The Art of the Apology

Posted on by Scott

sorry

A couple of days ago, a friend and I were talking about our experiences at a couple of Lubbock restaurants. During the conversation, he told me about an early morning visit he had just made to a national fast-food chain. He was running late for work and the drive-through was backed up, so he parked and ran inside to hopefully speed things along.

He placed his order and stepped to the side to wait. He said “I watched as two other customers who arrived after me ordered and then left with their food. At first I didn’t think anything of it because I’d ordered ‘no cheese’ on an item that typically comes with cheese. But then it became apparent that they’d messed something up.”

My friend explained that he heard the manager talking to the cashier. They kept looking over at him, so he knew it had to do with his order. The cashier walked over to one of the customers who had just sat down and asked her to check her sandwich. There was no cheese on it. The cashier took the sandwich and told customer she’d have a replacement out quickly. At the same time, the manager yelled to the cook in the back “I need another one with no cheese.”

Finally, a bag with the correct food was handed over. My friend looked at me and said “You know Scott, I wasn’t upset that they messed up. That’s just going to happen sometimes. What irks me is that they didn’t apologize for it. They didn’t even acknowledge the problem or my inconvenience. It’s like they thought ignoring it meant nothing ever happened.”

I’ve had people in a variety of customer-facing positions tell me their company policy is to never apologize. Some say “It’s not always our fault when something goes wrong. Why apologize for something you didn’t do?” Others say that offering an apology just gives the customer an excuse to demand something extra. Almost all tell me “Management says apologizing makes you look weak.”

I’ve got news for you. These people have it all wrong when it comes to apologizing. I think apologizing is one of the most important service skills you can master. And it doesn’t matter if the problem was your fault or not. In fact, it doesn’t matter if there was a problem at all. A well-formed apology doesn’t make you look weak; it makes you look strong, self-aware, and in control.

Use these tips to craft a top-notch apology.

  1. Accept Responsibility. It doesn’t matter who goofed. Your apology should always include “I” and “we.” Blaming “they” or “them” just makes you look like you’re trying to pass the buck. The key is to let the customer know that you accept responsibility for their satisfaction regardless of the circumstances; because you should. They’re your customer.
  2. Act quickly. Don’t wait until the customer mentions the problem. Don’t wait until it’s resolved. The sooner you acknowledge a problem and communicate your intent to fix it, the sooner you short-circuit any bad feelings the customer experiences. Studies show that customers who experience a problem and have it resolved to their satisfaction reports higher level of satisfaction than those who never experience a hiccup. So stop any potential negative emotions before they have a chance to get started.
  3. Apologize sincerely. Look the customer in the eye, acknowledge what happened, and offer a heart-felt apology. A half-hearted “Sorry ‘bout that” just compounds the problem. If your customer really means that much to you, then you owe them a bit of sincerity. The bigger the stumble, the more you’ll have to work to overcome it.

Of course the worst thing you can do is pretend nothing has happened. Always assume your customer knows as much as you do. Sending someone out the door as if nothing ever happened is a sure-fire way to guarantee a bad experience is shared over and over and over again. As in my friend’s example, someone’s always watching.

Top-tier service providers actually over-apologize. I’ve had restaurant servers apologize for the delay in bringing my food and felt genuine surprise. I didn’t feel like I was waiting that long. And far from making them look weak, I felt the apology made them look on-the-ball. They obviously had higher service expectations than I did.

Hopefully, we get it right more often than we get it wrong. But service slips are inevitable. When they do occur though, use the art of the apology to your advantage. Saying “I’m sorry” might just turn a show-stopper into a show-stealer.

Stop Motivating Your Team! (Do This Instead)

Posted on by Scott

stop

Over the years, I’ve been asked a lot of questions by managers in a variety of roles across numerous organizations. By far, the most frequently asked question is “How do I motivate my team?” Some are looking to increase sales performance. Others want to improve customer service or productivity. In many cases, managers seem frustrated by an overall lack of engagement exhibited by members of their staff. Energy levels are low, efficiency suffers, and goals go unmet.

