http://mjtomsho.com/blog/ en-us Nucleus CMS v3.31 � Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://mjtomsho.com/blog//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://mjtomsho.com/blog/ http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=442
How about when you were entering or leaving a building. Did you hold the door open for the person leaving or coming in (even if they weren't the opposite sex)?

This isn't about being "nice", or polite, or making someone's day (as I mentioned in a previous post). This is about an attitude. An attitude of service to those around you. To try and help out in little ways that cost you pretty much nothing.

Consider the attitude that forces the waitstaff to stretch over the table to reach the menus or the drink glasses. The attitude that forces someone else to make that extra effort to pull open a door.

Now consider that attitude coming out in how you react to your customers, your boss, your co-workers. Which attitude would you rather be on the receiving end of? ]]> General http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=442 Mon, 6 Sep 2010 11:38:06 -0400 http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=440 only 41% of employees believe their managers listen to the ideas they present to them.
37% (more than a third) felt their company's management was inaccessible to them.
a majority 60% felt their company's suggestion program was ineffective.

But here's the interesting part. According to one research firm, each employee suggestion was worth approximately $6,000 to a company in cost savings, etc.

So why does it sound like hardly anybody is listening?

One reason (and the one close to half of the people participating in the studies mentioned above would probably believe) is that employee suggestion boxes are just there for show. A sop to keep the employees quiet.

The big reason - at least what I would hope - is like so many other well intentioned projects, many (and perhaps most) employee suggestion programs do not have systems in place to handle the incoming suggestions. Is there a central place to accumulate them? Is there staff assigned to review, filter and pass on the most "promising" suggestions?

Hanging out a box for people to put pieces of paper in isn't a system - it is a recipe for further employee frustration and disengagement.

If you want input, then make it possible to listen. ]]> Leadership http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=440 Thu, 2 Sep 2010 09:58:13 -0400 http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=436
You want a harried, stressed out service person to brighten up and actually pay some attention to you? Try giving them what you are hoping to get from them (no not whatever you are buying!). Smile, and say good morning, if they make a mistake smile again and tell them "that's OK, happens to all of us." When they tell you to have a good day, respond in kind: "and you as well!"

The Golden Rule applies to customers the same as it does to vendors.]]> providing service http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=436 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:22:13 -0400 http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=434 Scott Ginsberg (the name-tag guy) is coming out with a new book "-able". As with a lot of his stuff, Scott has highlighted something that should be obvious to most of us, but sometimes lies hidden: by applying yourself in the ways you are most "able" you can make things happen... in fact you will greatly increase the probability of those things happening.

So let me add my own "able" word to that lexicon: "effectable".

If you are effectable, you are actually "able" in two ways:
1. You regularly effect positive change (i.e., make things happen; setting things up for others to be effective) both in yourself and in the world around you.
2. You are effective. Of course I mean effective in my definition of the word: "doing the right things, the right way for you". Using your strengths and finding ways around your vulnerabilities.

The two are intertwined. If you are effective, you will be getting things done that need to be done to advance your goals. Even better you will be doing them in ways that strengthen and energize you rather than weakening and draining you. You also set an example for others around you, creating an environment that allows for positive change and for them to be effective and deliver outstanding results whatever the endeavor. This is the stuff that drives successful individuals and successful teams.

Don't just stop at being effective, be effectable, make things happen for yourself and for everyone around you.

You can find Scott's book on Amazon by clicking here.



You can learn more about the book and Scott's philosophy by clicking here to go to his blog]]> Change http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=434 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:18:13 -0400 http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=432
Now here is the amazing part. The manager and I sat down to discuss things, and while we were sitting, a line formed at the hostess station, and they were ignored just as I was! Finally, the manager pointed this out to some of the staff and someone wandered over and got the customers to tables.

Why would something like this happen? Is it simply that the staff just does not care? Admittedly this was not a fancy restaurant, and some might consider working there as no big deal and so what if I get fired, but I would like to think it was more a lack of procedure and process. Does the restaurant have a written policy that customers will be greeted within a certain amount of time? What if the hostess station is empty? Is there a written procedure about who should cover the station if the host or hostess is away? Are there designated wait staff that can double as host or hostesses? Maybe these procedures exist, but weren't being followed because it was "slow".

What would it cost this restaurant to put these kind of processes in place (or enforce them even in slow times)? Nothing. How might it affect a customer's perception of the business? (Do I really need to answer that?) I often hear the excuse that customer service which delights is great for other companies, but it costs too much for "us" to provide extra service. Really? A little bit of time is too much to invest? ]]> providing service http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=432 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:35:06 -0400 http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=429
I admit to using propane. To me the fun in the picnic is being with family and friends, laughing, playing, and just generally having a good time, so I cook the way that is easiest and most enjoyable for me. And that is the point. The objective of the cook-out is not really to prepare the food a certain way, the objective is to enjoy the time together, to take a break from work, and any of the other cares we have.

