A Good Deed A Day

I once knew a man who made it his mission to do something nice for someone every day. He lived to be 84 and was one of the happiest most loved people I have ever met, if not the most. An article I read today reminded me of my own personal desire to focus more on appreciating everything I have in life, and sharing my joy and enthusiasm with others.

A random act of kindness or a good deed done daily makes you feel better about yourself, improves your outlook on life, and can give you a sense of increased self-worth. You know that you are making a difference someones life, whether it is a complete stranger, a coworker, or a friend.

Have you ever had a complete stranger do something nice for you? Whether it was holding open a door, covering your change in line at the cashier, chasing after you to hand you the credit card you dropped on the floor, or the little old lady who made it a point to tell you how well behaved your children are, those little acts of kindness can make a huge difference in your day, and even your life.

Let me explain:

One small act can influence a chain of positive reactions. Have you ever seen the movie "Pay it Forward?" It is such a great concept. I do something nice for you, you do something nice for the next person, and it spawns a whole entire network of positive thoughts and energy out into the world. Good begets good, and the more good you put out into the world, the more good you get back!

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What if the person you performed that nice, random act for happens to be the executive you are interviewing with in fifteen minutes for your dream job? You have inadvertently already showed this person that you are polite, caring, and a good person. If you let the door smash into their face because you didn't have the courtesy to hold it a few extra seconds, you probably haven't made the best impression.

So, you already hold doors. What else can you do? Commend someone on a job well done. Send compliments to the chef on a great meal. If the cashier seems flustered at the number of people in line, compliment her on her ability to stay cool under pressure. Compliment a stranger on shoes or a shirt you like. Express gratitude to a volunteer, officer, postal worker, etc for their dedication. Send a "thinking of you" note in the mail. Pick up trash as you are walking by. Donate to goodwill. Smile at someone. Grab your boss a coffee. Offer to join a stressed out co-worker at lunch.

If you have trouble forgetting to perform a good deed a day, put an alarm on your phone or in your Outlook to remind you! In no time it will be like second nature, and you will notice the positive effects you have on others, and how much more positive you feel about your own life!

Unprofessional Emails Leave a Lasting Impression

One of my biggest pet peeves is receiving unprofessional or informal emails from business associates, employees, vendors, or service partners.

In business classes, at any level, electronic communication is a topic taught, discussed, and tested on. There are countless articles, blogs, and stories about the importance of professional communication and horror stories of young executives being fired over simple miscommunication, yet people still refuse to adhere to a particular level of professionalism.

Here are some of the things that really make me cringe:

*Not using my name or randomly sending a message without addressing it
*Spelling the recipients name wrong (or anyone you discuss in the email)
*Not using Title Case or capitalizing proper nouns
*Blank or vague subject lines
*Hitting "reply all" when the message does not need to be seen by all recipients
*Abbreviating words, especially "ur." You are not so important that you cant type the word your
*Excessively large paragraphs
*No closing, recap, or salutation or a completely missing signature block

I guess you can say I am a bit of an email etiquette snob, but I feel it is a matter of respect to appropriately address your emails, get to the point so you aren't wasting anyone's time, and send your reader off with an appropriate goodbye!

Staying Cool When Things Get Hot

My employees are frequently asking for advice on how to handle themselves in high pressure situations. This can be one of the most challenging things for people to learn over time, so I thought it would be fun to share some tips and things that I have learned over the years.

Mood Mirrors Mood: Have you ever had an experience calling into a Customer Service Department seeing red only to have the personal on the other end of the line so polite, nice, and genuinely interested in helping you that it makes it impossible to be so angry anymore? When the person at the other end of the line is upset, make it a point to stay calm, cool, collected, and let them know that you are GENUINELY interested in helping them solve their problems. Nobody wants to be mad, they just don't want to be in the situation they are in. Be their hero and show them how dedicated you are to solving their problem by staying professional, light, and allow them to share their feelings. Eventually they will come around; mood mirrors mood.

Even when its personal, its not really personal: Dealing with customers, significant others, friends, co-workers, etc can be challenging, especially when conversations get heated and personal attacks come out. What you have to remember is that even when they are personal, it isn't really personal. A natural response to being upset is placing blame or attacking another, and most times there is no basis for reality in statements we make when we are emotional. Remember not to take things personally.

