(continued from last week…)

The Platinum Questions

There are a couple of questions we need to keep asking ourselves. 1) How are we doing? And 2) how can we get better? Both of those are crucial to long term, effective relationships.

You need to ask that of your significant other, how am I doing? Also, how can I get better?

You need to ask that of your employees – how am I doing? And how can I get better?

And of the people who depend on you and the customers who come to you – how are we doing? And how can we improve or how can we get better?

Everyone around you needs to be asked that question, including if you have small children, how am I doing honey? How can I get better? There’s nothing like seeing the glow on a child’s face when you take a moment for them and listen to the things that are important to them. Those all important moments make such a difference.

The Quality View

We need to measure the quality of what we’re doing and we need to know how we are doing and how can we get better.

Carl Sandburg, the great poet, was asked once by a friend of his to please go and observe a first time off Broadway performance of a play by a friend of his who had just written this play. Sandburg had the time and said he’d be happy to do it and give some input.

So he showed up at the play and he had a ticket waiting for him. He was seated in the very front row.

The play began and the young playwright standing off-stage looking out through the curtains and saw Sandburg.

About half way through the play, Mr. Sandburg falls dead asleep and sleeps through the last half of the play.

At the end of the play the young playwright approaches Mr. Sandburg and says, “I really wanted your opinion. I was really hoping you could give me input because I trust and value your insights.

He continued, “I saw you sleeping and don’t know how you can evaluate and give me your opinion.”

Sandburg took a deep breath, looked at the young man, and very calmly and slowly said, “Young man, sleep is an opinion.” (How’s that for a zinger!)

For better or worse, the people around us have opinions about everything. The quality of service, the way that we look, how prompt or slow we are, and you need to think about that because their opinions can make a huge difference in the success and the failure of you and/or your organization.

(to be continued…)

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