Interpersonal Business

Dear Manager,
As managers we have the distinct advantage and opportunity to enjoy an overview of the philosophies, attitudes and approaches to “doing business.” It is a fascinating slice of life and only we, as managers, have the luxury of a front row seat. We have a clear view of our customers, with the opportunity to compare their operations to those of their competition. We have a clear view of our sales associates, with the opportunity to compare their business to that of their peers. We have a clear view of our fellow managers, with the opportunity to compare their skill and approach to that of their counterparts in our industry.

In all instances, there is an elite group that stands alone when compared with others. Who are these individuals, and why? This is an enormous equation, one founded in some very basic fundamentals. What single quality and factor consistently stands out, setting these individuals apart?

In an interview with Lucille Ball I recently say, soon after she retired from television, she was referred to as an icon in American television, having set a new standard for comedy in television and in her profession over her thirty-five-year career. What allowed Lucy to appeal to the masses in the 50’s as well as in the 90’s? When asked by the interviewer what quality provided her staying power as compared to other performers of her time, she simply responded:

“IT WAS MY RELENTLESS ATTENTION TO DETAIL.”
So often in American business this very simple axiom has become lost. As managers, there is no longer the accountability to insure its singular priority. What was once a foundation for business success in their early years has, in many instances, been cast aside. Being relentless about any aspect in life or business requires tremendous discipline. There are so many factors that will take us off course. For attention to detail to succeed, it must be accepted as a way of life.

To avoid confusion, there is a difference between relentless and obsessive. An obsessive approach makes the assumption that we live in a perfect world; all its aspects should fit within our expectation of this perfection. A relentless approach understands the real world, and accepts the challenges required to maintain the highest standard that is individually possible.

A high standard of detail fulfillment creates a very strong foundation for many secondary fundamentals of success. It comes down to developing a high standard and insuring our very best effort. Often we learn this standard from working with others who have set a high standard for themselves. It is highly contagious once you fully understand the value of its application.

My introduction to this relentless approach to business was in my teens while working in my uncle’s grocery store. I can remember spending hours and hours sweeping, cleaning and organizing areas of the store, over and over again, whether (to me) they needed it or not. At times I felt I was being asked to maintain the store as if it were Disneyland! If tasks were not completed to my uncle’s satisfaction, he barked out a name on the intercom from his office overlooking the store and everyone’s heart dropped to the floor.

With time, I found pride in knowing I helped to create one of the cleanest and most appealing atmospheres for our customers and employees. It simply felt so much better to work in this environment. I saw the value in my uncle’s sense of detail, and accepted its many benefits as my own.

Attention to detail and the personal touch for business has apparently become a thing of the past. We see it in the (lack of) service at the local gas station to the prolific use of automated attendant phone systems. Certainly, a case can be make that times have changed. To accept the notion that “no one seems to notice, or “I just don’t have the time,” or “they didn’t call me back,” or my personal favorite, “it’s someone else’s job,” are simply a crutch, and only fuel an acceptance of this lesser standard as the norm.

It is for this reason that management and its staff must get back to doing the little things that have been lost in today’s business environment. Believe me, they will be noticed and even exalted by those with whom you do business. Now, more than at any other time in our business culture, you will set yourself apart from your peers and will be remembered as one of an elite group that stands alone.

HOW DO WE ESTABLISH THESE PRIORITES FOR OUR ORGANIZATIONS?
The process for managers begins with their own attention to detail. We set many examples as managers, defining our priorities through our actions rather than through our words. Whatever your priorities are for your organization, the example must start at the top. Define your objectives in detail to your staff. Initiate new systems and review their progress to insure that the standards have been met.

All too often, management can be distracted by the “big picture,” sending a signal of acceptance to its staff that the details are no longer important. The relentless aspect in our objectives must come into play. Keep a log of your priorities to insure they have, in fact, been completed, both personally and by your staff. It will not take long for everyone to understand that you absolutely expect to meet these priorities. You must maintain a single-minded, no compromise attitude towards your organization’s fundamentals.

