spark new thinking!

Is Your Job a TGIF or a GIFT?

2010-03-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

How do you look at work right now? Are you in TGIF mode? You know, living for the weekend so you don't have to work or think for a day or two?

Every Friday, I see hundreds of TGIF proclamations on Facebook and Twitter, not to mention the ones I actually hear people utter in person. Sometimes these expressions begin to appear much earlier in the week. Comments like "I can't believe it's only Tuesday" or "Only 4 more days 'til the weekend" are surprisingly common.

It's a totally understandable attitude. Work sucks sometimes, no doubt about it. It would be great if work was all butterflies and rainbows, but we've all had our share of cloudy, rainy weeks (and we all know butterflies can't fly in the rain...or is that bees? I can't remember).

But what if - entertain me for a moment - what if we can actually CHOOSE our attitude like some of those butterfly and rainbow people believe?

What IF you viewed work right now as a GIFT instead of a TGIF? Call it selective dyslexia if you'd like. Intentionally rearrange the letters. Intentionally rearrange your attitude.

If you have a job right now, it really is a gift. Ok, maybe it's not the gift you would choose, but it's a gift nonetheless. I hate to sound like a mom trying to get you to eat your vegetables, but look around. There are so many people who either don't have a job or don't have a job that's nearly as fantastic as the one you have. Don't believe me? Watch Dirty Jobs or Undercover Boss sometime on TV. You'll change your mind.

I'd like to challenge you to do something. A simple behavioral change for one month. Even if you can do it for a week I'd be happy.

I challenge you to look at your job as a gift.

If you have a hard time with that, make a list of everything you can think of that's good about your job. Maybe your list will be a mile long, or it might contain a single item like "I've got the only chair in the office that's not broken."

Maybe your list simply says "I have a job." That's a good start.

When you shift from a TGIF attitude to a GIFT attitude, so many things about your job will change for the better, including the quality of your work and your relationships with your bosses, co-workers, and others.

And if you want to take it to an extreme, take a moment this week to thank your boss(es) for the gift of your job.

Wouldn't it be neat if the meaning of TGIF changed from "Thank God the weekend is almost here" to "Thank God I have another day to work this week!" And that's my final butterfly and rainbow thought for today. :)

Do You Have "Killer Whales" In Your Organization?

2010-03-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, February 24th, 2010, Sea World trainer Dawn Brancheau was dragged into the water and killed by one of the Orcas she worked with every day.

Sad for sure. A total surprise? Hardly.

Even Columbus' own Jack Hanna was quoted by CNN saying, "What happened is something that happens; it happens in our line of work. They are dangerous animals; they're wild animals."

"Killer whales." Despite their seemingly playful flips, tricks, and "personality," these are dangerous and deadly wild animals. One look at their teeth should give you a clue. That's not a "Nice to see you" smile. It's more like a gigantic white neon sign that warns you to "keep your distance or I'll eat you...and your little dog, too."

I'm not here to defend animal rights or the capitalistic rights of Sea World. I am here, however, to defend logic and common sense.

What baffles me is that Tillikum, the whale that did the killing, is a 3-time offender. Dawn was the third human "accidentally" killed by this creature.

What baffles me even more is that we are so horrified by an amusement park tragedy, yet we fail to see (or fail to act) on the "killer whales" that swim through our own organizations.

Does your organization have any "killer whales"?

I'm talking about those people who just seem to create damage everywhere they go. Maybe it's through a chronically negative attitude, or gossip, or laziness, or spreading "victim mentality." Killer whales in companies have also been known to be brown-nosers, ladder climbers, big talkers, and otherwise selfishly ambitious snakes (oops, sorry, we were talking about whales, not snakes, weren't we?).

I recently worked with a company that has a killer whale that will literally go from office to office complaining about the latest injustice handed down from "the man." He'll close the door and act like he's talking in confidence to each person, but within minutes he's on to the next office, creating a destructive wake behind him.

Sea World should probably release Tillikum. Just like your organization should probably release its killer whales.

Sea World is reluctant to release whales into the wild because after living in captivity, their street fighting skills are pretty rusty. Many don't survive too long. Even that whale from the Free Willy movie was dead within 18 months after being released. Kind of a bummer for him since they can live to be 35.

And we can't ignore the fact that these beasts cost cost about $2 million. That's a lot of money to toss back into the ocean.

We keep our killer whales for some of the same reasons, though, don't we? Sometimes we honestly feel it's better to keep them than to release them into the corporate ocean. We pretend that we're being good human beings by giving them another chance. Then another. Then another. Then another.

Or we feel like we need them. If we let them go, it will be hard to replace them. Maybe they're big revenue generators for our company. Maybe we've invested a lot of time and money training them and we don't want that to go to waste.

My favorite excuse (meaning the one I've used the most myself) for keeping a killer whale: "I just don't have time to deal with it right now."

But that killer whale is, well, killing your company. Maybe not all in one bite, but certainly one bite at a time. That's probably worse because by the time you feel the damage they've caused, it's pretty significant.

Here's the good news. When you release a killer whale, you organization changes immediately. The wave of relief is felt instantly by everyone. Positivity starts flowing back in. The stress and tension the killer whale was causing quickly dissolves. And all those things you were worried about (replacing them, training someone new, losing revenue, etc.) really don't seem quite as horrible as they did when the killer whale was swimming around.

