The Ten Essentials (Part 2)

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BootsLast week I introduced the idea of “Ten Essentials” for surviving the business world, a modification of the Ten Essentials list used by the Boy Scouts of America and other outdoor adventure groups. As a quick review, the first five items on the list are:

1. Clearly defined goals and a strategy to meet them.
2. Regular education to help you stay sharp.
3. Positive influences.
4. A supportive supervisor.
5. An effective support team.

This week, we conclude the list. Here are items six through ten.

[table caption=”The Ten Essentials” width=”600″ colwidth=”150|225|225″ colalign=”left|left|left”]
,Backcountry Explanation,Business Version
6. Knife/Multi-tool,Useful for tasks as large as building an emergency shelter or as small as repairing a damaged backpack.,Job aids and worksheets – resources that help make the important jobs easier.
7. Sun Protection,Includes items such and sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat. Used to prevent sunburn and possibly heat exhaustion.,A healthy dose of determination to keep you going when the heat is on.
8. First Aid Kit,A basic first aid kit can help prevent small injuries from becoming large problems and buy time when more advanced treatment is not readily available.,A bag of resources(people and/or procedures) you can call upon to help fix a damaged project or broken customer relationship.
9. Flashlight,Important for finding one’s way at night.,Core values to help you find your way when the decision isn’t easy or the way forward isn’t clear.
10. Fire Starter,Used to light fires for heat or cooking and for signaling purposes.,Something (or someone)to provide a motivational spark when you need it.
[/table].

Many who review the Ten Essentials list quickly conclude it’s incomplete. “What about shelter?” they ask. “Why isn’t a cell phone on the list, or at least a knowledgeable companion?” When reviewing my list of the Ten Essentials for business, you could ascertain that it’s incomplete as well. Training isn’t listed; nor is a valuable product or advanced technological resources.

Keep in mind that neither list is intended to be comprehensive. The Ten Essentials list is meant to serve as a starting point. Using these items, and nothing else, you can survive in the wilderness for a time (ideally until you are rescued or able to navigate back to civilization). The business essentials list is similarly just a starting point. Many working men and women survive each day by relying on the meager resources I’ve laid out.

Sadly, many people today see survival as the end goal. But who wants to simply survive? Survival isn’t fun. It’s hard work, requiring a constant expenditure of energy just to exist. It involves avoiding risk and adventure in favor of (hopefully) protecting what you already have. Survival is a defensive, paranoid way of thinking.

I don’t want to survive. I want to thrive. I want to grow and expand. I want to create an environment that’s comfortable and attractive. I want to build a set of circumstances where the odds are stacked in my favor, not against me. “Thrival,” not survival, is my goal.

But in order to move from survival to thrival, you have to equip yourself with more than the bare minimum. You can’t be satisfied with “good enough” or avoid taking risks. You have to adopt a growth mindset and set your eyes on a better future state. In the world of survival, the Ten Essentials list is all you need. In the world of thrival, it’s just the beginning.

Which world do you want to live in?

 

The Ten Essentials (Part 1)

Posted on by Scott

Scott BackpackFor the past two weeks, while you read about tightrope walkers Jean Francois Blondin and Karl Wallenda, I was backpacking around north central New Mexico with a bunch of Boy Scouts. We were at Philmont Scout Ranch, a high adventure base covering approximately 214 square miles of the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains. We didn’t cover the whole ranch; but we did hike almost 70 miles of the north section, including a grueling ascent of Baldy Mountain.

As part of preparations for our trek, and any outdoor adventure for that matter, we always make sure to carry the “Ten Essentials.” This list of survival items makes up the bare minimum recommended for anyone embarking on a trip into the wild. The list was first put together in the 1930’s by an outdoor recreation group called The Mountaineers. Despite advances in technology the original list has seen relatively few changes, although different groups tend to alter or add to the list to fit their specific needs.

Navigating the business world can be a lot like adventuring into the backcountry. After all, it is a jungle out there. But there are a few things you can arm yourself with in order to increase your odds of surviving – and even thriving – in the wilderness of business. So let’s walk through the Ten Essentials (The Boy Scout Version) and their working world counterparts – items I suggest you carry with you at all times. We’ll start with the first five today and finish up the list next week.