So concerned managers wrack their brains trying to find a way to turn things around. They see a problem that needs fixing and go in search of a solution. ”If I can just get people motivated,” they think, “things will start moving in the right direction.”

And therein, I think, lies the problem. Motivation sounds like what we need to get the troops out of the doldrums. But it doesn’t. It can’t. To understand why motivation isn’t the answer, we first need to understand what motivation is. Let’s look at the root word “motivate.”

motivate: to provide with a motive or motives; incite; impel

Motivation is an external action designed to cause an internal reaction. It’s something one person does in order to elicit a response from someone else. Think about the typical actions many associate with motivation. Contests, incentives, awards, raises, and other types of recognition/reward strategies are used to spur a change in behavior. So are things like deadlines, threats, disciplinary actions, and other punitive measures. All can be, and have been, considered motivational strategies.

The inherent problem with these and other external actions traditionally used as motivation is that the behavior shift that results is, at best, temporary. The high from winning a contest or being recognized only lasts so long. The sting from negative feedback or an ultimatum loses intensity as time goes on. And as temporary emotions fade away, so do the changes in behavior associated with them.

As employee behavior slides back into mediocre territory, managers dip back into the box of potential motivators in an effort to stop the decline. The cycle of performance drop/motivation/performance improvement then begins again. Employees settle into a routine of reacting to the temporary external stimulus with a temporary burst of activity sufficient enough to win/satisfy the requirement/get management off my back and then easing up until the next stimulus comes along.

But if motivation isn’t the answer, then what is?

The key to long-term performance is not a short-lived behavior modification, but a long-term transformation of core beliefs. The answer is not externally driven, but internally. The answer is not motivation, but inspiration. Let’s check out another definition.

inspire: to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence.

Do you see the difference? Motivation focuses on the head while inspiration targets the heart. Inspiring someone causes an empty part of them to be filled and the result is change that influences how they approach the concept of work itself, not just a particular task. Motivation can be applied or withdrawn at any time with correspondingly immediate results. Inspiration, on the other hand, becomes part of you and drives how you fundamentally think about things. Inspiration creates a deep-rooted drive to behave differently. Motivation may spark a temporary shift in behavior, but inspiration ignites a long-term change in attitude.

Inspired people are inherently motivated. So, the real question then is “How do I inspire my team?“

Well, if you’ve been reading the past few weeks, you already know some of the basics. How does that old saying go? “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Once you’ve mastered the skill of developing relationships, people are instinctively drawn to you. And that’s important; because it’s only then – when they trust you and want to listen to you – that you can share your vision and ask them to participate in it. If done right, they’ll get on board; not as motivated worker-bees, but as inspired partners.

Inspiration isn’t a one-time action. It results from extended exposure to someone who sees people, not employees. It’s about fulfilling potential, not completing tasks. It’s about contributing to something bigger than myself as opposed to being a cog in the machine.

People don’t want to be motivated. But we all have a desperate, innate need to be inspired. Fulfill that need and see just how far the team will take you. Who will you inspire today?

Breaking the Cycle of Unengagement

Posted on by Scott

groundhog day

In the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays disengaged television meteorologist Phil Connors. Phil is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual groundhog ceremony whereby the famous rodent predicts the weather. Obviously frustrated by the menial assignment, Phil comes across as rude, condescending, and genuinely uninterested in both his coworkers and the townspeople around him. He arrives late for the live television feed and fakes his way through it; going through the motions in an obvious attempt to get things over with so he can get back home.

The people Phil comes in contact with make repeated attempts to connect with him. The mayor, his cameraman, and his producer all eventually get fed up with his brusque demeanor. Phil rushes the team back on the road, but a freak blizzard forces them to turn around and spend the night in Punxsutawney. He awakens the next morning to find he is trapped in a time loop, repeating the same day over and over again.