Are there killer whales that can be rehabilitated? Probably. Setting clear behavioral expectations and providing solid coaching can work wonders on some. This isn't a process that should take years, though. A few months, tops. You usually know pretty quickly if someone is willing and able to change.

That said, you and I both know that sometimes those killer whales have just got to go. Sooner than later. Much, much sooner than later. Honestly, if you have one of those people, it should be on the top of your to-do list. In fact, it should BE your to-do list. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Take care of it.

One final thought. I hope you noticed that I never used the word "terminate." I don't think Tillikum should be destroyed. I think he should be given a fighting chance, but outside the walls of Sea World. I don't think you should destroy your killer whales, either. They should get a fighting chance, too, but outside your walls. Treat them with respect, help them make the transition, and wish them well. They'll survive and, more importantly, so will you.

Get 50% off meeting rentals in March & April

2010-02-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

Incredible! sparkspace is offering 50% off meeting space rentals in March & April. This is a very limited time offer - it ends on 3/5. Now imagine the good karma you will create when you share this with everyone you know...

>> Click for all the details

Whoever Wrote The Rule...

2010-02-24T09:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a sad, but true statistic:

2/3 of all new restaurants fail before their first birthday.

But not Danny Meyer's establishments. His eateries not only survive, they become culinary icons in the most competitive restaurant market in the world: New York City. His Union Square Hospitality Group owns more than a dozen restaurants, the oldest of which is over 20 years old, and he's never closed a restaurant!

Makes you wonder, "How does he DO that?"

Danny Meyer knows how to re-frame his preconceptions. In his book, Setting The Table, Danny devotes a whole chapter to this key ingredient in his secret sauce for successful business. The chapter is titled "Whoever Wrote The Rule..."

Whenever Danny runs into a challenge or begins a new project, he starts asking questions that begin with "Whoever wrote the rule..."

For example, when he had the idea for a "drive-in" burger & shake joint inside Madison Square Park, he asked himself "Whoever wrote the rule that said we can't create a drive-in shake joint in a city where nobody drives?" He didn't let his (or anyone else's) preconceptions get in the way. That thinking led to his wildly successful walk-up Shake Shack concept, which has since spun (or should I say, shaken) off two more locations around NYC and created an intensely loyal following.

Re-framing your preconceptions is really what you mean when you try to "think out side the box." What you're doing is re-framing assumptions, rules, regulations, behaviors, attitudes, etc.

I've never run across a better or more simple way to quickly achieve breakthrough thinking. Here's a quick step-by-step guide:

1. Identify your challenge (always, always be as specific as you can). A good challenge to me starts with a phrase like, "Why can't we (insert challenge here)?"

2. List all the rules, parameters, assumptions, criteria, etc. that you can think of around your challenge.

3. Re-frame the rules one by one by asking "Whoever wrote the rule that (insert rule here)."

Here's another example: My wife and I have been trying to plan a trip to Italy to attend a friend's wedding. We originally thought we'd all go, both of us and our two kids. We keep looking for great deals, but lemme tell ya, traveling to the land of lasagna 'aint cheap. It's so expensive that we've pretty much decided that we won't go.

But this wedding is for one of my wife's favorite friends in the whole world. The kind of friend you'd be willing to travel around the world to see get married.

So if I employ Danny Meyer's breakthrough thinking tool and ask, "Whoever wrote the rule that we all have to go to Italy?", then my options suddenly increase, don't they? Maybe she could go alone. Or maybe she could take a once-in-a-lifetime trip with one of our kids. Or maybe we could leave some canned food and pizza coupons on the counter and tell the kids we'll be back in a week (ok, that last one was a joke...really).

What has you stumped? Do you have any challenges that would benefit from a good "Whoever wrote the rule" question or two?

When you master the art of re-framing your preconceptions like this, you open up an amazing new world of possibility.

By the way, the answer to almost every question that starts with "Whoever wrote the rule" is "YOU". Most of the rules you live and work by are rules YOU created, or at the very least YOU accepted/adopted them. That means YOU have the power to re-write many of the rules any time you want.

If you want some great inspiration from some real-life people who are re-writing their rules, don't miss our next free event: The Lemonade Movie Premier on March 9th.

You're Invited To Our Free Movie Premier!

2010-02-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

Lemonade
It's not a pink slip it's a blank page

Date: Tuesday, March 9th

Time: 7pm-8:30pm

Place: sparkspace in the Arena District

Cost: FREE

Click Here to Reserve Your Seat

Come to our FREE movie premier and see this inspiring documentary of real people that reinvented themselves and their career after being laid off work.

This is a movie about:

- Exploring new dreams

- Believing in yourself

- Finding your passion

- Reinventing yourself

- Losing your livelihood but finding your life

- Taking lemons and making Lemonade

With job losses being at a all time high in our country this is the perfect film to see to get inspired to help someone you love or be inspired yourself - even if you are happily (or not so happily) employed.

We will watch the film, followed by a dynamic group discussion. It's an evening that's sure to make you think.

Check out the movie trailer and reserve your seat now. Space is limited so don't miss out!

