Leaders Understand The Importance of Superior Customer Service

Service with surprise is like a box of Cracker Jack. It was not the cool box or the caramelized popcorn we craved - it was the free prize inside. While the prize had little economic value, its emotional value was priceless. Surprise breaks the monotony of ho-hum, communicates a caring attitude, and fosters an infectious spirit that customers cannot wait to share with others. Some companies have the principle of including the Cracker Jack surprise down pat. Zappos is ranked #2 in the U.S. in customer service. It also has "Create Fun and a Little Weirdness" as one of its core values. Zappos sent a bouquet of flowers to a loyal customer after the call center operator learned she had just had an emergency appendectomy. Miller Brothers, Ltd., an upscale men's clothing store in Atlanta, has "sophisticated fun" as one of its hallmark values. And the proof? A colorful gumball machine sits on a small table in the store's entrance foyer. Beside it is a large bowl of bright shiny pennies. Guess where Junior goes while daddy is trying on trousers? What can you do to apply the "Cracker Jack" Principle? Pretend the service that you deliver is like your customer's birthday. The best gifts are those that contain a delightful surprise. Put on your "little kid" creative hat and consider ways to make your service silly, funny, whimsical or quaint. Better yet, ask a kid for ideas! Like Cracker Jack, position the surprise in a way that heightens the astonishment and amazement. "Being on par in terms of price and quality only gets you into the game. Service wins the game." Customers exist inside, as well as outside, our organizations. In a manufacturing company, Shipping is the customer of Production Operations, who is the customer of purchasing (suppliers), who is the customer of Order Management. Product Design is the customer of market research, etc. The same customer service chains exist in service companies and non-profits. There are many examples. Does your organization need to significantly boost its level of customer service for either internal or external customers? As a leader, what could you do to improve customer service? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

Awesome Leadership Conference Coming!

There is an awesome leadership conference coming to the Pittsburgh area! Nov 13 | 8:30am-12:30pm North Way Christian Community | Wexford, PA Tickets starting at $29* Leading Through Change is a four hour LIVE seminar with Brad Lomenick, President of Catalyst and best-selling author. Also present to share his thoughts on leadership will be the Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager, Clint Hurdle! CATALYST is well known for gathering Christian leaders from a wide variety of organizations at their national leadership events. Jay Passavant is hosting this event at North Way and will be happy to answer any questions you have. In addition, I will be there and would love to see you! To register, copy and paste the following link into your Internet browser: http://passavantleadershipgroup.com/ltc-register/?utm_source=Staff&utm_campaign=d80fa5117d-LTC_Invite&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c7fdf3651d-d80fa5117d-569207

Three Keys to Great Leadership

A gardener at the Disney studio left some tools in an empty parking space. When a producer drove up and saw the tools in his space, he honked at the gardener and gave the poor man a chewing out. Walt walked up and interrupted the producer's tirade. "Hold it!" he said. "Don't you ever treat one of my employees like that! This man has been with me longer than you have, so you'd better be good to him!" That was Walt. To his employees, he was not only a leader. He was their defender and their servant. That's what separates leaders from bosses. I've always been fascinated with the qualities and characteristics of great leaders. History has identified many qualities and characteristics of great leaders, and, of course, no person embodies them all. But the great leaders I've known, or read about have one simple thing in common: They have developed their leadership styles around their personalities and their values, and in the end, their actions are consistent with what they truly believe. The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. However, the goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves. There are three keys to becoming a great servant leader: 1. Let go of your ego. The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They lead in order to serve other people. 2. Become a good follower first. Rare is the effective leader who didn't learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first - and why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School. 3. Give your power away. One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. If you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp. Do you want to become a better leader? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