Decorate Your Workspace: Do you have a favorite funny picture, comic, story, or joke? Do you appreciate cards or gifts from employees or co-workers? Put items at your desk that make you feel good, that make you laugh, or make you feel appreciated. During a tough call, or after an intense meeting take a minute to read your joke, look at a picture and remember how you felt when it was taken, or read through cards of appreciate you have received. Taking thirty seconds to remind yourself of the positive really makes a difference and will help make your next call or meeting far more successful than if you head in frustrated or upset.




My Desk, Full Of Thank You Cards and Fun Pictures

Clear Expectations: If you are in a role where you handle Customer Service Calls, put out fires for your co-workers or employees, have high pressure decisions, or happen to be around high stress people, set your expectations as such. If you expect every call, every contact, every second to be stress free or low pressure, you will be very disappointed! If you know that most of your calls are going to be people calling with questions or issues, acknowledge that, don't expect otherwise, and focus your attention on turning the call positive. You have control over what you expect.

Put Yourself in Their Shoes: Remember that everyone has a reason behind why they are acting the way they are acting, or saying what they are saying. Try putting yourself in their shoes, think about how you would feel if you are them, and respond accordingly. If you are dealing with a customer who is frantically calling you with an issue in the middle of rush hour, imagine how you would feel with fifteen people waiting in line, employees looking to you for guidance and a solution, a kitchen backing up, a kid home with the flu, and an anniversary you forgot about coming up tomorrow. People have a lot to deal with and unfortunately a lot of that stress gets released when they call in for support because it is the only safe avenue they have to vent. Instead of getting frustrated, be thankful you aren't them!

Other ways to keep cool would include the standard "take deep breaths," listen to music, complete a quick puzzle, grab a starbucks, call a friend or loved one, or take a walk outside and smell the roses....

The Value of the Thank You Note

Every single person that I have hired for a position on my team has sent, at very least, an email thanking me for the interview. To this day I have a thank you card given to me by Mike, our POS Specialist, in which he hand wrote, and hand delivered to me over a year-and-a-half ago. It sits pinned to the bulletin board behind my desk as an important token of his appreciation for my time.

Sending a thank you after an interview, an appointment, a call, whatever it may be is incredibly thoughtful and thorough, and will leave a warm impression and give you the "leg up."

Anyone who takes the time to give you their undivided attention, especially when you know they are busy, appreciates that you recognize that in the early stages, and gives them the confidence that moving forward you will respect their time and be a great employee, partner, associate, or consultant.

Finally, getting a handwritten note, or even a brief but specific thank you email, makes people feel good and appreciated. I know that when I take the time to thank someone or send a note of appreciation, I mean it genuinely and from the bottom of my heart, so it means something to me when I receive one as well.

My recommendation? Run to the local stationary story, Target, Walmart, or even the dollar store and grab a pack of Thank You cards, Thinking of You cards, whatever-you-want-them-to-say cards and don't be frugal with the stamps!

A New Year, a Fresh New Start

The whole month of January is always a time of renewal for me. I am excited to put the year past behind me and focus on whats to come. It is a great time to reflect on what you learned the year before, what you are most thankful for, and continue on your path of growth and self actualization.

I have to say; 2010 was a really great year, and I am privileged to have been able to share in the accomplishments and reward my team for their contributions and tireless efforts. Our holiday party is my favorite night of the year because I get to look out at a floor full of people that work hard for me every day and open my heart and share my feelings and thanks with them for all they do. We also have one heck of a party!

This year was particularly special because I have such a solid group of people in my Operations Staff and seeing them enjoy themselves means so much to me. Each persons individual personality brings something completely unique to the table and makes us an incredibly well rounded team. Each Monday staff meeting I sit in front of a group filled with passion, excitement, dedication, creativity, knowledge, and I beam with pride.

So, this year it is my goal to make sure each person on my team knows exactly how important and valuable they are to me and to the company instead of waiting until the Christmas Party to tell them!

Blogging - My Purpose

So many times we judged by what we hear, what we assume, or whatever knowledge we think we have, and almost all of the time it is untrue.

I made the decision to start this blog in order to set a clear understanding of who I am, what I believe, and my own interpretation of the world for anybody out there interested in listening.