I don’t know about you, but I run into a lot of people who resemble Phil Connors. They isolate themselves from others and basically sleepwalk their way through the day. Any attempt to connect with them or collaborate is met with outright resistance or, at best, reluctant participation. They seem to exert the least possible amount of effort, performing just well enough to get through the day; but not really impacting anything or anyone. They’re miserable and it shows. And this goes on day after day after day.

In other words, they are unengaged.

A 2014 Gallup poll revealed that almost 70% of employees in the U.S. are unengaged. That means millions of people go to work every day uninvolved, unenthusiastic, and uncommitted. Employees classified as managers, executives, or officers apparently check out just as frequently. Sixty-two percent of that group said they are unengaged as well.

You don’t need a research study to figure out the implications of this. Unengaged employees obviously cost an organization in terms of sales, service, and innovation. Organizations with high levels of unengaged employees also have high turnover, incurring extra costs associated with hiring and training. The problem is real and, according to the research, widespread.

So what are we to do to combat the engagement dilemma? Well, the same Gallup survey identified a handful of organizations that seem to have cracked the code. And the number one reason for their higher-than-average levels of engagement? Involved leadership. Here’s a quote from an article detailing the findings:

“Leaders’ own attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors have powerful trickle-down effects on their organizations’ cultures. Leaders of great workplaces don’t just talk about what they want to see in the management ranks — they model it and keep practicing to get better at it every day with their own teams.”

The key to highly engaged employees is highly engaged leadership – involved leadership. Engagement doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It requires action. It requires participation. It requires getting up from the desk and interacting with people. That’s the only way you get to know them. That’s the only way you get to share with them your vision for the future. That’s the only way you can influence their desire to be a part of that vision.

How well do you know the people around you? How well do you know what’s going on in their lives? How involved are you in their work? How engaged are you?

Phil Connors tries desperately to break out of the repetitive time loop. At first he behaves erratically, thinking altering events around him will make a difference. It doesn’t. He tries running away from the problem by leaving town and even committing suicide. But every day winds up looking the same. It’s only when he decides to get involved in the lives of the people around him that something changes. It’s only when he gets to know them and decides to get engaged himself that the cycle is broken.

We don’t know how long it took Phil to break out of his time loop. The film doesn’t say. Director Harold Ramis suggested it took perhaps 10 years. Analysts of the events depicted in the movie have theorized Phil lived the same day over and over for 40 years or more. Hopefully it doesn’t take the rest of us that long to figure things out.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Posted on by Scott

My wife and I were reminiscing recently about the early days of our marriage. In November, we’ll have been married 24 years and we’ve both changed a lot since saying “I do.” Sure, the physical changes are the most obvious; but most significant are the changes in how we treat each other. I must admit though, I’ve had to change a lot more than she has.

For example, I distinctly remember a conversation we had one afternoon just a few months after our wedding. I came home from work late and still had events of the day on my mind as I walked through the door. Susan immediately began telling me about her day. She followed me through the house as I pulled off my jacket and tie, quickly moving to put on comfortable clothes.

Suddenly it dawned on me that the pace of Susan’s speech was increasing. She talked faster and faster until the words practically jumbled together into nonsense. She finally stopped to inhale, gasping for breath. I looked at her and asked “Why are you talking so fast?” Her response hit me like a ton of bricks. “I have a lot to tell you, but I know that any second you’re going to tune me out.”

Wow. Before me stood the person that most mattered to me in the world and within weeks of promising to give her everything, I’d managed to renege on that promise. All she needed was for me to listen – to give her a few minutes of undivided attention – and already I’d proven unable to do it.

We humans have a listening problem. Our ears work; we hear just fine. It’s listening – an activity that takes place in the brain – that seems difficult.

Listening is often touted as a key sales skill; but it goes much further than that. Listening is a key customer service skill. It’s a key leadership skill. It’s a key relationship skill. It’s a key life skill. And as simple as it sounds, we struggle to get it right.

We live in a busy world. Information bombards us from every direction. People and email and social media all vie for our attention and there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to get it all done. So we multi-task. We eat lunch while we read through email while we listen in on the conference call while we “listen” to the person that just walked into the office. But we’re fooling ourselves. Multi-tasking makes us feel better by allowing us to cross off more items on the to-do list. It helps us “get things done.” But it doesn’t help get things done right. Studies have actually shown that dividing our attention makes us less efficient than focusing on one task, or one person, at a time.

