I just made my airline reservations for Branson, MO. Now as a quick aside; Branson is one of those places that “You can’t get there (easily) from here (Hartford)” without it taking waaaaaay too long for this impatient boy. One flight in; one flight out; different airlines; long layovers. But I digress. I’ll have to take advantage of the time to people watch and write about them in my newsletter.
So I know you have experienced the excitement when you’re going somewhere. We’re like kids on Christmas morning. Well I’m really excited about this trip. Yes I’m excited about going to Branson for the very first time and having a little extra time to see some great entertainment; but I’m more excited about the work.
How often do you hear managers and business owners say that they have great staff; they just wish they could be even greater? How many managers and business owners truly recognize that making people better impacts productivity, morale, loyalty and in this case………….profits. I’ll be working with the staff of a theater company kicking off the season and getting them re-engaged in their work so that they can engage and excite their customers even more with the experience they are purchasing – and perhaps move them to purchase another experience. This theater owner “gets it” – it meaning the importance of developing people and giving them the opportunity to be better.
Now in contrast let’s talk about when I went to Six Flags two summers ago. It’s an amusement park. I’m there for amusement. It’s supposed to be a happy place; people go there to have fun. Then why the heck is so much of the staff looking so serious? Why are so many looking anything but amused? Why did they seem to be having anything but fun? Please don’t tell me that some corporate policy doesn’t allow you to smile, laugh or have fun. I’ve seen happier people working in a funeral home. And yes, I know these are seasonal employees but still, I just didn’t get it. Unless of course they were going through withdrawal from not being able to text their friends as they made sure people had a safe day?
I really do believe that when people bring their true selves to work and don’t leave it at the door and put on the workplace façade we see results. Here’s an example………..
Next week I head to Atlantic City to play with camp staff and owners. I’m taking the bus. I hope I get the fun bus driver on the leg of the trip to NYC. The one who has fun when he makes the announcements to let us know where we are, when he thinks we will arrive and the rules for riding the bus. I hope I get the fun bus driver; who knows how to use humor and sarcasm when someone is talking way too loud on their cell phone for way too long a period of time. I hope I get the bus driver who feels our pain (humorously) when we’re sitting in traffic.
Believe it or not, it is single-handedly because of this man that I now take the bus to NYC and sometimes beyond when I can. Because he made bus travel something better than I thought it could be. Yes, it takes me a bit longer to get to my destination; but I love catching up on a good book, some work, or maybe even some sleep; and it is all because one person brought some personality to work. One person made me a fan of taking the bus. Go figure. And when he is not my driver, I miss him.
Now as simplistic as the above might sound that is the power of sticking out and being different. That is the power of being unique and engaging. Pulling people in and making them feel part of an experience is not that difficult; and something every organization needs to do a bit more of.
Unless of course you’re looking to shut your doors.
What is your business doing to stick out from the rest?