Click Here to Reserve Your Seat

This movie is sponsored and facilitated by:

Carrie is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor and is also certified through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She received her training at The Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City. In addition, she has spent over 8 years working in corporate environments where she focused on training and development. This included creating curriculum for classes, teaching classes, as well as managing corporate training programs.

Carrie inspires individuals to achieve joy and balance by discovering the powerful connection between nutrition, mind and body. It is important for her to support her clients as they rediscover and accept who they are at this point in their life. She is your personal advocate for living an energized and passionate life.

You can learn more about her and read what some of her clients are saying by visiting her website www.CarrieSaba.com.

Our Next "Creating A Positive Charge Workshop" is April 19th

2010-02-23T03:53:00.000-08:00

This is the best workshop we've ever created. Join the hundreds who have already experienced it! More info at http://bit.ly/aFIKQE

Hope to see you there!

We Really Want Your Opinion...As Long As Its Good.

2010-02-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

The white-coated pharmacist handed me my drugs at my local CVS this morning. As she did, her eyes grew big and her voice rose like a teenage girl on opening night of the latest Twilight movie.

"Oooh, you've been selected to take our feedback survey for a chance to win $1000," she said. I've never seen a pharmacist so excited. Apparently the thrill of winning a lottery trumps counting pills on the excite-o-meter. Who knew?

Then, she said something that struck a raw nerve somewhere deep inside my customer-service core: "We'd like you to give us all 5's on the survey."

Not "We hope we've served you well." Not "We'd really like your honest feedback." Nope, it was a flat-out directive intended to solicit only great customer satisfaction scores.

And to seal the deal, she handed me a Reese's Peanut Butter candy bar. BRIBERY! I felt so, so, so...DIRTY. There, I said it out loud.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I took the candy. Think I'm going to pass on free candy? They guy who still dresses up for Halloween? C'mon!

The kicker was the note that accompanied the bribe. It said, "These questions are on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being 'completely satisfied.' If you cannot answer with a score of 5, please contact the Store Manager at the number listed." It said more, but that was the part that made me laugh.

Ok, let me get this straight. You request me to give you all 5's. Then you tell me if I can't, I need to call the manager. Man, now my free candy bar and potential lottery winnings are beginning to sound like work! I'd better give them their 5's 'cause I don't have time or desire to call the manager. After all, I've got a newsletter article to write.

Customer service evangelist Kevin Stirtz calls this "survey coaching." In his article, "Survey Coaching Can Ruin a Good Customer Relationship," he equates companies who coach your survey participation to a waiter who would dare to hand you your bill and say, "I really hope you give me a big fat tip!"

Imagine asking your boss for feedback that way. "Well, boss, I'd be happy to listen to my annual review...as long as its all positive and I get a raise at the end. By the way, if you can't give me all positive feedback, could you call my spouse and explain why? Thanks. Oh, and here's a candy bar."

I get why companies feel like they need to offer incentives. People don't willingly fill out surveys, especially if they don't feel like it will do any good. What I don't get is why companies don't just straight up ask their customers how they're doing.

We send a survey to everyone who books a meeting at sparkspace. We get about a 25% response rate. If we gave out candy bars, we might get a 26% response rate.

Our survey doesn't ask for high ratings. Our survey gives our guests the opportunity to tell us what they liked, what they didn't like, and how we can improve. We've received some pretty good suggestions over the years through our survey. But, honestly, I think we get better feedback by taking a moment or two each day to just talk to our guests about their experience face to face.

Surveys are great for building statistics and maybe for capturing some trends. But they're far from being the world's best way to identify areas for improvement. So, if you're going to use them, don't blow smoke up your customer's internet connection trying to convince them that the survey will lead to big changes.

And by all means, don't bribe your customers. If they want to tell you something, just give them an opportunity and they'll talk your ear off. As Kevin Stirtz says, incentives "poison the process" because they change the customer's motivation for giving you feedback.

Ok, maybe I won't eat the candy bar after all.

Announcing The Ugliest Conference Room Contest!

2010-02-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

Do you have a boring, uninspiring, or downright ugly conference room?

Send us a picture of it and you could win a free meeting room rental at sparkspace...the most exciting retreat center on the planet. The ugliest conference room we receive by Tuesday, February 23 will receive a FREE meeting rental in any one of our amazing spaces.

We're on a mission to help those who need it the most! So let the ugliest conference room win!

Click for more info and official rules

You're One of the Best. Are You Acting Like It?

2010-02-02T13:21:00.000-08:00

If I told you were are one of the best at what you do, would you believe me?

Some of you might. Others would blow me off thinking, "There are a lot of people better than me at what I do." And you're probably right. But that doesn't mean you're not one of the best.

Remember, I didn't say THE best. I said ONE of the best. I'm making an assumption here that you're not the WORST either. So, technically speaking, if you're not the worst, then you're one of the best. You could be next to worst, but that still makes you one of the best, right?

Here's another example that you might be more comfortable accepting. What if I saw you in a room full of people and told you, "You're one of the best looking people in the room." That statement would be true even if you were almost as hideous as the ugliest person in the room. And you would be quite relieved, maybe even happy to hear it (depends on how overall ugly the room is, right?).

Many of us don't like to consider ourselves one of the best at what we do. Know why? Because being one of the best carries responsibility that we're not always willing to carry. Being one of the best usually means you must continually strive to remain one of the best. You might even be climbing your way to the numero uno spot in your industry's hall of fame.

