GarthBox

The best leadership person has the eye for knowing when the start of a new idea will take away from making sure the team is awesome in the areas that matter most.

Despite the excitement for the new thing. Despite how ready and willing the team is to jump on the idea. Despite the impact the new idea can have.

A leader needs to ensure the team executes the important things the best they can. THEN when they know the work of something new won’t compromise that, then it’s full steam ahead.

Stay Positive & You Can Be The Leader (It Just Requires A Pause & Reflect)

Photo credit

You probably didn’t build the software, but the customer should think you did.

You probably didn’t open the coffee shop, but the guest should think you did.

You probably didn’t open the place you’re working at, but the client should think you did.

That’s customer service value at it’s core: You win if you can serve someone with enough care and confidence that they think they’re talking to the owner.

Funny enough, it’s also the same way that you grow to become one. Then you can teach your team to do the same.

Before you know it, we might just be surrounded by people and businesses that truly give a damn.

Alas. It starts with you. It starts now.

Stay Positive & “Are you the owner?” Will Be Music To Your Ears

Photo credit

Tips and tricks can be dangerous.

They can be shortcuts that distract. They can be a way of hiding from doing the meaningful work. They can be band-aid fixes.

However, used in short and direct ways, tips and tricks can mitigate stress or frustration; they can improve performance and happiness.

There’s a balance that needs to be had and it starts with being clear on the why of adding tips and tricks.

Stay Positive & Make Sure You’re Doing It For The Right Reasons (And Then Make Sure You’re Doing It Right)

Photo credit

You know you’ve done meaningful work when you look back at what you’ve done and shed a few tears.

Most authors don’t read their own books again or listen to their audio versions.

Most podcasters don’t go back and listen to episode 4.

Most bloggers don’t revisit the poorly viewed posts of theirs.

Most event organizers don’t watch the raw footage of the event they hosted last year.

I think it’s because they’re afraid of how they might feel. Afraid they won’t shed a few tears. Afraid they did work that wasn’t meaningful.

In my eyes, that’s even more reasoning to revisit and see.

If you don’t shed a few tears then you know it’s time to start doing something differently.

And when you do shed a few tears, well, it’s quite fulfilling.

Stay Positive & Go Ahead

Photo credit

Many say they want magic to happen, their ideas to take off, and people to pick them… but they’re not willing to let their work play out.

At the first negative review, they start trying to course correct to appease to the naysayer.

The moment there’s a new feeling of risk, the safe bet is to pull the plug.

(It blows my mind how much money some beverage manufacturers put into a new product launch and how quickly they shut it down when they don’t see it working immediately.)

Here’s what the top entrepreneurs and marketers do: they let it play out.

The more they let it play out, the more they can learn to educate their next decision.

And more often than not, the more they let it play out, the more others actually enjoy the product or service: it gives them time to actually feel the ownership of the item or experience and integrate it into their narrative.

Good things can happen to those who wait and watch.

Stay Positive & Then Act On The Learning, Of Course

Photo credit

Oh, how convincing a marketer tries to be when writing copy about how much better their product or service is than others.

Or how better it is because of the innovative investments that went into it.

Or how better it is because of X or Y or Z.

The smartest of marketers, however, tell the story of how it’s better in a way that makes it personal to someone else.

How is it better to them? Not you. Not the boss. Not the competitor. Not the label.

Stay Positive & Make Your Story Better

Photo credit

Google reviews are nice. An email from a guest at your establishment is nice, too. Someone sharing their feedback about your product or service in the moment is fantastic.

All happen infrequently and while they sometimes provide useful data, it’s not nearly as helpful as what Mystery Shoppers can provide.

Mystery Shoppers–the good ones–do two things for a business. They not only review their experience as a customer or guest, but they also provide the ears to hear what others are really thinking and feeling.

The fact is that people are more willing to share their thoughts with a stranger than they are an employee or owner.

One of my favorite parts about owning a beer bar is when I’m in casual clothing and enjoying a beer at a table when all the sudden I hear folks from an adjacent table share what they really think about the place or the beer or the board game selection or the bathrooms.

It’s usually feedback I can act on: by either improving the thing they are complaining about or elevating the thing they are raving about.

Let me be clear about one thing: I’m all for creating a business that encourages and rewards proactive candor, immediate feedback loops, easy anonymous feedback opportunities, surveys and people that will be honest about what is and isn’t working in your business.

The reality is that it’s a numbers game and there are far more people keeping their thoughts or whispering their thoughts than openly sharing them.

To that point, if you don’t have any mystery shoppers enrolled in your business, it’s time to.

The cool thing is that it can be a friend or family member or a loyal customer.

(There are some businesses out there you can pay to do this, but they more so excel at providing feedback of their own experience rather than listening and gathering notes from the experience of others.)

And if you reallllly can’t think of someone to be the mystery shopper for you, then take a page out of the Undercover Boss playbook and be it yourself.

Stay Positive & Don’t Let What People Hate Or Love About Your Brand Be A Mystery

Photo credit