[table caption=”The Ten Essentials” width=”600″ colwidth=”150|225|225″ colalign=”left|left|left”]
,Backcountry Explanation,Business Version
1. Map & Compass,Used to determine one’s location and the best route to reach another location.,Clearly defined goals and a workable strategy to meet them.
2. Trail Food,Good for maintaining your energy.,A steady diet of education to help you stay on top of your game.
3. Water,The human body can only survive for a few days without water. Water filters or purifying tablets can be used to obtain potable water from virtually any source.,A regular stream of positive messages from those around you. Without it even the strongest wither and dry up.
4. Rain Gear,Being wet from rain may result in hypothermia – a potentially fatal condition.,Someone you can turn to who will protect you from the rainy days – ideally your immediate supervisor.
5. Extra Clothing,Multiple layers are superior to a single massive jacket. Layered clothing is adaptable to a wide range of temperatures.,A cross-functional team you can call upon as needed to help you successfully manage the various challenges you face.
[/table].

The Sacrifice of Service

Posted on by Scott

american-flag-1Like many businesses across the United States, we are closed today in observance of Memorial Day. This holiday serves to commemorate the men and women who died while serving in our nation’s armed forces. However you utilize this time off, please take a moment to pay your respects to those Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Serving has always been about sacrifice. Whether its serving your country, your customers, or your employees; real service is more than just a job. Sure, you may be paid to work in a service occupation. You may serve out of obligation. You may even be forced to serve against your will (my kids would nod their heads vigorously at this point); but that’s not what service is about.

The word “servise” first entered the English language in the early 1100’s it referred to a public celebration of worship or an act of homage to God or a guest. So service is something we extend to someone else in order to honor them. As service providers, we should place the one being served in a position above our own. We’re supposed to serve from the heart.

Somewhere along the way, our culture began to view serving as an obligation rather than a choice. We’ve replaced the idea of service with the concept of servitude. Is it any wonder that good service is hard to find?

What if we made a conscious decision to return to the true meaning of service? What if each and every one of us reading this decided to approach service as an act of homage and celebration vs. a job? What kind of impact would that have on our business? What kind of impact would that have on us?

The men and women we honor today gave their all in pursuit of service. Should you and I really be expected to give anything less? Let’s agree to honor them by honoring each other. Happy Memorial Day.

The Rewards of Service

Posted on by Scott

2014 Autism WalkA couple of weeks ago, the Burkhart Center for Autism Education & Research held their annual Walk for Autism Awareness. This fantastic event draws people from all over Texas to celebrate the lives of those who are touched by Autism. I was there with Boy Scout Troop 157. Since 2010, we have supported this event by providing the muscle needed to set up, operate and take down a variety of areas. What began as one scout’s Eagle project has turned into an annual opportunity to serve.

Every year, I am surprised by the number of scouts and scout leaders who show up to help. After all, this isn’t an easy job. The Walk starts at 2 pm and ends at 4:00, but we start setting up at 10:00. We usually break the day into shifts, allowing the guys to choose when they want to serve. Typically though, almost everyone shows up at the beginning and stays until the end, giving up their Sunday of rest in exchange for manual labor and sunburn. And they’re happy to do it.

But why?

It seems there are a number of benefits to serving others. For instance, a great deal of research over the past 20 years reveals significant health benefits associated with serving. Studies show people who serve live longer, recover faster from chronic or serious illnesses, report fewer instances of depression, handle stress better and demonstrate stronger resistance to disease. Serving others keeps you healthy.

But I think it goes even deeper than that. Serving others addresses a deep need we all have to fulfill a higher sense of purpose. Humans are inherently selfish. But there’s a void that can only be filled when we shift from selfishness to selflessness. We need to give of ourselves to be fully satisfied with ourselves. Serving is good for the soul.

So whether you’re serving your community, your customer, or your coworker – keep in mind that you get what you give.

A Rare Southwest Service Failure

Posted on by Scott

imageWhen my Southwest flight out of Lubbock was canceled this afternoon, I was disappointed, but not surprised. A late winter storm had dropped a few inches of snow and ice over the south plains, causing school cancelations and numerous delays. The entire airport was shut down yesterday along with the stretch of interstate between Lubbock and Amarillo. So it made sense that crews were still battling the after-effects today.

I quickly rebooked for the only remaining flight out, the last one of the day. The biggest impact was to my priority boarding status. I usually purchase a “Business Select” ticket on Southwest in order to take advantage of the early seating. Being among the first to board allows me to locate an aisle seat toward the front of the plane, so I can stretch my long legs and get off quickly in order to make a connecting flight. Having to rebook for a later flight meant these tickets were no longer available. I was left with boarding passes in the “B” group – not terrible, but not ideal, and certainly not what I’d paid for.

The first leg into Dallas was uneventful, I even managed to nab an aisle seat on the coveted exit row. But it was the lead up to the next leg where Southwest let me down. A few minutes before boarding, the gate attendant announced that boarding group upgrades were available for a slight fee. I approached the counter, hopeful that my purchase of a higher-priced fare on an earlier flight would warrant an easy upgrade. But after consulting the computer for a few minutes, I was informed that because I was in the middle of a two-legged trip, “the system” would not allow them to print a revised boarding pass. The otherwise helpful employee was prevented from providing a satisfying service experience by the limitations of her company’s technology.