You Can't Manage Your Time

Arthur Berry was described by Time as "the slickest second-story man in the East," truly one of the most famous jewel thieves of all times. In his years of crime, he committed as many as 150 burglaries and stole jewels valued between $5 and $10 million. He seldom robbed from anyone not listed in the Social Register and often did his work in a tuxedo. On an occasion or two, when caught in the act of a crime by a victim, he charmed his way out of being reported to the police. Like most people who engage in a life of crime, he was eventually caught, convicted and served 25 years in prison for his crimes. Following his release, he worked as a counterman in a roadside restaurant on the East Coast for $50 a week. A newspaper reporter found him and interviewed him about his life. After telling about the thrilling episodes of his life he came to the conclusion of the interview saying, "I am not good at morals. But early in my life I was intelligent and clever, and I got along well with people. I think I could have made something of my life, but I didn't. So when you write the story of my life, when you tell people about all the burglaries, don't leave out the biggest one of all... Don't just tell them I robbed Jesse Livermore, the Wall Street baron or the cousin of the king of England. You tell them Arthur Berry robbed Arthur Berry." Here are six terrific truths about time: First: Nobody can manage time. But you can manage those things that take up your time. Second: Time is expensive. As a matter of fact, 80 percent of our day is spent on those things or those people that only bring us two percent of our results. Third: Time is perishable. It cannot be saved for later use. Fourth: Time is measurable. Everybody has the same amount of time...pauper or king. It is not how much time you have; it is how much you use. Fifth: Time is irreplaceable. We never make back time once it is gone. Sixth: Time is a priority. You have enough time for anything in the world, so long as it ranks high enough among your priorities. Do you need help with time management? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

Real Leaders Unplug

Real leaders recognize there is a difference between the personal, family, faith, vocation, and community dimensions of their lives. They know that while all are integrated, there needs to be a balance. Technology threatens to change all that. Technology has taken over. But it’s not as if we mind. Modern people have a love affair with technology. But if we are entranced, we are also enmeshed. The downside of technology is real and painful, and it is the far-reaching tentacles of technology - ​directly or indirectly - ​that have caused the majority of our work-life problems. In the past, there was a closure on the end of every day. It was called night. There also existed a closure on the end of every week - ​it was called Sabbath (observed by most on Sunday). Today, there are no natural closures. One religious leader suggested that Sunday is a day to stop our work, and it also is a day to stop thinking about our work. In Scriptures, the faithful disconnected from their work for a Sabbath every week. If we wish a healthy work-life balance, we will need to confront technology’s hold on our lives. We will seek balance. We will unplug. Do you need help finding the balance? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

Check Out the Following Interview With me by Noomii

Check out the following interview with me by Noomii: http://www.noomii.com/users/curtis-songer

Leadership Lessons from Foolish Father Coaches

I cherish so much about our children. Through my many years of parenting, this is what I realized that I treasured the most: each relationship. Oh, I admit it's nice when they scored points in a basketball game, excelled at a swim meet, or gracefully performed a ballet dance routine. I'm pleased when their grades revealed above-average scores, or when I observed the effort put into a home project. And of course it's flattering when people comment how nice they looked or how respectful they were. But what really tripped my trigger and renewed my parental energy - after returning from a business trip, or attending a swim meet, playing taxi driver, or setting curfew - was a loving smile, a hug, a high five, and the four cherished words: "I love you, Dad." I became keenly aware how my actions, words, tone of voice, or nonverbals affected the loving, caring, and mutually respectful relationship we enjoyed as a family. As a father, I failed at times to uphold my end of the responsibility. There were situations when I crushed my children's spirits. This was illustrated frequently while my kids were playing on the flag football teams I coached. It didn't take long for me to realize that the definition of a father-coach is someone who expects his kids to be everything he wasn't. I upheld high and sometimes unrealistic expectations. I even found it easy to justify my demands by attempting to motivate them to be the best they could be. However, more than once I overstepped my parental privileges. After blowing up at them for less than perfect play, the joy of winning would drain from their faces. They stood motionless and speechless as Dad continued to drain the power from their self-esteem batteries. I knew I'd blown it, but I continued to justify my outburst and dig myself into a deeper hole. Occasionally, realizing what a fool I had been, I would later look into their fearful and discouraged faces and say, “I was wrong, I'm sorry for blowing up at you. You worked hard in that game and I failed to recognize you for all the good things you did. Please forgive me." Their response would touch my heart, and my eyes would fill with tears. "It's okay, Dad. We know you love us." The only way to heal a damaged spirit is to swallow the parental pride and say, "I'm sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me." Failure to bring healing when you've been unfair or hurtful can breed anger for years to come. Effective leadership is based on healthy relationships. When was the last time you told your child or anyone else you lead, "I'm sorry for anything I have ever said or done that has hurt you?" Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