The real victims are those on the other end of the exchange. People can sense when they don’t have your full attention, just like my wife did. They can tell you’re preoccupied. And it makes them feel horrible. You’ve been there. Remember the last time you tried talking to someone who wasn’t really listening? How did it make you feel? Unwanted? Unwelcome? Unworthy?

So how do you practice listening? How do you let me know that you’re really paying attention? Let’s start with three small steps:

  1. Make time for me. Is now not a good time for us to talk? Then tell me so. Suggest a time when we can speak without interruption. I want your attention. I need you to listen to me. And if I’m as important to you as you say then you’ll make one-on-one time a priority.
  2. Look at me. Put down your cell phone. Turn away from the computer. Stop pacing around your office searching for a file related to the next meeting on your calendar. Scrape the daydream glaze off of your face and point it in my direction. If your eyes aren’t focused on me, then your brain isn’t either.
  3. Participate with me. Listening is not a passive exercise. It involves asking questions, clarifying, and even offering information. Body language and nonverbal matter. Head nods and robotic “uh huhs” are sure signs that your attention is elsewhere. Listening requires involvement.

I am your customer. I am your employee or coworker. I am someone significant. And what I have to say is very, very important. Are you listening? Do I have your attention? Can you hear me now?

Who Is the Third Man?

Posted on by Scott

 

ca. 2003 --- Hand Reaching --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis
ca. 2003 — Hand Reaching — Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

For centuries, drowning sailors pulled from the sea have told stories of a mysterious companion. They speak of another sailor, unknown to them, who appeared beside them in the water. This person stayed at their side, treading water and issuing words of encouragement, until the danger had passed. But rescuers looking to bring these additional sailors to safety never find them. In fact, there’s no evidence that they ever existed. They seem to be ghosts; figments of the imagination that surface when needed.

This phenomenon isn’t just found on the ocean. Mountain climbers, hikers, and others enduring long, difficult, and perilous journeys also regularly report the presence of another person during the most trying of times. They appear from the shadows and then disappear when they are no longer needed. They seem to require neither recognition nor thanks and slip into the mist leaving those behind speaking almost reverently of their presence. Without them, survivors say, they surely would have perished.

These sightings occur so regularly that the spectres have been given a name: the Third Man.

I’ve never been in a situation where I feared for my life; but there are plenty of times I would welcome the third man. I enjoy camping and hiking and even sailing, but I’m not talking about anything to do with being outside. I’m talking about those times when I’m sitting at work, or at home, and I feel things slipping out of my grasp.

We’ve all been in situations where we felt as if we were drowning; overwhelmed by circumstances both within and outside of our control. We’ve felt the grip of fear. We know the sense of panic that accompanies the realization that we’re lost. It’s in those moments that a friendly face is so desperately needed. It’s then that a voice of encouragement becomes priceless. It’s then that having someone beside us to share the burden means the world.

But as much as we each need a third man, it’s more important that we be the third man.

The most important people in our lives are those who are there for us when we need them the most. They are the people who lift us up; who encourage us to hold on and keep fighting when we want to give up. They are the ones who remind us that we have greatness within us and push us to find that little bit of extra gas in the tank. But who are those people? They are us.

Right now – right this very moment, someone you know desperately needs the validation, inspiration, and motivation that only you can provide. Because you know them well enough to say what needs to be said; to push the buttons that need to be pushed. To spur them into action.

We all need a helping hand from time to time. We all need to be that helping hand as well. Will you accept the call when it comes? Will you recognize the need and respond? Not for recognition or compensation or even out of obligation; but because you can.

Are you the third man?

31 Days of Praise

Posted on by Scott

thank you wordle

According to Meriam-Webster Dictionary, to praise is to say or write good things about someone or something or to express approval of someone or something. Sadly, even with so clear a definition on hand, praise remains a mystery to a great many people. Given the opportunity to provide feedback, we’re much more likely to communicate criticism than approval.

