Many years ago, when I worked as Director of Public Affairs and Annual Fund (which, upon reflection, was a very silly combination) for my alma mater, Franklin College, I would hear professors talk about taking a sabbatical.
Frankly, at that early point in my life and career, I wasn’t quite certain what a “sabbatical” really was — until one teacher explained to me the concept of providing a professional in academia some time to reflect and accomplish something — such as writing a book — that would enable the individual to return to his or her position both refreshed and with a greater depth of knowledge from which to teach.
(As I was just starting my work at the college, at that point it sounded to me like a fancy way of saying you were taking a year off work.)
Now, however, I realize there is more to the sabbatical than my youthful self realized. Taken, as Wikipedia tells us “from Latin sabbaticus, from Greek sabbatikos, from Hebrew shabbat, i.e., Sabbath, literally a ‘ceasing.’”
Often, I remark in my presentations we “get so busy DOING what we do, we fail to take time to THINK about what we do.”
Reading the Steve Jobs biography, I was struck by how much time Jobs spent in thought and contemplation. Don’t get me wrong — I realize if you’re running a small business like my Dad and Mom did with their small town grocery store, you just do not have the luxury of extended “navel gazing,” as one hard-boiled manager once put it to me.
However, if all you’re doing is what you’ve always done — especially if you must do it cheaper and faster — I’m not certain you’re doing yourself any favors.
It’s fascinating to me it’s the outsiders who often are the industry disrupters. For example…as I mention in “Collapse of Distinction”…it wasn’t Folger’s or Chase & Sanborn who came up with the revolution that is Starbucks.
The critical question is, “Why not?” Folger’s was focused on coffee all day, every day. Why couldn’t they come up with the concept? They were already buying coffee beans…
It wasn’t Nokia or Motorola that revolutionized mobile phones. It was Apple. Why couldn’t the ones working every day on it come up with a perfect smartphone? Why was it an outsider?
The answer is too obvious: Because the companies working intently on coffee and mobile phones didn’t have the perspective an outsider would.
As we approach the end of the year, and many of us in our respective traditions and personal beliefs are celebrating the holidays, my hope is you can also find a bit of a sabbatical.
Use this time to refresh your spirit and recharge your batteries. Maybe it’s a time to contemplate and plan for the coming year. Perhaps you can gain some perspective that is often missing when faced with the crush of day-to-day activities.
Most of all, here is hoping you take the opportunity to “cease” your labors, reflect upon our abundant blessings, and refresh your mind, body, and spirit.
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If you would like some assistance and direction in guiding your plans for the coming year — both personally and professionally — check out our audio program (complete with priorities workbook and program handbook) — “Just Say Yes!”
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Is it me? Or, is it bad service at Verizon?
Almost a year ago, I reported a problem I had with a Verizon Wireless store.
(Interestingly, a PR person later called my office…and asked someone on our team to “apologize for Verizon to me.” Which, of course, struck me a little strange — asking my colleagues to do their work for them…)
Two weeks ago, I went to another store in the area — in part, because the manager at the store I cited earlier gave me the “stink eye” when I returned to his store to purchase a charger — and, I had a great experience purchasing a phone and tablet at the Castleton location.
(In the interest of full disclosure, I am a mobile phone NUT. Crazy about them. Want them all. My buddy since our teens, speaker and author Mark Mayfield, owns every golf club ever made. That’s my goal with smart phones. Stupid, I know…but, it’s my thing.)
AND…I’m keynoting a majorly important sales conference for HTC this week. I LOVE HTC phones! If they would give me lots of samples, I would give them speeches for FREE. (Thankfully, they’ve already signed the contract for other compensation.) HTC Sense enables them to deliver the absolute best Android experience going. And, I wrote that before they ever selected me to speak to them…)
So…I needed to understand the competition. It’s my job…research. I purchased the Motorola Razr from the Verizon store in Indy — and, while not my favorite, it’s a good product. Except for the battery life.
As the kind sales professional at Verizon told me, I could trade it in for a Razr Maxx if I found the battery life unacceptable. (The Razr Maxx addresses the battery life issues of the original.) I called Verizon, and the helpful person in customer service told me he would make it so I could go to the store, and set it up so they would ship me a Razr Maxx on the road, put my Razr in a box, ship it back to Verizon, and have a pleasant return transaction.
I believed them.
Then, I went to the store. Both the manager and his associate argued with me that I even BOUGHT the phone at that store!
(NOTE: When is it EVER productive to tell a customer they don’t know where the hell they even spent their hard-earned dollars to purchase something from you? Here’s a clue…never.)
Later, as they reviewed their data, they found that, yes, I was right…and they were incorrect in telling me I didn’t know what I was talking about. We were not off to a great start.
Then, they blamed the nice guy at Verizon customer service. Telling me he “could not make the offer to me” he did; I would have to give them my phone — preferably after I drove all the way back home and returned it in the box in which it was purchased — and do without a device until they shipped one to me on the road. And…since Saturday was my last day to possibly do this because of their return policy…would I give them the phone then, or would I “live with my situation?”
His focus was never on my experience as a customer — but, instead, ensuring that every box was checked properly on the forms he evidently was required to complete.
Verizon has a fabulous network. And, HTC and others ensure they have great devices. So, Verizon Wireless…PLEASE get your act together when it comes to how you relate to customers. Why was it so important for the manager to be right — as opposed to the customer to be thrilled?
Why would Verizon Wireless — or any business — that has invested so much in everything else then provide us a compelling reason to walk away?
(By the way…I just gave up and bought an extra charger and left, disgusted. I am dissatisfied customer. And, while I will tell everyone how much I love HTC, how — at this point — can I be a fan of Verizon?)
Is YOUR business more conceded about policies and procedures than customers?
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