Frustrated, I waited for my turn to board with the “B” group. But the boarding pass I handed over was thrust back in front of me. “Your printer must be messed up. It can’t read this boarding pass. You’ll have to go see them at the counter.” I stared at this gentleman in disbelief as he looked past me to the next traveler. No second attempt to scan the document. No manual entry on the keyboard. Dispite the fact that my first boarding pass had scanned successfully in Lubbock, this issue was now my problem. So I trudged back over to the counter losing my place in line and any hope of a decent seat.

A customer’s perception of an organization is a mash-up of every experience, good and bad, that they’ve ever had with them. Any given negative interaction isn’t likely to make or break the relationship between company and customer, but they add up. And certain ones have a longer shelf-life and, therefore, more weight in the customer’s mind.

Service failures happen all the time. But in my book, the worst ones are those where, as a customer, I feel like I’ve done everything in my power to help the company provide me with an excellent experience. Failures of this type don’t just feel like poor service, they feel like injustice. And it’s hard to get over the feeling you’ve been done wrong.

So here are some tips to avoid creating feelings of injustice due to a service failure.

– Don’t allow policy or technology to keep well-intentioned employees from assisting customers. Despite anything written in a manual or programmed into the computer, my gate attendant should have been able to make a phone call and get assistance in oredr to provide me with a boarding pass equivalent to the one I paid for.

– Make sure employees understand that customers aren’t at fault – even if they are. My printer isn’t “messed up.” Another boarding pass I printed at the same time scanned flawlessly in Lubbock. But even had the problem been caused by my equipment, having it announced in front of other passengers does nothing to enhance the experience.

– Acknowledge the customer’s frustration. Even after explaining and pleading my case, the only thing I received was a weak “sorry.” How about a few drink coupons or extra rewards points for my trouble? In cases where you can’t rectify the issue, at least show the customer you care by doing something to try and make amends. As things stand, I don’t even know if I’ll get refunded the difference in ticket price. It’s on my shoulders to track that down as well.

Southwest typically does a great job, and they’re still my first choice (albeit often my only choice) when I fly. They have numerous awards to illustrate their dedication to customer service. But today’s experience showed me that even the best trip up sometimes. I’ll try to remain mindful of this when evaluating the service efforts of my own organization.

Thoughts On My Anniversary

Posted on by Scott

Today is my 21st anniversary. On September 16th 1991, Susan Bradley said “I do” and became Susan Voland. Our journey together has been full of ups and downs. Our marriage has survived a variety of job/career changes, multiple moves and the adoption of three children. There have been rough patches and plenty of adventure. It hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve managed to beat the odds and are still going strong.

As fate would have it, I had to travel today. I’m sitting in an airport with another 2.5 hours before my flight takes me home. That’s a lot of time for people-watching.

An airport is like a mini cross-section of the human population. I’m surrounded by people of all ages, sizes and ethnicities. The sounds (and smells) of various lifestyles and cultures are everywhere. I find myself imagining where some of the people around me are headed, and where they’ve come from. I’m reminded of the song “Meant to Be” by Sammy Kershaw. The lyrics and video tell the story of a man and woman who chance to meet at an airport and wind up spending the rest of their life together.

Susan and I didn’t meet at an airport, but we very well could have. Our story, like that of most couples, started with a meeting that could have easily never happened. Looking back, there are a thousand decisions I made prior to meeting her that added up to us being together. Had I gone to school somewhere different, taken a different job, etc., we never would have met. And the same goes for her.

Sometimes we look back at decisions we’ve made with regret. If only I’d decided to go left instead of right, we think, I’d have the corner office. If I’d taken path “A” instead of path “B” I’d have achieved something more by now. What we usually fail to think about are the seemingly chance consequences of those decisions. Change that one choice years ago and yes, I would be in a different line of work. But I’d also probably be with someone else, or with no one.

Susan often asks me if I’m happy. Sometimes I’m not too quick to answer. Like most everyone, I have regrets. There are things I’ve done and things I’ve said that I wish I could take back. But I’m happy with the course my life has taken. I like where my decisions have brought me. And our future together looks bright.

I believe we are who, and where, we are as a result of the decisions we make – so I try to live my life with intent. I don’t know where the people around me are going; but I know where I’m headed and who I’m traveling with. Some things are just meant to be.

Happy Anniversary Susan! Here’s to the next 21 years.