That takes work. Ughhh!

Most people and most companies that we consider "one of the best" at what they do are not always (not even usually) the most talented. They're the ones who work at getting better every single day. They improve processes constantly, they fix what's broken, they reach for bigger and better goals.

Sometimes it may seem like a person or a company is an overnight success. The reality is that most "overnight" successes occur over hundreds or thousands of nights, not just one. They've been working for years at being one of the best and it eventually shows.

Ok, so here's where I'll remind you that you are one of the best at what you do. How are you working to get better (because that's what the best always do)?

The great thing is that there are so many ways to get better at what you do! Take a class, read a book, find a mentor, bring your whole staff to our workshop on February 16th (sorry, I tried to be subtle), work on a strategic plan, throw out your strategic plan and start over, study your industry, study another industry, study your customer, study your competition...you get the point.

A question I've been asking people lately is: if your business went away tomorrow, would anyone miss it? If you're not truly acting like "one of the best," chances are nobody would even notice. I don't know about you, but I want to be missed!!!! Better yet, I don't want to go away any day soon. That's why I keep working to get better every day. How about you?

Cool Spaces In Other Places

2010-01-30T08:39:00.000-08:00

We're always on the lookout for cool & creative meeting spaces. First of all, they totally inspire us just lookin' at 'em. Secondly, we know your meetings can't always come to the most exciting retreat center on the planet in Columbus, Ohio. Check out these amazing spaces in London, England at spacehopper.com

By the way, if you're ever looking for creative meeting space outside of Columbus, Ohio, we have an ever-growing directory of unique spaces around the world (mostly in the US, but a few other countries as well). Send us an email for a complimentary copy of our creative meeting space directory. Looks like spacehopper will likely have a robust directory soon as well, so you might want to bookmark that site for your future space needs, too.

X-Rays Can Be Fun? Who Knew?

2010-01-27T09:40:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking about getting an X-ray, just for fun.

I'm not kidding. I recently had an X-ray at Riverside Health Center. We were checking my hand to look for evidence of arthritis. Thankfully, my hand contains nothing but boring, normal bones. My experience at Riverside Health Center was everything BUT boring and normal, however. I would even classify it as kind of fun.

Thanks to Tanisha. That's her in the picture with some brilliant (and obviously caffeinated) doctor at Riverside.

Have you ever approached a reception desk and been greeting by a H-U-G-E smile and a very energetic greeting? When it happens, you instantly feel more comfortable, especially in new, unusual, or potentially stressful environments (a.k.a. medical offices). A big smile and a warm greeting create a sense of welcome that no sign, brochure, or flat-screen TV video could ever replicate.

That's the kind of greeting Tanisha gives you when you approach her reception desk. By the way, she doesn't wait for you to get within two inches of the desk before she flashes that smile. She projects it at you when you're still fifteen or twenty feet away. It pulls you in like a tractor beam. Heck, even if you weren't there for an appointment, you'd still be compelled to walk over and talk to her.

After a very friendly exchange during my check-in, I was again very pleasantly surprised when Tanisha came around from behind the desk and escorted me to the waiting area. For a moment, I wondered if she had mistaken me for John Cusac k, my celebrity look-alike (according to my wife). Nope. It's just the way they roll at Riverside Health Center.

If I had any doubt that Tanisha was just a rare exception to the rule, my doubts were permanently shattered when Nicole, my X-ray tech came to get me in the waiting area. Another H-U-G-E smile, more VIP escorting, more happiness.

I wasn't getting my Bentley serviced (no, I don't really have one) or fitted for an Armani suit (don't have one of these either...yet). I was there for an X-ray.

If they can do that at an X-ray clinic, could you do that at your law firm, auto parts store, elementary school, insurance agency, or whatever business you're in?

Um, yeah. I'm pretty sure you can.

Try it. Flash a H-U-G-E smile at the next person who walks in your door, even if it's one of your own team members. Greet them with an energetic hello. Treat them like a VIP. See what kind of magic happens. Sure, they may look at you like you're crazy. But remember, crazy ideas are the only ones that really change the world.

Tell Them Yes

2010-01-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of Compendium, Inc. They produce the coolest inspirational and motivational books on the planet. We give them away as thank-you gifts and always have some laying around sparkspace. You may have also seen them at Starbucks. Last year, Starbucks carried the Five book, which helps you think about what you want to do with the next five years of your life.

This year, Starbucks carried their newest book, the 1 book. If you've ever wondered how to make a difference in the world, you should really pick up a copy. Starbucks is pretty much sold out (I know, I pretty much bought them out), but you can purchase any of the books at http://www.live-inspired.com.

I'm including an excerpt from the 1 book today that literally gave me chills when I read it. It's actually copy from a Nike ad. Let it inspire you to do or start something great today.

All your life you are told the things you cannot do.

All your life they will say you're not good enough
or strong enough or talented enough.

They'll say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight
or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this.

They will tell you no, a thousand times no
until all the no's become meaningless.

All your life they will tell you no,
quite firmly and very quickly.

They will tell you no.

And you will tell them yes.

Make 2010 your year of telling them yes.

Kickstart Your 2010 Goals & Resolutions - January 19th

2010-01-11T05:05:00.000-08:00

Are you excited about 2010?

