“It’s never crowded along the extra mile.”

WAYNE DYER

Have you been to a Nordstrom before?  I had not till I read about it in a book a year back.  I read that Nordstrom’s staff provides extra-ordinary service and some great stories to back it up.   I was truly intrigued.

Did I look it up when I was in the US and visit.

You bet, I did!

Why?

To experience the support everyone raves about.  And why do they do that?

Because they want to.

Surpassing expectation is something you should build into your DNA.  Anything you do with your clients, your colleagues, your friends, your family – is an opportunity to set and surpass expectations. 

Leave that WOW feeling behind – and they will remember the experience a lot longer than they may remember the occasion.

Make a commitment today, to be world class- irrespective of what you do.   Every job you do, gives you an opportunity to do something world-class, to make a difference. 

What would you accomplish if you were willing to go the extra mile, put in that extra effort and a little bit more service? 

Think of the super market where you look for a cashier who is more enthusiastic than the one who is grumpy…  the extra effort from the happier cashier always pays off – and he or she does not do it because they get paid more – it is because they choose to!

Start surpassing expectations – start with one now!

I changed the blog name!

I have been talking to so many people over the last few months and I realize, there is a big gap in skills that people bring to the table.  Whilst many come with excellent educational qualifications, it is the small ideas that is amiss, to ensure they achieve their potential.

While I have been writing on this topic in different forms over the years, I wanted to make this more targeted and help people pick this up in their search to come & see some tips that could help them become better.

I also promise to put up some free tools that you can download to effectively use the power of working together & giving back to the world.

Tomorrow’s topic- GOALS! 

“Ninety Nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses”

George Washington Carver

Think about it. How many of us are culprits when it comes to making excuses. Blaming others for being the cause of all the issues we face! There are always reasons everyone has, about why they have not been as successful as they imagine themselves to be. 

However, to be successful, the first rule you need to follow is to be 100% Responsible! – for yourself. 

If something goes wrong, as it will many many times, ask yourself – “How did this happen? What were the things that went wrong? Where did they go wrong? How could I have made the difference there? What do I need to do differently next time to get the results I want?”

In a discussion with my manager, I had this interesting dialogue. 

We were discussing issues with a particular customer, and I was explaining all the challenges they were facing and why even if we were keen to commit the numbers that we will sell, it was going to be a challenge!  His point was interesting. He said “What happens in the market is fine- but what is relevant is about what you are doing about it? Are you waiting for things to happen OR are you going out and finding how you can fix it”.   Though it was unpleasant, it was real!  I was blaming the world and the economy for something that I should have been proactively addressing!  Rather than come with just a problem,I should have had a menu of solutions that we could have discussed better!

In your everyday life, think of the issue you are facing- and rather than blame someone around you- think about what you are doing about it!

Let us focus on being 100% responsible this year!

With a look bordering on panic, Weatherhead School of Management Professor Richard Boland Jr. watched as Matt Fineout, an architect with Gehry & Associates, casually tore up the plans for a new building.

 Boland and Fineout had been struggling for two full days to remove some 5,500 Square feet from the floor plan designed by star architect Frank Gehry, while leaving  groom needed for meeting spaces and office equipment.

At the end of the marathon planning session, Boland had breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s finally done,” he thought.  But at that moment, Fineout rose from his chair, ripped the document apart and threw the scraps into a trash bin.

He responded to Prof. Boland’s shocked expression with a gentle shrug and a soft remark- “We have shown WE can do it; now we need to think of HOW we want to do it”.

******************

This is a fantastic  example of how some companies and some successful people go about creating magic in what they do.

For them, it is not about just doing a job! It is about leaving their mark! 

Every time you start a project, think not just about the outcome – but think about how you will leave your mark!

Think of every project you have done over the last couple of weeks-

1. List out if there is anything you could have done differently
2. What would you have done to evoke a “WOW” from your readers, bosses, colleagues?
3. Now look at your current project.  What are you doing about it? What can you do differently!
4. Just do it for the current project. Look for the changed feedback!  

What an amazing idea!

For US$5, a host of things you can go and get done on the web.  A whole bunch of people out there, who are ready to create unique stuff for a fiver! 

Though I cannot comment on the quality, the idea is brilliant!

This is the kind of stuff that will change our world.

It already has.

Are you on it already?

fiverr.com

A disciple once asked Socrates. “Sir, you ask everyone who wants to become your disciple to look into the pond and tell you what he sees. Why is it so?”

Socrates replied: “It is quite simple. One who sees the fish swimming around, I accept him. Others who see their own reflection are in love with their ego. I have no use of them.”

Here is the question for you – What kind of a hiring manager are you?

Do you look for people who see the fish swimming around (see a different perspective) or they are a mirror image of yourself (see the world the way you see it).    The growth for you as a Manager, and for your company is in you hiring a person who brings a radically different perspective compared to yours! 

I got this from a friend of mine- so not sure where this was originally published. Nevertheless, with all credit to the author of this,  I wanted to share this because I think there is a lesson for each of us to learn from this man.

Hate him, love him, but you certainly cannot ignore him. Let us look for what we can learn from him!

The future is what we are creating.

I was stuck with this quote below by John Schaar- and it has got me thinking.

What exactly do I want to achieve with this blog.  This is a difficult question to answer (I guess, better late than never to ask those questions).

It originally started off with an online presence and since then evolved to something different.   The tag line of “Make a Difference” opens up a flurry of questions on “What Difference”? 

I have been thinking on that – really!  There is a lot more one can do- to make the difference.

I will work on that line going forward…. I plan to look and post items which really MAKE A DIFFERENCE to me- and hopefully to some of you. Be it Technology, Applications, Personal thoughts or books that have helped shape my life.   Do continue to give me feedback as many of you do by writing to me.