Little Things That Matter

Learn From The Past, Live The Present and Have An Open Mind to Face Tomorrow

Does Your Behavior Reflect Who You Are or Desire To Be?

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→ How often are you inspired by a person whom you meet or read or hear about? → What is it about them that makes you listen or to follow what they are doing or learn a lesson or two from them?

A friend of mine, Carole called me last week saying she wanted to meet me. Carole is one of the most cheerful person I know and on that call she sounded hassled, frustrated and dejected.

I know she had suffered a huge financial loss recently having trusted someone she thought was a friend. The trust that she had placed on this person was misused, mishandled and every aspect of her belief and friendship was broken. I had learnt from her that she was making efforts to get her money back and the process had been none too easy.

When I met her that day, she shared with me her experience with a person whom she had met with regard to getting her money back.

This person whom she met is wealthy, well-connected and this is a known fact among most people in the city we live. Now you would think, this person would have some class and it is not necessary for him to be boastful about his wealth, his connections, number of times he has had an expensive dinner and how influential he is.

However, listening to her narrate the details of the meeting with this person, I started wondering

♦ If this person knew what self-worth was?
♦ Did he feel comfortable in his own skin?
♦ Why did he not allow his act to prove who he was?
♦Did he think that the only way to impress was to rant about his wealth and his connections?
♦ What did success mean to him?
♦ Why the desperation to prove who he is?

His behavior indicated a great sense of insecurity.

I place my value in the character of a person in the way they act and behave and not on the display of their wealth, connections and their titles. I realized why my friend sounded so exasperated when she called on me.

♠ Key Reflections ♠

→ Do you let your actions impress or your talk?
→ Have you paid attention to your talk to listen ratio ?
→ Is it possible for you to win someone’s heart by a smile, by being there to listen and being authentic and human
→ Do you spare a moment to think about moments when you were in a vulnerable position and had self doubts? What did you want amidst those challenges?

Interestingly, he had mentioned to my friend that he was doing this in the interest of goodwill. However, listening to my friend narrate the conversation with this gentleman, I didn’t see any such indications in his behavior.

I wonder if people like him ever ask of their behavior

→ Am I being true to myself?
→ Why do I do what I do?
→ Is inflating my ego more important than being human?

Leadership is not about titles or display of wealth or your power and control. People come and go, titles and other add-ons are short-lived. However, a person is remembered for their character and the way they choose to behave. Our test of character is in the most vulnerable moments and the choice is entirely ours to make. Awareness is an important ingredient to act in character. Awareness not only about self but others and empathizing with the situation is imperative in any form of communication.

♣ Key Reflective Question ♣

How would you want to be remembered ? Someone who just boasted about their connections, titles, and their power or someone who inspired others, helped people along the way, get alongside them because you cared.

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Customer Service Excellence – 11 Key Questions

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Value Added Service

You decide to go to a restaurant with some friends for dinner. This restaurant prides itself in impeccable customer service, excellent delicacies, a new menu every week and the freshness of the dishes they serve. You look at the menu and decide on some dishes. You have some diet restrictions and request of the restaurant manager to serve you a salad without some items.  The restaurant manager refuses and tells you that the dishes have to be ordered as they are.  This is an expensive restaurant and you are not pleased and swear never to go back. On the other hand, now imagine a restaurant where the menu is simple, has limited variety but again prides itself in almost similar qualities as the first. However they are willing to be flexible and in terms of price is almost equally priced as the first one.

  • Which one would you go back to
  • Where do you see a value added service
  • Where do you think the price is justified
  • Who is actually walking the talk
Does pricey always mean value? The same dynamics of value creation can be extended to a sales role in any industry. In every sale, in every field if you have no real intention of creating value for your customer, then you aren’t selling. In selling and marketing you need to lead with your value and not your rates. You need to make it meaningful in that you create a better outcome for your clients.
When you say you add value to your clients in any organization it would imply adding value from an operational, functional view, and results in adding wealth to the overall business goal and this goal is in alignment with what your client needs. Are you listening to where you can add value for clients when you ask of a new client as to how they would like to be serviced?

There is a school of thought that most things are commoditized and yes over time if you don’t create your niche or add value, it’s easy to be a price taker than price maker. However everything can be differentiated, personalized, and there are opportunities to value price your services. The key is Customer Service Excellence (CSE) and all that goes with that. Developing CSE is an intangible, intellectual resource. You can take your clients as far you have gone yourself. They are probably looking for their better selves in you. YOU thus need to have that Edge. You need to create that value and walk your talk that you create value worth paying for.

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9 Essentials To Integrity

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When we are born, most of us are given a suitcase full of standards, acceptable behavior, things to learn, emotions, values & a whole load of do’s and don’ts. As we grow and progress in life we keep adding or throwing away some contents of this suitcase. Each of us thus become a product of the choices we have made or that we have consciously decided not to make.

In my case, when I was growing up, one of the principles in my house was that we had to tell the truth and that was one of the standards set as part of my suitcase. Lying, was something that was not acceptable no matter how painful it may be to speak the truth.

Children need rules to learn the difference between right and wrong. To a child, the difference between truth and lies is as crystal clear as the difference between black and white. However as we grow older, the concept of truth many times attains a different connotation and stating a small white lie or not stating some key facts might be considered appropriate in our own minds.

However, the problem is that each of us have different standards on why, what, when, and how we choose to state the truth or shade it.  Integrity thus is sacrificed many times, though each human being may consider it as part of their integral values.

What is Integrity – To me it is the Congruence of I Believe, I Value, I Think, I Feel, I Say, I Do.

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I N T E G R I T Y is:

Inner realization– There is a self-awareness of each of our actions and these actions are not just to please the outside world but one which satisfies our inner conscience.

Natural – To be You rather than someone else artificial and manufactured and be comfortable in your own skin. I stay true to myself and my style & I am always pushing myself to be aware of that & be original.

Trust– can be built and earned only if our audio and video is in sync. We have to walk the talk rather than talk the talk. Trust is a plant of slow growth and built over time by being consistent and reliable.

Excellent – Be outstanding in whatever  you do. Setting standards in all we do and consistently following these standards.

Good– Be Kind, show gratitude and spread the good word and deed.

Respect- The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out. It is better to be respected than liked

Involvement – Let your Actions speak louder than words and be inspiring. Each of us must lead by example.

Thoughtful– Treat everyone just like the way you would like to be treated.

Yes to each of the above

It is important to nurture and maintain integrity in whatever we seek to believe, value, think, be, and do just like when you make the decision to plant a new seed and water it daily and take care even after the seed grows to a plant

Bottom-line Integrity once lost or compromised beyond recognition is very difficult to rebuild.

What does Integrity Mean to You. Please feel free to add your point of view in the comments section below. Thank you.

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