2010 is going to be a great year...but only for organizations and individuals that know how to recognize new possibilities, increase their ability, and create the energy required to transform possibility into reality.

Where could your business, team, or career be a year from now if you knew how to deal better with change and create a positive future? Find out at this very special sparkspace workshop that will kickstart your best year ever in 2010!

Title: Creating A Positive Charge

Date: Tuesday, January 19th
Time: 8am-Noon
Location: sparkspace
Cost: $85pp (Plus, bring a friend for FREE*)

Get More Info and Register Online

Imagine what you could you accomplish if you and your team could learn to navigate through obstacles that normally inhibit your progress and creativity? Imagine if you could maximize your effectiveness so you really could "do more with less" (like so many of us are asked to do!).

In this short, but powerful workshop, you and/or your team will:

- learn how to deal with change, uncertainty, and events that appear to be out of your control.

- realize how much power you truly have to make a difference.
- determine what you need to be the absolute best at right now to be successful.
- spark hope and positivity during tough times.
- create energy and options to move your goals, your team, and your business forward.

*SPECIAL OFFER: Bring a friend for free!

For every paid registration, you'll receive an extra registration at no extra charge. Bring a co-worker, a friend, a client, or someone from your favorite non-profit organization! Hurry, though, because with this special offer, we expect to fill the workshop rapidly.

Get More Info and Register Online

Added bonus!

If you attend our Creating A Positive Charge workshop (or you've attended this workshop in the past) you are invited to join our Positive Charge Mastermind Group at no extra charge! The Mastermind group will meet each quarter for 2 hours to continue the thinking and conversation that makes this workshop so powerful. Each meeting will present new ideas and provide you the opportunity to work with other Mastermind participants to gain fresh insight and ideas about your current challenges. Our first Mastermind group will meet the afternoon of January 19th.

If you've attended Creating A Positive Charge in the past, email mark@sparkspace.com for more information about joining the Mastermind group.

Forget What You Need To Do

2010-01-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, you're fired up for the new year and all the possibility it brings. I love new years and new seasons. Even just a new day usually gets me pretty excited.

Even so, I'm a little overwhelmed with how to achieve all the wonderful things I want to achieve this year. I'm also overwhelmed at the volume of self-help information intended to help me set goals and get motivated. So I'm going to keep this simple this week, but I do hope this single spark helps you as much as it is helping me think differently about this new year.

Forget what you need to DO to achieve your goals. Instead, focus on who you need to BE. If you become the person you need to become, the "to-dos" will suddenly become much easier to do, and many will magically start taking care of themselves.

For example, if your goal is to become "fit like an athlete," you already know what to do: eat right, exercise a lot, stay hydrated, and get the proper amount of rest. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you've probably done those things before in hopes of losing weight or becoming more physically fit. Yeah, I've done it, too. So why aren't you and I Olympians? Face it, most of us are more like Oompa Loompians than world-class athletes.

It's because we work on what we need to DO instead of who we need to BE. Someone who is fit like an athlete is disciplined, committed, and maybe a little bit crazy (have you seen those people who run in the snow????). They put their health and fitness FIRST, before entertainment, hobbies, and even before friends and family. I'm not saying they don't value these things, but they will sacrifice some of the time others might spend with friends, family, and American Idol in order to achieve and maintain the level of fitness they desire.

So are you working on eating right, exercising, staying hydrated, and resting properly, or are you working on being disciplined, committed, and maybe a little bit crazy?

This applies to more than fitness, too. It applies to any kind of goal you strive for. If your goal is to become a better leader, build a better team, or create a culture of world-class customer service, take some time to think about who you will need to be as an individual or an organization first. Then, work on the ways you can develop into that.

If fitness is your goal, you may realize that to create the time you need for exercise will require you to become a master of time management. Take a class or read a book (or two or three or ten) on time management.

Becoming a better leader might require you to become a motivator of people. Learning what makes people tick would help you become the kind of person you need to be to become a great leader. Go learn what makes people tick!

If doubling your sales is your big goal this year, you might need to become the best sales organization on the planet.You won't do that by simply checking off a to-do list. You'll have to develop your entire organization to be fanatically crazy about your product and seizing every opportunity to add amazing value to your clients.

This whole article really boils down to two questions (sorry you had to read all the other stuff...I couldn't help myself):

1. What do you want to achieve this year?

2. Who do you need to become as an individual, team, or organization to make that happen?

Oh, yeah, one more thing: start today. It's really the only day you ever have.

Please Don't Make Me Do Your Work For You

2009-12-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

I've seen this crappy little sign a few times at a very small restaurant I go to occasionally. Every time I see it, I think the same thing: please don't make me do your job for you. Peek your head in here once in awhile. It also makes me wonder if their employees ever go to the bathroom. If they did, surely they'd know if the bathroom needed attention. Or maybe they're reading the other sign that says, "Employees must wash hands before returning to work."

Life Is Good...and their story is awesome

2009-12-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for magazines, TV shows, and campfire stories about entrepreneurs. CNBC ran a show tonight called "How I Made My Millions." I loved every story, but one the one I liked best was the story behind Life Is Good, the brand that makes people smile with simple, happy t-shirts. Here's a quick clip. I encourage you to watch the whole story next time it airs on CNBC. Enjoy!

