Consistent negative talk will create a negative culture. A constant drumbeat of “don’t forget” “don’t be late” “don’t screw that up” “don’t talk to me right now” can be pretty discouraging. If you can rephrase things using positive words, a better atmosphere is created. Better atmosphere = more encouraging = more productive.
When presenting, stand still. Too much walking around makes your audience nervous and projects fear and nervousness. Also, when you stand still, it’s easier to make eye contact. If you’re talking longer than five minutes, it makes sense to deliberately move to a different place. Then stand there, feet shoulder width apart, looking at your audience.
In light of the earlier posts regarding generational differences, this article adds nicely to those thoughts: Why Gen Y-ers are Better at Customer Service : The World :: American Express OPEN Forum.
Sometimes it’s skill, sometimes marketing, sometimes bad staff, but usually it’s the management. That’s part of the awesomeness of the show; that look on the leader’s face when they realize this:
“Hey, I really wanted this person to come in and fix the place and the staff, but they’re saying I’m the problem. Oh no!”
If you’re a fan of Undercover Boss, try Tabatha’s Salon Takeover. It rocks. And it’s full of real stuff for leaders.
* Training our teachers to be leaders and motivators so they see that students are not so apathetic; we simply may not be motivating them properly — and that students are ready to serve and be motivated; we need to find the way to help them do so.
Dig the little things. The best leaders, businesses, organizations, churches, workers realize this.
My dentist has a cool aquarium in the waiting room, with fish that he periodically rotates from his collection. I only stay at the Savery Hotel once per year, but Ross in sales knows what room I like. I bet you have examples, too.
Something we talk about in Group Dynamic workshops is this: 80% of decisions are made based on emotion, not ration. Also, we tend to act less mature when stressed. The lessons? There are many.
One is this; when stressed, see if you can delay acting, or speaking, or addressing a situation until the stress passes. This will increase the likelihood of a better decision, and (more importantly) better interactions and relationships. Be nice.
It all comes back to the basics of leadership: meet needs, build relationships, and provide meaning. No one, of any generation, really enjoys, say, “vacuuming to the corners.” But we can all be led to play a role in “comforting weary travelers by providing the cleanest hotel room they’ve ever seen.”