2010 Theme

As we approach 2010, many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions or goals. Four years ago I came across a jewel: A yearly theme. Since then, I’ve selected a theme for each year rather than a New Year’s resolution that I rarely accomplished. My four year themes have included: peace, joy, faith, and love. With these themes, I defined each of them and set goals around the themes. With this, I would then journal about my theme and goals to keep myself in check and ensure that I was living the theme for the year. It’s funny too, how I’d see my theme word, in a variety of places, and it would be a constant reminder for me to live my theme.

My girlfriends and I gather at the beginning of the year and share our theme. Together, we encourage one another to focus on our theme for the year and challenge one another to grow. Having a yearly theme has truly impacted my life and helped me make progress in areas where I had great opportunity. Off to figure out my theme for 2010! How about you?

Closing Your Gaps

Three people in my life continue to inspire and challenge me to grow and develop. These are my mentors. Mary Alice, a professor that I had while attending SMU, continually challenges me professionally and personally. She is a woman that I respect and am able to take her challenging feedback. She has coached and mentored me through many professional and personal development opportunities for the last twelve years. Wendell, has been an intricate part of my growth and development and has also challenged me to grow over the last nine years. Our relationship began as a formal relationship where I conducted an interview with him to learn more about his area of expertise. From there, he has watched me bloom into the professional that I am today. He continually reminds me of my growth and how proud he is of my milestones. Finally, George, a similar situation, met me for coffee so I could learn more about his expertise. Our relationship also blossomed into a friendship where I enjoy the company of him and his beautiful wife, Suzan.

With all this said, these three mentors have been instrumental in my life and have helped me close personal and professional gaps. I ask many of my colleagues and students if they have a mentor. I’m surprised at the number of people who don’t have a mentor. I challenge everyone to get a mentor. Here are my suggestions for finding that person(s) in your life:

1. Interview individuals in your area of expertise and determine their passions. Ask yourself, “Is this person someone who could help me close some of my gaps?” Once you find that magical person, begin to share your journey.
2. Ask the person if they are interested in partnering with you as your mentor.
3. Build the relationship. Meet with this person once a month for coffee or lunch. You can also just visit on the phone. Mary Alice and I are states apart, so we find time to visit on the phone. I also travel once a year to see her.
4. Set goals. Ask the mentor to help you set important goals that will guide you to meeting your professional goals.
5. Ask your mentor for feedback as you are accomplishing your goals. George is great at providing me feedback. He always challenges me and supports me with the right balance between the two!
6. Take the formal to informal. As you continue to develop a professional relationship with your mentor, the hope is that it will become informal. Wendell and I meet for wine or beer to talk about our professional and personal goals. Yep! That’s right; I’m now helping him professionally and personally too. It becomes a two way street, where you learn from each other.
7. Enjoy closing your gaps and journeying through life with an additional perspective: Your mentor!

Hospitality Sweet

While it’s true that most people will go out of their way to make their own houseguests feel welcome, it’s been a long time since I’ve experienced full-blown hospitality as a customer.

Last payday, after taking in a movie, my husband and I drove past the Texas Roadhouse in Arvada and realized we were in the mood for a steakhouse dinner. We’d never been there but were a little wary of finding what we were hungry for at a chain restaurant. I ran in first to approve the menu since not only am I a vegetarian, I was dying for a glass of good iced tea.

Upon opening the door, I was assailed by extremely loud music and almost turned around. But this turned out to be the only negative aspect of the evening. Not only did the server I first talked to assure me that the iced tea was excellent there, she took it upon herself to fetch two glasses for me to try, one sweetened and one unsweetened. After the trouble she went to, I felt we just had to eat there.

Were we glad we did! From the moment we were greeted, it was an experience full of exemplary customer service. The only word for it, in fact, was hospitality. We were made to feel not only welcome but that our presence there was virtually essential to the success of the evening. Every server wore a tee shirt saying, “I Love My Job,” and from the smiles on their faces, we believed that statement. Our waiter immediately asked us if this was our first time there, then brought us some piping hot homemade rolls. A few minutes later, the manager stopped at our table to welcome us and to offer a free sample of barbecued ribs.

Every encounter we had that evening was imbued with the spirit of true hospitality. Everyone was warm, friendly, and seemed genuinely glad to have us as customers. We left feeling pampered, upbeat, and certain we would return.

So many service-driven companies claim that their customers come first and then don’t deliver on the customer service. Looking at this company’s website I was struck by the fact that they say their employees come first. And that should be a lesson to all of us.

People Processes

It occurred to me the other day that this time of year is the time to set budgets and reevaluate strategies. Companies are completing inventory and analyzing business processes. Outside of performance appraisals, I would recommend thinking about people as well. Develop a process for coaching, setting goals and developing those that work with you. It will insure that 2010 gets off on the right foot; because so much of our success depends on people.

Learn Everyday

As a facilitator, I tend to learn as much from my participants as I hope they learn from me. Whether I talk about communication or managing conflict, I learn something new about myself each time. In your position, are you learning from your peers and staff each year, month or day?

I challenge you to open yourself up enough to learn something new from those around you.