88 Ways to Make The Naughty List

2009-12-16T06:37:00.000-08:00

Ok, so last week I asked you to tell me what actions, attitudes or behaviors would land a business on your "naughty list." In other words, what do companies do that make you NOT want to do business with them?

Y'all must have needed to vent! Oh, the stories you told! The anguish you've endured! The amazing and horrific customer service you've witnessed!

I've read your stories, comments, and pleas for help, and summarized them into 88 ways companies can make the naughty list. As you read these, you'll chuckle knowingly at some, wince at some, and nod your head in agreement at nearly all of them. But as you read, I'd like you to use this list as a checklist for your own business. Think about each of these 88 behaviors and ask yourself, "Do we do this at any level?"

I'll be honest with you, we pride ourselves at sparkspace on the level of customer service we provide, and I found SEVERAL items on this list that hit a little (or a lot) too close to home.

I probably don't have to encourage you to do this, but you might want to share this post with, well, EVERYBODY you know. I have a feeling this is going to be one of our most read, most forwarded posts ever.

88 Ways To Make The Naughty List (in no particular order):

Poor communication between different parts of your business.
Talking to co-workers about personal matters instead of paying attention to me.
Talking on the phone about personal matters instead of paying attention to me.
When 10 employees walk by the same piece of trash.
Communications that contain grammatical and/or spelling mistakes (but, please excuse any in this newsletter).
Saying or implying "it's not my job" and pushing me off to another department or person.
Having to call (or be transferred to) three different people because nobody has access to all of the information I need regarding services or my account.
Lack of accountability for mistakes.
Not knowing the answer to a question AND THEN not trying to find the answer.
Long lines.
Employees who don't seem to care.
Having to ask you to repeat a service because of poor quality the first time.
Employees who PICK THEIR NOSE just before helping me.
Not responding to a personal complaint phone call, voicemail, letter, email, facebook page post (on your company's page), or tweet (to your company).
Placing me on hold for 20 minutes.
Placing me on hold for more than a minute, period.
Providing a "help" phone number staffed by people who can't (or won't) really help you.
Failing on your promises to me.
Bad-mouthing the competition.
Not having an advertised sale item in stock (or not providing a rain check).
Asking me to wait so you can make a bigger sale to a customer who just arrived.
Automatically replacing an ordered item with a "similar" item because the original item wasn't available, then not informing me of the change.
VOICEMAIL JAIL! A. Dumping me into automated voicemail systems with way too many options to listen to. B. Asking me to input my account number multiple times. C. Placing me on hold, then disconnecting me. D. Any of the above, in any combination.
Acting like you don't have time to help me.
Charging more just because you can.
Requiring ME to follow up continually in order to resolve YOUR mistake.
Treating me like you're doing a favor for me instead of being grateful for my business, no matter how big or small.
Employees arguing with each other.
Using foul language.
Not sounding educated (about your company or product).
Not sounding educated (by an elementary school).
Being placed on hold after talking to someone, then being asked "Can I help you?" when someone picks up the phone again.
Making me repeat an issue, name, account number, etc. every time you transfer me.
Sending me marketing emails without my permission.
Selling or sharing my email address without my permission.
Not unsubscribing me when I request to unsubscribe.
Completely ignoring or "blowing off" my complaint by not offering any solution, resolution, or compensation.
Not being somewhat flexible on deadlines, due dates, and expiration dates of special offers.
Not providing complete information about a product, sale, or promotion and expecting me to live up to all of the rules & regulations that you DIDN'T publish.
Slow shipping on something that's "in-stock".
Selling your product through "representatives" or "franchises" that don't deliver on YOUR brand promises.
Complaining to me about another customer!
Cashiers who are on "auto-pilot".
Employees who talk about how they can't wait until their shift is over.
Making me fight my way through a poorly designed form.
Requiring me to fill out multiple forms with the same information.
Making a special offer or sale, then basically negating most of it through a complex disclaimer.
Being rude.
Being aggressive.
Not taking no for an answer.
Being inconsiderate of my time.
Giving me a time-frame of when you'll show up, and showing up at the very end of the time.
Giving me a time-frame of when you'll show up, not showing up, and not calling me to tell me.
Telling me about you instead of asking me what my needs are first.
Making me go through your entire automatic phone system only to find out I've called outside of your business hours.
Barraging me with mail solicitation.
Not smiling.
Telling me you don't "ever" do something when you could easily do it for me this time.
Sending me communications that try to win me as a new customer when I'm already a customer.
Not saying thank you.
Not honoring your 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Price gouging.
Lying.
"Lazy lying", i.e., saying you're out of something without checking.
Bad-mouthing your own company.
Not being nice.
Not making it easy to do business with you or, worse, actually making it difficult to do business with you.
Speaking the phrase, "Our policy says..."
Being condescending.
Being patronizing.
Being arrogant.
Poor follow up. If you say you'll do something, DO IT.
Failing to apologize for your mistakes.
Failing to acknowledge that my situation sucks, even if it's not your fault.
Hiding from me by not providing me a way to contact a real person.
Calling ME, then putting me on hold!
Offering discounts to new customers, but doing nothing for existing loyal customers.
Not being properly staffed when you know you're going to be busy.
Employees standing around chatting, or doing nothing, while I clearly need help.
Not listening to me, not engaging me in conversation, and giving me a "pat" answer instead of finding a real solution to my need.
Not trusting me and requiring too much verification (especially when "security" is not an issue).
Assuming you know what my problem or desire is before truly finding out.
Not providing a simple, "I'll be right with you" acknowledgment.
Operating solely off of a script instead of listening and being human.
Making me feel like a number instead of a valued customer.
"Nickel & dime-ing" me by adding on fees, hidden charges, etc.
Constant reorganization and restructuring and making me re-learn your company.
Disciplining your employees in front of me.