Once an expectation is accepted as reality, it becomes a matter of routine. Those you work with will, with time, begin to understand your priorities and (at least on your time) accept them as their own. No one wants to be called “on the intercom” and if we, as managers, are indeed relentless with our own standards, they, too, will be required to participate. While the initial value may not be recognized, with time it will become clear. Just as it was for me, this is an acquired skill for all of us, and is contagious by nature! As I suggested earlier, once this strong attention to detail is understood, there are many other qualities that feed on its foundation. Consider just a few of its applications for your staff relating to:

• Delegation Fulfillment
• Organizational Skills
• Appointment Scheduling
• Product Knowledge & Presentations
• Problem Solving
• Customer Follow Up
• Timely Correspondence
• Customer Relations

These are just a few of the very real benefits of establishing a relentless attention to detail. It can seem very simple; it is not. And it is this very attitude that only further illustrates the magnitude of the problem. No one can deny its value, yet if it were simple it would be a very common and deliberate aspect of American Business!

On a scale of 0% to 100%, are you 20% effective or 80% effective? Are you willing to challenge the priorities of detail fulfillment for yourself and those of your organization to maintain its priority, and to insure its improvement?

Many years ago I was listening to a popular radio commentator whose name you may recognize: Earl Nightingale. He spoke of The Greatest Secret and its impact for business. He referenced his findings with near reverence, and how so many individuals had spent a lifetime in business, never having uncovered the essence of doing business.

What was The Greatest Secret? “To succeed in business we must master and be willing to do the little things that our competitors simply don’t like to do.”

Personal Regards,
Keenan

INTERPERSONAL© is published by INTERPERSONALBIZ.COM, Keenan Longcor, Editor, ©2008. Duplication of this publication is permitted for both personal and business use. Excerpts may only be quoted with acknowledgment of INTERPERSONAL and/or INTERPERSONALBIZ.ORG as the source. For re-publication rights, please contact the editor at KEENAN@INTERPERSONALBIZ.COM

Dear Manager,
As managers, I think we always hope to have a grip on reality and at least one foot firmly planted. We all feel the responsibilities of our profession, and fully hope that we are perceived in a light consistent with the needs of those we work with. At times, I have wondered if how I am perceived is, in fact, consistent with my own perception. A story was related to me a few years ago, referencing that all relationships have four very basic quadrants, similar to the four panes of a window. The first windowpane represents how we see ourselves. The second reflects how we want to be seen. The third reflects how we believe others see us. The fourth is how we are actually seen by those around us. This very interesting thought process is worth more than an occasional review.

SEEING OURSELVES
In 1980 I convinced myself I was not capable of becoming a manager. On two occasions I had given my best effort to establish an organization of more than one. Twice I had been thrilled to fulfill my goal of hiring an individual for a sales region. In each case, the individual lasted less than a week. I was devastated. I can remember hearing of others “who just couldn’t hire people.” Could I be plagued with a similar malady?

In my mid 20’s, and with a fair amount of anxiety, I was looking for an individual with the ability to assist in the development of one of my sales regions. I enjoyed field sales, but had reached the proverbial wall in my ability to sustain needed increases and properly service my accounts. There seemed to be two options: hire someone (oh god), or leave the only profession I knew (oh my god!). The self- imposed pressures seemed overwhelming.

After a third desperate try, I perceived myself as someone with no future in management. To bring transition to my career, I developed a new mail order company. I hired a family friend to assist me as an employee for the new business, while doing the best that I could individually as a manufacturers representative.

Within a few weeks, my employee pointed out that I obviously needed someone to assist me in the field (just what I wanted to hear). His confidence convinced me to give it another try. With anticipation, we began the process once again. With an incredible sense of relief, we found success (thank God). Within two years, the mail order business was closed, and the sales agency had grown to include six associates.

I have had many years to reflect on this time in my life, and have realized that I learned a huge lesson in this process. Our self-perception is as real as real can get. When taken to the next level, our conclusions can easily preclude, limit, and even eliminate our ability to learn and mature in our given field. I could not accept my inability to succeed; yet in my mind I could no longer risk another failure.