Leadership Lessons from Wolves

The attitude of the wolf can be summed up simply: it is a constant visualization of success. The collective wisdom of wolves has been progressively programmed into their genetic makeup throughout the centuries. Wolves have mastered the technique of focusing their energies toward the activities that will lead to the accomplishment of their goals. Wolves do not aimlessly run around their intended victims, yipping and yapping. They have a strategic plan and execute it through constant communication. When the moment of truth arrives, each understands his role and understands exactly what the pack expects of him. The wolf does not depend on luck. The cohesion, teamwork and training of the pack determines whether the pack lives or dies. There is a silly maxim in some organizations that everyone, to be a valuable member, must aspire to be the leader. This is personified by the misguided CEO who says he only hires people who say they want to take his job. Evidently this is supposed to ensure that the person has ambition, courage, spunk, honesty, drive—whatever. In reality, it is simply a contrived situation, with the interviewee jumping through the boss's hoops. It sends warnings of competition and one-upmanship throughout the organization rather than signals of cooperation, teamwork and loyalty. Everyone does not strive to be the leader in the wolf pack. Some are consummate hunters or caregivers or jokesters, but each seems to gravitate to the role he does best. This is not to say there are not challenges to authority, position and status—there are. But each wolf's role begins emerging from playtime as a pup and refines itself through the rest of its years. The wolf's attitude is always based upon the question, "What is best for the pack?" This is in marked contrast to us humans, who will often sabotage our organizations, families or businesses, if we do not get what we want. Wolves are seldom truly threatened by other animals. By constantly engaging their senses and skills, they are practically unassailable. They are masters of planning for the moment of opportunity to present itself, and when it does, they are ready to act. Because of training, preparation, planning, communication and a preference for action, the wolf's expectation is always to be victorious. While in actuality this is true only 10 percent of the time or less, the wolf's attitude is always that success will come—and it does. Would you like to learn more about excellent leadership? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

What Would You Do If You Knew the Date of Your Death?

What would you do if you knew the date of Your death? “Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.” – Steve Jobs. Abraham Lincoln once said, "The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time." Would you do things differently if you knew you’ll be dead soon? Would you choose different career or different relationship? Would you stop procrastinating on things? Questions like these help to bring our lives into razor sharp focus. Would you like to learn how to better set priorities, manage your time, and achieve your goals? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

The Pebble in Your Shoe

Everyone has had a pebble in his or her shoe. You may have one or two now. It's the small, nagging thoughts that eventually weigh you down. Some pebbles have been hidden, undetected for years. Others push, prod, and make their presence felt every day. Each pebble intrudes into the lives of the unsuspecting. At different times in life the pebbles arrive. Although they are small and mostly undetected, they represent many unresolved thoughts, images and experiences. Some are pebbles of doubt. They form from a single thought that occurred years, months or weeks before. Some pebbles are lodged only in your business shoes. Some reside in your house slippers that you tuck under your bed. Some pebbles find their way into your golf shoes while others form in the shoes worn while you parent. Unfortunately, some pebbles travel in all your shoes regardless of where you walk or run. Some pebbles are of fear. Others are created from guilt, rejection or shame. Maybe not today, but they eventually arrive unannounced and usually at the most inappropriate time. What challenges do they present? To run the marathon race of life at your most efficient speed, you must be free of embarrassment, guilt, rejection, fear, envy, jealousy, anger, impatience, frustration and worry. All can be lodged in any shoe, from a pair of loafers worn by a city dweller in Manhattan, to a pair of boots on a farm in Montana. These intangible pebbles are crippling. They destroy relationships. They contribute to overeating and gaining unhealthy weight. They coax us into drugs, alcohol and other addictions. They destroy families and alienate friends. They thwart the potential of our children and physically snuff extra years from our life. These are the pebbles in the shoe. The pebble can cause you to quit or perform with complete indifference. It can help instigate a fight or add disrespectful silence to an otherwise dynamic relationship. Even the desire for fame, fortune or power can turn into a pebble in your shoe if left undetected. Most pebbles stir up the past, cloud the future and keep the present to a blink of the eye. Like a garden that's been freshly tilled, a pebble can reappear without warning or detection. Prevention and removal are your only options for simplicity, balance and abundance. Would you like to learn how to clear your mind of indecision, uncertainty, confusion and fear? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/