Whew! That's quite a list. And as exhausting as it may be to get through it, it's not an exhaustive list. You might even wish to spend some time developing your own "naughty list" of behaviors that your company should specifically avoid.

We promised to enter everyone who sent in their comments into a contest to win a copy of one of our favorite books on customer service: Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service. We received so many responses, we've decided to give out FIVE books instead of one. We'll be mailing books to these lucky winners:

Chuck Clark
Kristen Harris
Scott Moehring
Dan Smith
Juli Kernodle

Thanks for reading. Happy Holidays!

Create a Positive Charge in January! New Public Workshop Announced

2009-12-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

Date: January 19th

Time: 8am-Noon

Location: sparkspace in the Arena District

Cost: $85pp (plus every paid registrant gets to invite a guest for FREE)

CLICK HERE to register online

Are you excited about 2010?

2010 is going to be a great year...but only for organizations and individuals that know how to recognize new possibilities, increase their ability to work toward them, and create the energy required to transform possibility into reality.

Where could your business, team, or career be a year from now if you knew how to easily shed the negativity and fear that change and uncertainty always brings?

What could you accomplish if you and your team could learn to navigate through obstacles that normally inhibit your progress and creativity? Imagine if you could maximize your effectiveness so you really could "do more with less" (like so many of us are asked to do!).

In this short, but powerful workshop, you'll:

learn how to deal with change, uncertainty, and events that appear to be out of your control.
realize how much power you truly have to make a difference.
determine what you need to be the absolute best at right now to be successful.
spark hope and positivity during tough times.
create energy and options to move your goals, your team, and your business forward.

CLICK HERE to register online

The Naughty List

2009-12-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

I thought it might be fun to make this week's post interactive. I was going to come up with a list of mistakes that companies make that would land them on the "naughty list". That's where I need your help!

Now, you might be thinking no such list exists, but I disagree. We ALL keep a naughty list in our heads. We all have a set of standards that businesses must live up to. If they fail our standards, we start wishing we could fill their bank accounts with lumps of coal instead of piles of cash. I'm sure a few companies are already sneaking into your consciousness as you read this.

So how does a company end up on your naughty list? What are your pet peeves in business? What kinds of customer service, teamwork, or business etiquette failures drive you up the wall?

CLICK HERE to give us your naughty list qualifications.

Now is your chance to let the world know! You can tell us one or a hundred. Vent all you want. Let it out. You don't even have to leave your name, BUT if you do, you'll be entered to win a copy of one of our favorite books: Zingerman's Guide To Great Service.

We'll post your responses in next week's blog post. Together, we'll let companies everywhere know exactly what they can do to avoid the naughty list. Ok, maybe it's too late for 2009, but maybe we can provide some hope for 2010.

Can't wait to hear what you have to say!

It's All About The Straws

2009-11-29T13:04:00.000-08:00

I've discovered the mark of great restaurant. It's all about the straws.

A good restaurant will refill my diet coke on a regular basis until I say "no, thanks" or my hands begin to shake from the caffeine overdose. A GREAT restaurant will refill my diet coke on a regular basis AND stop bringing me straws with every glass.

To me, straws have a time and place where they are useful and appropriate. If my soda comes in a cup with a lid, I'll use a straw. It's clearly designed for travel. If it's served in a glass, however, I'll take the straw out and drink straight from the glass just like I would at home.

Great restaurants (represented by great waiters) notice right off the bat that I've taken the straw out of my glass. When they bring me another drink, my glass arrives ready to meet my lips in Nutrisweet bliss - with no straw to remove.

If straws begin to accumulate on the table in front of me, I'll sometimes I'll amuse myself by playing with them. With two straws, you've got a decent pair of airband drumsticks. With three or more, you can start to construct a pretty nice sculpture. On one particularly thirsty day I created a scale model of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water using nothing but my straws and a few packets of Splenda.

But most of the time they just clutter up the table.

This is a small thing, I know. But aren't the small things what elevate you from good to great? What this really illustrates is how well you pay attention to your customers.

Some practical applications:

Do your customers ask you for the same thing repeatedly? Have you ever thought about automating your ordering or delivery system so they wouldn't have to ask?

Have you ever noticed that your customers end up with unused products or portions of products? Is there any way you can help them recover those products, or even dispose of them in some way? Or help them purchase the correct amount next time?

If you sell your time, do your customers use it all? If not, is there another service you can perform for them so they get full value for their time? What about if they consistently use more time than they schedule? Is there a way to help them schedule the right amount?

Internally, have you ever assisted a teammate with a project or a task at the last minute or as way to simply be extra helpful? Could you take over that task on a regular basis?