While terms like “constructive criticism” seem to imply that there’s a higher purpose behind offering negative feedback, most attempts fall woefully short. All the recipients hear is that they’ve failed. And negativity only seems to breed more negativity. That’s because we tend to emulate the environment around us. We communicate in the way we are communicated to. We give what we get.

High performing teams use praise to great advantage. In a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review, top performing teams were found to have given each other more than five positive comments for every criticism. Low performing teams, those at the bottom of the barrel in terms of financial performance and customer satisfaction ratings, shared almost three negative comments for every positive one. Praise, it seems, goes straight to the bottom line.

If you think about it, that makes a lot of sense. Criticism introduces self-doubt and hesitation. It makes us less likely to take chances for fear of disappointing someone again and revisiting the land of failure. So teams and organizations characterized by primarily negative communication move slower, innovate less, and miss out on opportunities for growth.

Teams and organizations that share a lot of praise, however, benefit from more vibrant working relationships. They enjoy working together and are therefore more likely to collaborate. The positive emotions elicited by praise cause us to work harder, stretch farther, and achieve more. We crave praise, so we tend to repeat behaviors that garner positive feedback.

There’s precious little praise floating around these days, though. It’s bad enough that news and social media outlets feed off of negativity; but so much of what we communicate to each other day to day winds up being derogatory. It’s going to take some focused effort to reverse our downward spiral.

So I’m issuing a challenge.

July has 31 days. I’m challenging you to make a focused effort to praise for 31 days. Each day of July, I want you to identify one individual who has done something good – something praise worthy – and recognize them for it. Choose a coworker, boss, or team member. Pick a classmate or family member. Identify a friend or even an enemy. Just find someone each day of the month and praise them for something.

You don’t have to advertise this. There’s no need to let the world (or even me) know what you’re doing. The best praise is personal anyway. It’s delivered one on one, with sincerity. That said, I would like to suggest a few guidelines should you choose to accept my challenge.

  1. Be specific. Offer more than a “good job.” Praise is most effective when the recipient knows exactly what they did to receive it.
  2. Get personal. Let the recipient of your praise understand why you appreciate them. That means letting them know what they (and what they’ve done) means to you personally.
  3. Let the praise stand on its own. Any positive comments you deliver will be lost if accompanied by criticism. Even if you have suggestions for improvement, save them for another time. Let the good news work its magic.

There it is. The gauntlet has been thrown down. For 31 days, let’s turn the tide. Let’s start an avalanche of positive feedback and see what happens.

Are you with me? Will you step up? Do you accept the challenge?

The Power of Small Moves

Posted on by Scott

 

shoes

Last week I bought a pair of running shoes.

It’s a small thing really. Many of you may shrug it off as insignificant. But for me it’s huge. I’ve never thought of myself as an athlete, much less a runner. I still don’t. My pursuits generally lean in a more leisurely direction. Running was something I did when one of my children cried out in pain. I’m not a total couch potato. My involvement with the Boy Scouts of America occasionally found me camping, hiking, or canoeing. Other than that though, I was pretty sedentary. And it showed.

I’m one of the millions of Americans who would moan about the unhealthy state of my body, suck in to button my pants, and then reach for a second helping of some greasy, fattening junk food. I regularly promised myself that this would be the week I did something about my health. This would be the week I finally got serious about exercising and eating better. But like so many others, I never did it.

Then a couple of months ago I participated in a Color Run. I walked the event, huffing and puffing the entire way. With each step, I grew more and more frustrated with myself and my lack of discipline. I was surrounded by hundreds of people at least as unhealthy as me, but all I saw were the strong, toned bodies running seemingly effortlessly ahead of me. I thoroughly enjoyed the event, but it made an impression on me. Something clicked and spurred me to action. I decided to stop wishing and start doing.