We have all been thrust into situations that through our maturity and experience, we are not emotionally prepared to successfully accomplish. Is this a flaw in our personality that cannot be resolved? From my experience, I now accept that a current shortcoming is simply a difficult lesson that has no bearing on a future ability to find success in a similar situation.

HOW ARE YOU SEEN?
Are your staff’s perceptions important to you… and your organization …or should it be? Do you compromise your own standards in an effort to please? At times, have you tried too hard to sell or justify your position? As a manager, have you become more resistant to the opinions and perceptions of others? Have you simply taken the dogmatic approach to the decision making process? I would suggest that over the lifetime of a management career, all of the above have impacted us.

Tough decisions and their corresponding perception are part of the package in management. Can those around us fully comprehend all of the dynamics in our decision making process? Are others ever aware of the day-to-day demands that impact these decisions? Will we be able to please everyone with the types of difficult decisions that need to be made in managing an organization? The answer, unfortunately, is no. Showing flexibility, knowledge of all aspects and circumstances, and a willingness to come to a decisive conclusion is critical. Over time, how we are perceived by these decisions becomes reality for those individuals involved.

With the fast pace of business in the ‘90’s, there will never be the opportunity to share ones perspective in the hour-by-hour decisions required in running a sales organization. By nature, a clear decision making process instills confidence, and will give those associated with us a sense of stability. Confidence and consistency should be considered your greatest ally. It will speak for you in times when there is no opportunity or need to fully explain.

CLARIFYING ANOTHERS “VISION”
Leading by example is a highly underrated form of management. There can be a perception that management has all the flexibility, while everyone else puts in their hours. This is true to a degree, yet management has the ultimate responsibility for the broad-based livelihood of the organization. Although flexibility is essential for management to be successful, what staff members of an organization may relate to is the hands-on, elbow-to-elbow aspects of the relationship.

When there is a tough or “dirty” job that needs to be done, jump in and do it. There is no stronger example than your willingness to get your hands dirty. Occasionally, take on an “unglamorous” project. Assume responsibility for the worst job. How can anyone second-guess your commitment if you are willing to do what ever it takes to achieve your mutual goal? Never ask someone else to do something that you would not ask of yourself.

I am not suggesting that we forego the need to delegate responsibility as the needs of an organization grow and evolve. I am suggesting that we set an example showing we are never above the very real day-to-day needs of our organization. We learned to accomplish these tasks in the beginning, and we have never forgotten how.

YOUR “VISION” OF OTHERS
THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO THE STORY! Over the years, I have received phone calls from frustrated customers or manufacturers regarding their perception of an individual associate. The caller, of course, would like immediate resolution of the issue at hand. How often have you gotten off the phone, having just had a conversation that reflected on another individual that, from your own perspective, simply did not make sense? In effect, you are being asked to make a decision or support another point of view based on one frame of reference – theirs.

In such situations you owe it to yourself and the parties involved to step back long enough to confirm or deny your own instincts of what reality truly is. Do not hesitate to end the conversation forming no opinion until you have had the opportunity to discuss the circumstances with all parties.

While this concept may seem obvious, in the fast pace of management it is very easy to form an opinion or jump to conclusions with only limited and or inaccurate information. I have personally found from experience, if it simply doesn’t make sense, in all cases, there is more to the story.

WHAT IS REAL?
In this life, at least, we will never know with certainty how we are actually perceived by those around us. There are indications, but often from those who either wish to tell us what we want to hear, or who are close enough to our reality that they may have lost some of their own objectivity. As managers, we must encourage, consider, and often make changes based on the input of others. The continued success and relevancy of our management style depends on it. As individuals, today’s greatest weakness can indeed become tomorrow’s greatest strength.

Personal Regards,
Keenan

INTERPERSONAL© is published by INTERPERSONALBIZ.COM, Keenan Longcor, Editor, ©2008. Duplication of this publication is permitted for both personal and business use. Excerpts may only be quoted with acknowledgment of INTERPERSONAL and/or INTERPERSONALBIZ.ORG as the source. For re-publication rights, please contact the editor at KEENAN@INTERPERSONALBIZ.COM