I Stepped into a Time Machine
Today, we have come to expect and demand that friction points in the delivery of a product or service are minimized and that modern technology is applied to improve the customer experience—even in industry or product segments where margins are thin and competition is fierce. Well, this morning I have a customer service story of a company and industry segment that seems to have missed the memo of modernization and transformation to improve customer experience.
Resilience and Recovery
To make the importance of resilience clear, I’ll ask this question. What do you want to be known for? Do you want to be the person who’s able to pick themselves up, take ownership, ask for help when needed, and quickly rise above challenges; or the person who gets upset, falls into an emotional black hole, shifts blame, and doesn’t move forward?
The Power of Music
You might be reading this as an early career professional, filled with the sense of invincibility that accompanies those initial two decades of your working life. I can directly attest that these years are gone in what seems like an instant. The ravages of time will catch up to you. If you allow these ravages to get the best of you—if you succumb to comfort—if you allow the recliner to wrap its appealing but selfish arms around you—”old age” will come sooner.
Rethinking Constructive Criticism
I believe the replacement phrase for constructive criticism is influenced by the relationship between sender/receiver and the depth of knowledge the sender has. In all cases, we should retain the word constructive, as our goal in human discourse should be to build others up and not tear them down.
Innovation and the Customer
…but significant sustaining innovations occur in the devices and products we use everyday—this type of innovation can largely go unnoticed. I’d like to address that today by highlighting an innovation I’ve stumbled across that has had a positive impact on me personally—innovation in trimmer string replacement. That’s right, we’re going to talk about trimmer string today!
Be a Decent Human
In my opinion, the minimum acceptable height of “the bar” is to be a decent human. You see, it’s in times of great stress and conflict that the words I live by come into play the most. When the going gets tough, sometimes everything boils down to a fairly basic choice—to be a decent human being, or allow base instinct and ego to take over and say/do things that I’ll regret later. “Andy, just be a decent human being right here, right now.” But what does decency mean? Let’s explore.
Self Love Comes First
Unfortunately, we avoid talking about self love because it’s a deeply personal subject and carries with it a stigma. A label that self love is too fuzzy and squishy. A label that you’re somehow showing weakness if you discuss self love. In my opinion, we need to elevate discussions of self love because respecting and loving oneself is the foundation upon which all other relationships rest.
Authenticity and Mentorship
When I use the word “you,” I’m speaking to myself as much as I’m speaking to my readers. I don’t have it all figured out, none of us do. We’re all works in progress. What I do have going for me is a diverse portfolio of leadership experiences, business “wins,” and a load of errors, challenges, and mistakes that I’ve turned into learning and growth opportunities through the years.
Purpose & Posture
Good posture is both a physical construct and a mental state of being. Good posture is a way of living. Truthfulness, community service, self-confidence, self-awareness, situational awareness, emotional intelligence, and many other positive attributes are wrapped into the concept of good posture. Good posture signals to everyone around you that “I’m here, I’m ready to contribute, and I care.” When honed over time, good posture is the optimal balancing act between service to the self and service to others, but good posture starts with literally straightening the spine, brightening the eyes, and letting go of all the baggage you’re carrying around that doesn’t align with your purpose or your goals.
Stronger Together
We learn and grow as humans when we look at a challenge through multiple lenses and take onboard information from multiple perspectives. To me, this is true freedom - the ability to learn from our mistakes, test and expand our capabilities through experiences and education, pursue individual happiness and self-actualization, and meaningfully contribute to society with our unique gifts and talents.
Finesse, Nuance, and Tact
There are a few additional aspects of team chemistry that are not included in our list and those are the concepts of finesse and tact. Understanding nuance is also critically important to team chemistry. These are skills that don’t receive much attention in the myriad lists of “top skills for the future,” but I would argue that they form the foundation for all high-functioning teams that sustain their performance over the long term.
Exploring Team Chemistry
We’ve all heard these phrases before: “My team just clicks,” “My team is a well-oiled machine,” “My team is really gelling,” “My team has great chemistry,” and the ever-nauseating “Teamwork makes the dream work.” This week, I’d like to explore the concept of team chemistry to determine if it’s as mysterious as it’s often made out to be, or if there are necessary conditions that underlie team chemistry and make it something we can create and extend from one team to another.