I began by searching for beginner workout plans. I came across one called “90 Days of Action” that looked fairly easy. It features two or three exercises a day using only your body weight. The total time investment is maybe ten minutes. Surely, I thought, I can commit to ten minutes a day. I’m motivated by seeing clear progress, so I made a chart and started marking off the days.

As promised, the workouts were short and not so difficult that I couldn’t manage them. After a week or so of crossing off the days, I read about the American Heart Association’s recommendation to take 10,000 steps per day. I downloaded an app to my phone and started walking. That led to discussions with a couple of people about the Fitbit bands they were wearing. I ordered one. A recommended companion app got me to tracking my calorie intake. Almost subconsciously, I started adjusting – ever so slightly – what and how much I ate. Then one day last week, in the midst of walking around the park, the thought came to me …

“I think I could run for a little bit.”

 

It’s often said that people are afraid of change. That’s not true. If people feared change we would never buy new clothes, trade in our cars, or rearrange the furniture in our house. No, people don’t fear change. What we fear is transition; the work it takes to move from one state to another. We want the change to take place – we just balk at the act of changing.

I think most transitions fail because we try to take on too much at once. There’s a reason gym membership goes up right after New Year’s Day and falls off less than three months later. There’s a reason most attempts at dieting don’t stick. It’s because those moves are too big. They involve too much change at once. The finish line is too far off and the mountain just seems too high. All it takes is one small slip and we feel like we’ve failed. Game over.

The secret to successful change, I believe, lies in small moves. It requires taking a long-term view as opposed to our typical “I want it now” expectations of instant gratification. It means taking things slow and focusing our energy on the first small step – the first small chunk. That allows us to more easily get back up if we stumble. It also allows us to achieve victory, however small, a lot sooner. And each small victory provides the boost you need to tackle the next step.

Chinese philosopher Laozi once said “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” That makes more and more sense to me. Taking the first step is always the hardest, so why not make it a small one – a downhill step if you will. That makes step two easier. Step three becomes easier still. Pretty soon you look back and gaze in wonder at how far you’ve traveled.

I didn’t set out to become a runner. All I did was take the first step. And then last week… I bought a pair of running shoes.

The Keys to Peak Performance

Posted on by Scott

basketball

The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there. -Vince Lombardi

If you’ve never been a professional basketball fan, now is a good time to tune in. The Cleveland Cavaliers are locked in a tough battle with the Golden State Warriors for the NBA championship. The first two games went into overtime, a first for a finals series, and both teams are bringing their best in a bid for the title.

On display are two of the game’s elite players. The marquee player for the Warriors is Stephen Curry, the regular season MVP. The Cavaliers are led by Lebron James – arguably the best player on the planet. These two men bring their best game after game and, as a result, raise the level of play from their teammates.

Whether you’re talking about athletes, craftsmen, salespeople, or service providers; there are certain traits that set the best apart. I’m not talking about natural ability or physical characteristics. What puts top performers on the top is the way they approach the game.

Top performers constantly look to improve. The best of the best are never satisfied with their performance. They know there’s always something more they can do to get better. There’s always something else they can do to elevate their game. And knowing there’s something they can do to improve, they can’t sit still. They feel compelled to pursue the next level.

Top performers seek out feedback. There’s only so far you can improve on your own. Those who seek excellence understand that assistance is necessary for them to move on. So they reach out to the best resources they can find – their coach, other experts, more experienced players – and ask them for help. You don’t achieve elite status without inviting others to evaluate your performance. Assessment isn’t viewed as an inconvenience; it’s considered a necessity.

Top performers respond to constructive criticism. Superstars welcome criticism more than accolades. It’s not that they don’t appreciate praise and validation; but “atta-boys” alone don’t help you improve. To achieve greatness, you have to understand what’s keeping you from it. You need someone who will point out your weaknesses and then help you tackle them. The elite need to hear the bad news; but they need to hear it from someone who cares about their success. In the end, they stand on top; but they don’t stand alone.

As of this writing the Warriors have the advantage, having gone up three games to two in the best-of-seven series. Regardless of which team winds up on top, I’m enjoying the show. Seeing top performers do what they do best is always a treat.

