Service Delivery From Contented Employees

Service Delivery From Contented Employees

In 1907, Carnation Evaporated Milk introduced a brand-new ad to promote its product, “made from contented cows.”  Since I lived on a cattle farm and milked a cow twice a day for most of my teenage years, I thought a lot about the productivity of cows with high...
It’s Not Picture Day!

It’s Not Picture Day!

Jim Collins is credited with the line, “Good is the enemy of great.”  I would like to add another axiom: “Perfection is the enemy of excellence.”  Now, don’t get me wrong,  there are clearly areas where perfection should be the minimum standard. ...
Serving as a Role Model of Greatness

Serving as a Role Model of Greatness

When I was a young boy, I imagined I was Wild Bill Hickock a lot of the time…or sometimes I was Hopalong Cassidy.  We watched the great cowboys on black and white television and then rushed to the back yard to replicate their antics.  I now live on the 13th...
Agile Trumps Speed in Customer Service

Agile Trumps Speed in Customer Service

We hear a lot these days about customers’ need for speed.  They seem to want everything the day before yesterday.  Uber Eats is working on home delivery via drones rather than worry about traffic delays.  Amazon is putting distribution centers in...
Does Your First Impression Tell Your Story?

Does Your First Impression Tell Your Story?

Your mother likely told you that you did not get a second chance to make a good first impression.  That is literally true but may not be completely accurate in its intent.  But, the point of the power of first impressions is a solid one.  And, one to be...
Laboring on the Hobby Side of Work

Laboring on the Hobby Side of Work

I have a new handyman.  And, Mike is terrific.  It all started with a really simple chore—power washing a sidewalk and applying a concrete sealer.  I had power washed it before but the sycamore trees nearby had stained the concrete so much it needed a...