Author: Eric

How Perception Can Lead To Reality

The above is a speech from Rory Sutherland.  He gives some veiled (pay close attention)advice on how to take what you are and do to a new level.

Have you thought about the implications of how you or your service/products are perceived today?  Have you asked anyone (customer, employee, vendor)?

The speech is about 20 minutes in length, but it will feel like 10.  The quote from G.K. Chesterton is powerful too.

Hidden Costs

One thing that drove me crazy when I was paying for my sins in corporate America was all of the hidden costs inside the organization.  As a corporate manager I was always asked to cut expenses.  However, I was rarely asked to look at those hidden costs.  The costs that were silent killers.  For example:

  • Meetings.  Need I say more?
  • Training events that were the equivalent of a U2 concert.  Entertainment versus learning here.  Feels good in the moment, but forgotten when it counts.
  • Employees and their organizations who don't fully understand the difference between time and results.
  • Outdated policies and procedures written 20 years ago that are as relevant as a powder blue tuxedo.
  • Hiring practices that are driven by HR.  The hiring of talent is not a legal process.

If your organization really wants to be efficient and lean, then take a look at the hidden costs. It could lead to a new curve.  Failure to look always leads to atrophy.  And as we know atrophy lives next door to extinction.

How Social Media Can Save Customer Service Training

Was doing some research for a friend/client on customer service training materials this week.  I decided to use Twitter (my top choice for social media portals) as a tool to do some research on the matter.  A simple search on the term "customer service training" is all it took to create a hmmm moment.  And though my research was not very scientific, it did reveal some things I knew instinctively.

First, customer service is a very popular discipline for a number of companies/consultants.  Must mean that bad customer service is more the norm than the exception.  I agree with that on its face.

Second, I don't think the customers (organizations) of the customer service training product are fully aware of what's going on inside their own walls. 

Here's what brought me to the above conclusions:

  1. My typed search "customer service training" revealed that for every two consultants offering training, there were an equal number of employees who were referring to customer service training as a boring event, a cure for insomnia, or a pain in the rear.  Again, this wasn't a scientific result, but it seems that many employees are nodding yes, but thinking and feeling no.
  2. Employees, especially those in larger entities, feel like their targets for cost cutting and lay-offs.  Creates a jaded, if not callused view of things.  Wonder how these folks treat customers who have legitimate needs/issues?
  3. Why the disconnect?  Leadership.  Some managers may think they're leading well, but have yet to look behind them to find no one following.
  4. Fixing conclusion #3 creates a bridge for change.
  5. Employers are missing out on the power of social media.  See this article for more on that.  But I'm speaking of finding out what's REALLY going on with the employee base.  Might save them some money and go a long way in reinventing how they serve-employees and customers.

There Are Many Reasons Why God Is Opposed To The Proud

Maybe you have heard the statement, or read the bible verse, about God being opposed to the proud.  Well, here are some reasons in our day and time that helps us understand why:

  1. Proud people don't give a _____ about you and I.
  2. Proud people tend to always want the credit.
  3. Proud people can not be trusted.
  4. If you're willing to listen, proud people will show their cards pretty quickly.
  5. Proud people will try to explain their dysfunction away.
  6. Proud people believe their humble.
  7. Proud people have a low reservoir of sympathy.
  8. Proud people are in your corner-when you're winning.
  9. Proud people aways see others as inferior.
  10. Proud people die lonely and alone.

Next time you engage with a person full of pride, tell them God is on defense.

By the way, pride is always knocking on your door.  Be careful.

Updates and Such

Thought I would inform you all of my wanderings:

  • Been working on a new model (for me anyway) to venture into.  Totally unrelated to Epic Living, except it has the "help" element.  Been a struggle and has taken longer than I expected.  I undertook this new venture to help stop the financial bleeding that Epic Living has been experiencing since the beginning of 2009.  Yes, I am not immune to the perfect storms of the American economy.
  • Been grieving more deeply about my dad and his absence.  This one is ongoing.  Can't deny the void, and I don't quite see what will grow from that right now. 
  • Trying to re-learn some of my family leadership roles.
  • Learning the heart of being-leadership versus doing-leadership.  A contrarian art if there ever was one.
  • Learning every day not to take anything for granted.  Seems that God really wants me to understand this.  My dealings with living and dying have awakened this sleeping giant.  I'm waking up every day looking for the gifts given from above, and then act upon them, even when they break my heart, don't make sense or cause me to be afraid.
  • Learning more about the honesty of wine-really.

More to come…

A Gift

One of the things I've noticed lately is how often we don't recognize the gifts given that are right in front of our faces.

Yesterday I'm walking in my garden and looking at our set of roses (the Knock Out variety) and I was struck by the design, color, and the strength of the plant. 

I just stopped…

The main point of this post is to remind you that gifts are given daily.  You have the choice as to what you will do with them.

Corrupt Instincts and Leadership

Sometimes those involved in people leadership are like those in social media consulting, it seems like everyone thinks they can do it.  But, alas, not everyone can.  There are numerous people out there who have scars to prove my point.  This is a problem.

I came across this post from Ed Batista, someone who has encouraged and informed me, that speaks to leaders who have an arsenal of corrupt instincts.  These types of leaders act on their stressed and vitriol emotions.  Not unlike the spoiled child who always threatens to take his bat on home if you don't play by his pre-set rules. 

I won't give away Ed's insights, but I will give you some insights on what you must do in order to keep your heart and mind from being trampled upon-in any organization.  Here are some things to consider:

  1. If you work for a leader that exhibits corrupt instincts, then get out! I know the economy might be bad, I know you may be a year away from vesting, you might even be in denial about what the future will look like if you don't do something.  Regardless, leadership can be a very negative thing and they don't call it influence for nothing.
  2. If you will set aside the stars in your eyes from the interview, you might be able to get a clue about the organization's culture.  In other words, does the organization condone and create conditions for corrupt instincts?  Investigate, Investigate, Investigate!
  3. Start living on less.  Forget about the new 5 Series from BMW, start putting more money back, or get out of debt.  You may be working for angels today, but things can change and the demons are always at the gate.  Be prepared to protect your soul.
  4. Don't go on any journey of awakening (seeing what wasn't evident before) alone.
  5. This process will cost you.  But in the end, you'll be able to look back and know it was worth it.  Like me, you could lose your career and find your life.  Pretty cool in the end. 

Looking In The Mirror

The following spoke volumes to me this morning:

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I
might learn to humbly obey.
     I asked for health, that I might do greater
things;
     I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I
asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might
be wise.
     I asked for power, that I might have the praise of

            men;
     I was given weakness, that I might feel the need
of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given
life, that I might enjoy all things.
     I got nothing that I asked for,

     But everything I had hoped for.

I am, among all men, most richly
blessed.

    -Author Unknown

A New Voice, A New Dream

The below is an instrument (Chapman Stick) that I've added to my book of dreams.  I played bass many years ago and a conversation with a musical director prompted me.  I told him the Stick was an instrument that might be my next "voice." 

I'm convinced that we all need to have a book of dreams-we also need to make those dreams come true.  Not all dreams make it to reality, but I'd rather have a few that do right along side the one's that don't.  Shows you're playing on the right field.

Here's to checking the dreams off one-by-one as time flies by.