Runnin’ With the Devil (In the Details)

Posted on by Scott

van halen 1984

In just a few weeks rock legends Van Halen kick off their North American tour. This is their first round of shows in several years and features original lead singer David Lee Roth. As you can imagine, fans of the original lineup are exited (even though bassist Michael Anthony has been replaced with Eddie Van Halen’s son Wolfgang). Tickets are selling fast and the band has already had to add additional dates to the tour.

As a child of the seventies and a fan of rock & roll, I grew up with Van Halen playing on the radio. It’s with only a small amount of embarrassment that I admit I was part of the band’s official fan club back in the day (I think I may actually still have my membership card somewhere). So I was pretty well versed in all things Van Halen.

Like many music celebrities, the band was known for their extravagant shows and eccentric behaviors. Stories abounded about the odd demands found within their appearance contracts. One of the more notorious involved their choice of snacks. Hidden within the detailed instructions regarding stage setup and light rigging was often a requirement that a bowl of M&Ms be placed in the dressing room – with all of the brown M&Ms removed. If a single brown piece of candy was found in the bowl, the band would demand a step by step review of every aspect of the show’s set and equipment. Rumor has it that Roth once trashed a dressing room, causing thousands of dollars in damage, after brown M&Ms were discovered.

It sounds like just another example of diva-like behavior from self-absorbed musicians, right? Or was it?

As Roth explains in his autobiography, this specific contract rider served an important purpose. Van Halen put on a complex show that involved lots of heavy equipment with very specific setup parameters. Sloppy work by venues at some early shows had led to several accidents, some of them nearly fatal. The M&M request became the band’s way of verifying crews had followed the necessary specifications. If the bowl of M&Ms was missing, or included brown candies, then something more critical was likely to have been overlooked as well.

How you handle the little things determines how you handle the big things. Indeed, the little things often are the big things. But unless you have some way of measuring attention to these details, problems may not surface until it’s too late. Attention to detail only makes sense if the details are taken care of. So you have to inspect what you expect.

What are the small things your team needs to execute well? What are the seemingly insignificant details that make a big difference in providing superior experience or achieving growth goals? And most importantly, how will you inspect what you expect?

 

The Music of Mastery

Posted on by Scott

guitar

My son Alex and I recently started taking guitar lessons. We’ve made attempts at it in the past; but online videos, DVDs, and instruction manuals just didn’t do the trick. We’ve only had two or three lessons to this point and we’re both excited about our progress. Even though we’re just at the beginning of this journey, I’ve already made a few observations that I believe apply to mastering any new skill.

Getting started is the hardest part. The first time you pick up a guitar, it feels awkward. Everything is new. You really have to think about where your fingers should go – and it hurts. In the beginning, your finger tips are sensitive. They aren’t used to the pressure it takes to properly play the notes. But with time, your fingers develop calluses. With regular practice, the movements that felt so foreign start becoming second nature. The thing is though, you have to fight through that initial phase. Mastery is the result of practicing until new becomes normal.

Focus on mastering the fundamentals. There are hundreds of different chords, strumming patterns, and combinations of each that one can play on the guitar. Looking at the volume of techniques that are possible is overwhelming. But most popular songs can be played with four to seven basic chords. It makes sense then to spend time practicing these basics before moving on to more complex skills. Use the 80/20 rule to your advantage. Mastery is the result of perfecting a few key behaviors.

Personal instruction trumps going it alone. Alex and I struggled during our attempts to learn guitar on our own. He didn’t have the discipline to stick to a regular practice schedule and I wasn’t sure if I was using the right technique. Now that we attend lessons with a personal instructor, things are different. We have someone who suggests a course of action, models proper technique, and holds us accountable for sticking to the plan. Mastery is the result of partnership with someone invested in your success.

Mastering a new skill set can be intimidating, frustrating, and exhausting. It can also be very rewarding. I don’t expect to be playing Carnegie Hall any time soon; but that’s ok. Strumming with my son around a campfire is more my style anyway.

What new skill would you like to master?