher believed in them enough to accept their potential failures.
How does all this apply to the work world? Do you think employees would thrive in an environment where management automatically gave everyone a figurative “A”? By dropping all of our limited assumptions, we open our minds to what is possible. Giving someone an “A” opens us up to a perspective that”s not our own. It allows for creativity and a more collaborative workforce. It helps us to openly accept other people’s talents without any measuring or judgment.
Coach Charrise
Do you have strong relationships with your competitors? Huh? Why would you want to do that?
In the coaching world, it is very common for coaches to reach out to one another. We are interested in what others are doing, and we are often relationship driven. We understand that we’re better together than we are apart, and open to learning how others handle particular situations. We genuinely want our competitor’s business to grow, so that coaching becomes available to help more people. Of course there are exceptions, but in my experience we are very open to collaboration with other coaches.
I think this is a rare approach in business. I’m certain there are exceptions in other industries as well, but the rule is that competitors are expected to keep their distance. A scarcity mentality dictates that we must keep our secrets close to us, so that others cannot capitalize on our good ideas. Our competitors must not know anything about what we’re up to; they can’t know our weak places. The view held by scarcity thinkers is that there simply isn’t enough business for everyone, so our resources must be hoarded.
I understand what competition can mean for a business. I understand that sometimes it is necessary for a particular product or market launch to surprise your competitor, so they can’t tool up and beat you to the marketplace. I also know that competition can be good for the marketplace, pushing companies to develop a better product or service than others.
There is another way to operate. What stops us from remembering that we are all connected, built with a desire to create? We can operate with the belief that there is enough for everyone. We don’t have to take away from someone else in order to find success ourselves. We hold within us an endless source of new and fresh ideas, most of which would grow bigger and stronger through collaboration.
What can you create today that would be newer and fresher if you had a mastermind session with your direct competition? How could you benefit from the shared lessons that each of you have learned by experience? How could you better serve your respective markets if you gathered together the collective brainpower of others who serve the same markets?
There is a place for a rekindling of the human spirit in business. Open your mind to the new possibilities that exist when you discover the abundance of the resources right in front of you.
Coach Charrise