A nice example of paying attention to the "straws" was our recent order of water cooler bottles from Ice Mountain. I ordered 20 bottles instead of our usual 10. We had decided that we'd like to have extra on hand instead of always running very low as we approached our delivery dates. The customer service agent on the phone noticed the difference in our typical order. She let me know that we normally only order 10 bottles. I assured her that we wanted 20. She said ok, but she just wanted to make sure since she noticed it was different. She was paying attention!

Spend the next week paying a little closer attention to your customers and figuring out what straws might be left on their table. Sometimes you might have to redesign a system to address the issue. But often you'll find that it only takes a slight shift in your behavior to make a noticeable difference.

Thank God It's Monday?

2009-11-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

How do you feel about Mondays? I'm sure there is a fascinating research study somewhere that states something like 88.3% of Americans dread Mondays. Without the benefit of real research, I have to rely on my personal observations, which tell me that 88.3% might actually be a low number.

Observation #1: What I see on Facebook & Twitter

There are a staggering number of posts on social media outlets that either complain about Monday or say "What a horrible week, thank GOD it's Friday." Oh, and a few more each week that are just thankful to be on the downward side of "hump day."

Observation #2: What I see from the treadmill

I run some mornings on a treadmill at an athletic club downtown. The treadmills face giant windows where you can observe people arriving for work. Mondays are the most interesting. Watching these poor people as they trudge toward their offices makes me kind of sad. Very few walk toward their workweek with positive energy and a sense of purpose. Most look like they are walking painfully against an invisible force that is trying to drag them back home. And there's always a couple that I'm pretty sure are zombies on their way to eat the brains of their coworkers.

If you hate Mondays, live for the weekend, and have to force yourself to put one foot in front of the other just to make it to work before the bell rings, I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that you're probably not amazing at the whole customer service thing.

How could you be? Really. If you dislike your job, your boss, your co-workers, or your cubicle, I've got news for you. It shows. Your customers can tell. They may not be able to put their finger on it, but you put out a vibe that says "there are other things I'd rather be doing."

Hey, we don't all work in our dream job. I get that. We can't all quit our jobs all at once and go search for our ideal work situation. We've got work to do, families to feed, and a car payment to make (unless you drive an 13 year old minivan like I do, but that's another article for another time).

What we can do is realize that we can make a difference ANYWHERE. Sometimes we make a difference in our customer's lives because our purpose and passion enables us to go a step beyond their expectations. And sometimes the difference we make is for ourselves - doing a great job now so we can more easily move to a better job later.

What we can do is realize that the way we carry ourselves makes a difference...and it shows. Do you drag yourself to work each week, lamenting about how tired you are? Or do you stroll in with a smile and and attitude that says "Thank God It's Monday!"?

I'm going to hypnotize you now: remember this article, remember this article, remember this article. Especially as you walk from your car, train, or bus to your office tomorrow. Check your attitude. Check your posture. Check your purpose. Adjust as needed.

I'm not saying "fake it until you make it." I'm saying "make it."

And if you're going make it, you might as well make it spectacular. I believe most people want to work with - and buy from - people who make things spectacular, don't you?

sparkspace video tour and interview!

2009-11-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

sparkspace was recently featured on ONN - The Ohio News Network. Here's the video that aired on Ohio & Company. Enjoy!

Do What's Important

2009-11-11T13:15:00.001-08:00

You're going to think I'm nuts. Or maybe you already do. Maybe you're nuts and that's why you like reading this post. Doesn't matter. Either way, I'm going to write the shortest article I've ever written. It's basically the question I've been asking myself lately. Here goes. Ready?

What's important to you? What's important to your business? What are the things on your list of a thousand things-to-do that will really make a positive impact on this world?

Do what's important. Do it first. Do it every day. The rest is just busy-ness. Don't let the busy-ness get in the way of what's important. In fact, drop as much busy-ness as you possibly can. You won't regret it. You'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Posts from Day 3 of NACCM Customer's 1st Conference

2009-11-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

Here are the sessions we covered during day 3 of the NACCM Customer's 1st Conference:

NACCM 2009 LIVE: Living The Brand. How Marketing can Partner with HR to Create Better Brand and Customer Experiences

Tom Nightingale

Chief Marketing Officer, Con-Way, Inc.

NACCM 2009 LIVE: How Travelocity uses customer information to create a Customer Service Culture

Ginny Mahl is VP, Customer Care at Travelocity

NACCM 2009 LIVE: Preparing for Customer Centricity 2020: How to Evolve the People, the Process & Technology to Meet Future needs

Bo McBee, Vice President of Enterprise Total Customer Experience and Quality for Hewlett Packard

Posts from Day 2 of NACCM Customer's 1st Conference

2009-11-05T07:09:00.000-08:00

On day 2 of the NACCM Customer's 1st Conference, I followed the "Strategic Leadership and Customer-Centric Culture" learning track. Here are the sessions I covered for the Customer's 1st Blog:

Designing and Developing Performance-Support Learning Programs

Kathleen Peterson, Chief Vision Officer, Powerhouse Consulting

Frugality is Reality! Management Imperatives for Leading on a Limited Budget

John McQuaig, Executive Director, St. Jude's Children's Hospital

Global Culture Transformation: Changing the Behavior of Leaders at All Levels

Gloria Roberts, Staff Vice President of Service Experience, FedEx