There lies effectiveness! Getting to the goal in ways that we were are most comfortable with. When we who are grilling get to sit down with friends and family and enjoy the company, after we cook the way we like and are most comfortable with - be it coals or propane. When we enjoy the trip, the destination is even more satisfying.]]> General http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=429 Sun, 4 Jul 2010 10:58:54 -0400 http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=426
Noticeably missing from the "but" are suggestions to address the problem. "Yes, but" is a simple way to politely tell someone with an idea to shut up and sit down, or worse, a way for you to shoot down your own ideas.

Next time you hear anyone (or yourself), say "Yes, but..." offer an idea about how to solve the "but" problem. If that encounters a "Yes, but..." then offer a solution to that one. Start a discussion, get people (or again, yourself) thinking, and more importantly, moving in a different direction The status-quo is easy, but it is static. Growth is not achieved by standing still.





]]> building the road http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=426 Sat, 3 Jul 2010 18:01:10 -0400 http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=424
I am an avid walker. On a good day I can do several walks totaling close to 6 miles, and on a bad day I do close to 4 miles. In my younger days I was an avid runner, but a series of physical mishaps, advancing middle age, and wretched work schedules took me away from it.

Walking became a passion, and my walks have become an integral part of my schedule, simply put, a habit, and a most enjoyable one at that. The ease with which my body adapted to longer and longer walks reignited my old passion for running; if I could walk almost 4 miles, why not run (or at least jog) a few of those? I started integrating some running into my daily walks. At first everything seemed fine, then my competitive spirit (I'm never satisfied with where I am today) kicked in and I kept trying to increase the running mileage, and speed.

I found myself almost dreading my daily walk/run, and looking for excuses to take a break: "my legs hurt, don't want to overdo it, etc., etc." What was once a joyous passion that launched my day had become a chore.

Then the humidity really kicked in. I started out on a walk/jog, and quickly felt like I was breathing water. I simply could not get enough oxygen. After a few days of this, I started feeling like giving up. The other morning I got up and said "Screw it, I'm just going to walk again today - no run." It felt wonderful! That simple walk gave the energy boost I was used to, cleared my mind - it reminded me why my walks had become such a passion. The next day I tried to incorporate some running, and to my surprise, it was effortless. Now I gauge how my body feels (and the weather!) and decide whether to mix running and walking or just walk. Magically, I am back to looking forward to my morning constitutional.

How often do we allow a simple pleasure or a passion to become a chore because we feel we have to outdo ourselves? We don't always have to be the best, or even compete with ourselves to constantly set a new personal best. Sometimes we just need to enjoy what we do however we do it. Are there passions in your life you have lost because you turned them into chores? ]]> passions http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=424 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:46:13 -0400 http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=420 This article in the Wall Street Journal came to my attention the other day and it fits that description nicely.

The gist of the article is that some employers are requiring that applicants for a job already be employed somewhere. The reasons given in the article seem to make sense on the surface, and if the objective is simply to fill a position with a body that "should" be able to do the job, I suppose hobbling hiring practices this way will work. However, if the objective of hiring is to bring in the best talent, who fits in with the company, and brings needed strengths to a position, I cannot think of a more useless tactic.

Just because someone has a job does not mean they are the best person for that job. There are a multitude of really toxic reasons they may still be employed (e.g., office politics). Just because someone is currently unemployed does not mean they lost their job because of poor performance. Their company could have gone under, they might have had less seniority when the budget cuts hit. Even if they lost their prior job due to "poor performance" doesn't mean they were truly a poor performer. They may have had a lousy manager. The job could have been structured poorly. They could have been a victim of politics.

Whatever excuse is given for limiting the pool of applicants, the question remains: Is the objective to get the person who will best fit in with the team, and will bring the appropriate strengths to the job? If the answer is yes, then acknowledge there is going to be a ton of resume sorting.


The article referenced here is now a year old, but I suspect the practice discussed has actually gotten more prevalent in the past year.]]> employment http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=420 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:11:46 -0400 http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=419
Too often we see utilizing our talents in some set way - an established, safe way. If our talents aren't up to the level expected (think professional sports - you really have to have some serious talent to make it), we push them off to the side. But what if you looked for an alternative way to use that talent - a different tint or color - the possibilities become endless. White as a color is safe, but it is boring. Start thinking in colors!]]> Talents and Strengths http://mjtomsho.com/blog/index.php?itemid=419 Sat, 29 May 2010 22:43:28 -0400