Politeness has had an awkward place in the workplace – it is expected and demanded going up the chain of command, but is rarely used and even discouraged going down the chain of command.  “Why is that?” you may be asking.  The answer: hierarchy and social status.

In the past, for those in management positions, it was seen as lowering yourself to an underling’s status level – we can’t have that!  Asking nicely meant you were undermining your own authority.  Besides, you’re paying them to do it so why should you have to be polite?

Continue reading "Courtesy System Performance Standard #1 – Politeness = Respect = Happy Business" »

Now that you have committed to implementing the Courtesy System, you have to put an important image in your mind – over the next 8 to 12 months, you’re the tortoise and not the hare!  It is important to only put one Performance Standard in place at a time. If you try and do too much too soon you will increase the likelihood of failure.  Slow and steady wins this race!

It usually takes about 30 days after introducing one of the Performance Standards for people to become comfortable with the new behaviour. However, you can’t put the implementation on a schedule by committing to implementing one new Performance Standard each month because that’s the average – your people may catch on slower or they may even catch on faster.  It’s advisable not to move to the next step until everyone has reached at least 80% competency.

Continue reading "People, I'd Like to Introduce Courtesy System...Courtesy System, Meet My People" »

From an operations standpoint, the Courtesy System is a collection of eight Performance Standards that are designed to help people work together happily and efficiently. In the coming weeks I will address each of the Performance Standards separately and independently, however today, I will be sharing with you how to set the stage in your business to begin implementing a Courtesy System. As you will learn, the use of such a system can help you achieve productivity and fulfilment at work by providing a framework that makes it possible for everyone in your business to communicate effectively.

When you walk into your place of business, what does the energy feel like?  Is it positive or negative?  Is it friendly or combative?  Is it calm or hectic?  Is it energized or depressed?  This energy is generated by your employees through how they relate to each other and work together.  However, no matter where your business falls on the continuum, chances are that there is room for improvement.

The difficult part of improvement of this nature, unfortunately, is that the way we behave towards each other is deeply ingrained and it takes a lot of effort to change such behaviour. Simply trying to be “nice” usually does not work, because it is practically impossible to be “nice” to everyone all of the time.

Continue reading "The Courtesy System - Setting the Stage" »

This is the first post in a new series starting next week that I’m calling “Back to Basics – A Happy Business is a Profitable Business.” For those of you who are just starting to grapple with the issues of building a happy and profitable business, it will serve as an introduction to the basic concepts that underlie much of what Extraordinary People is all about. If you are already familiar with the “Happy Business” concept, it will serve as a refresher of what you should be doing and to help you out in case you’ve got off track.

At this point, I’m not sure how long the series will be.  I intend to keep going until; a) I run out of topics to cover, or b) people start asking me to stop. :-)

Happiness and profit are uncomfortable bedfellows for some people. However, studies show that a “happy business is a more profitable business.” Over the past few weeks, many of the posts have addressed the idea that, as a manager or business owner, you can’t make people happy –  anymore than you can motivate and empower people. This I believe to be true – people choose to be happy or not! However, you can create an environment where the choice to be happy becomes possible, and I want to introduce you to the idea that “Courtesy” is at the heart of such an environment.

Continue reading "Introducing... Back to Basics Series – A Happy Business is a Profitable Business" »

There are six steps you can follow to integrate fun with work . I have worked with and studied many happy (and unhappy) businesses, and have found time and again, that the happy workplaces excel at each of these six steps, whereas unhappy ones always fail at one or more of them.
 

GIVE PERMISSION FOR PEOPLE TO BE WHO THEY ARE

Allow people to bring the best of their whole self to work each day. Leadership is essential to all businesses. The Leader creates the vision, the leader sets the tone for the journey; the leader embodies the value that by integrating fun and work you will achieve a happy and more profitable business.

There's a great example of a happy and profitable business in the book by Stephen C. Lundin Fish!: A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results. This is a the story of the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. Employees interact with customers using play; they toss fish and tell jokes, they dance with the customers. The result is happy and motivated employees and happy and committed customers.

Continue reading "Six Happy Steps to Creating a Happy Business" »

For some reason creating a happy business doesn't come easily for most businesses. Many can't figure out the right ingredients for a happy business, which often leads to high employee turnover, low productivity and poor profits. To many, the idea of a happy business seems expensive, difficult and has no direct connection to the bottom-line.

How do we create workplaces where people are happy and enjoy each other, their work and the customers?

First of all: you can’t make people happy. People choose to be happy or not happy!  You can't motivate people anymore than you can empower them. Employees have to motivate and empower themselves. However, you can create an environment where they can be happy, motivated, and empowered.

Continue reading "Creating a Happy Business - think cake!" »

Believe it or not, but happiness is the best and fastest way to achieve business results.

It literally pays to be happy. Studies show that businesses with happy employees consistently outperform their less happy competitors.

Considering the challenges businesses face, creating a happy business is the number one strategic imperative and the only way to long-term success.

So, what exactly is happiness at work?  It’s a feeling of happiness derived from work.

If you were looking for something a bit more esoteric, then I’m sorry to disappoint, but that’s all it is.

Continue reading "A happy business is not some “Airy Fairy” idea!" »

Have you ever looked at another company’s customer base longingly wondering, “if only I could get in front of them?”  You almost feel like one of those lovelorn cartoon characters from days of yore that were drawn to look hopeless and pitiful?

Well, buck up because it likely is not a lost cause!  In today’s economic environment, the smart business owner looks to collaborate and not compete.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do both you and that company target the same type of customer?  (in marketing parlance, the same demographic)

• Do the services or products you offer compliment that company’s services or products with little to no overlap?

• Would that company benefit from getting in front of your customers?

If the answer to all of those questions is “yes,” then you have a perfect situation for a collaborative marketing relationship.  By working together, you can help build each others' businesses while providing your customers with more and better services.

Continue reading "Will you collaborate with me?" »

Mission is born from values.  Values are deeply held beliefs about what is good, right, and appropriate and they are deep-seated and remain constant over time. We accumulate our values from childhood based on teachings and observations of our parents, teachers, religious leaders, and other influential people.

Life is much more fulfilling when we orient around our true values. Our values are an expression of our true selves. Unfortunately, we have all been overly influenced by fear and guilt that comes from “should” and “ought to” and “have-to,” to the point that what we really value has often been buried deep inside us.

Continue reading "Aligning your personal mission and business mission. Does it matter?" »

In my last post, I mentioned the concept of a Welcome Book.  While I provided a short description of what it is and how it is different than a brochure, I want to go into the concept a little more because it can be a very valuable tool.

As business owners and professionals, we are used to thinking about ourselves and our businesses as “what we do.”  At networking events and parties, the first question asked after introductions is, “what do you do?”  What we “do” is our role.  It defines our activities and behaviors.

When we design a brochure to tell people about our business, it describes the type of work the business does and the services it offers.  Essentially, it describes the “role” of the business.

Continue reading "Brochure vs. Welcome Book and Role vs. Identity – what’s the difference?" »