I’m crazy about Rick Houcek and his 2-Minute Monday Motivator. Usually, I try to stay away from political commentary but I just felt like Rick was so incredibly eloquent that I had to share his post. I hope you and enjoy and recommend signing up for his newsletter. See the information below!

Quick Inspiration To Start Your Week…
from Rick Houcek

Success Achieved Honorably Requires No Apology: Is it just me, or is anyone else fed up with these protesters who are turning beautiful city parks into trash-littered dump sites? On TV, I have yet to hear two protesters articulate the same group purpose. Some admit they came hoping there was free food. They’re confused, unorganized, and their ranks are dwindling. A guy in Atlanta has become the unofficial spokesperson for the local group and captures all the on-air face time. If he channeled his initiative more productively, he could have his own reality TV show by now.

I have empathy for people out of work, but no sympathy for those who blame ambitious achievers for what they don’t have. Get real. The media claims the movement’s slogan is “We are the 99″ referring to the wealth gap between the wealthiest 1% of Americans and the other 99. Well, I’ll speak for the 1%. My clients are all entrepreneurs, CEOs, presidents, senior executives and managers who run companies that employ, in total, hundreds of thousands of people who, in turn, provide good lives for their families, enjoy vacations, and send their kids to college. Their companies provide useful goods and services (bought by protesters), and they are the engine that runs America. They take financial risks and make sacrifices the 99% wouldn’t dare. They’re honest, hard-working, relentlessly overcome obstacles, tenaciously improve themselves, care deeply about their employees, and donate large sums (quietly) to worthy causes. Yes, they make a lot of money and deserve every penny. Are they corrupt? No! (Sure, there’s a 3% ‘dishonest fringe’ in every people category. But 97% of the 1% are exactly as I have described.) We should be protesting the protesters, who expect handouts and entitlements in return for nothing. Question for You: If you’re in the 1% – or aspire to be – are you embarrassed by your ambition and success? For heaven’s sake, stop it. Man up. You need not be boastful, but be proud, not ashamed, and never apologize or feel guilty for triumphs achieved honorably.

Power Thought: “If you truly want a better life, do whatever it takes. Otherwise, give yourself and those around you a break and just admit you don’t want to pay the price, that you’d rather whine and complain than step out of your comfort zone and do what’s necessary to make things better for yourself.” John Assaraf, author, speaker, entrepreneur.
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Want More? To learn about Rick Houcek’s full range of strategic planning, goal setting, and leadership coaching services and products — specifically for entrepreneurs, CEOs, presidents, senior executives, managers, team leaders, and other high achievers — visit www.SoarWithEagles.com.

To Subscribe To “2-Minute Monday Motivator” (it’s free): Go to www.SoarWithEagles.com and fill in your name and email address in upper left of home page.

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Hopefully the title has done its job, and you’ve clicked on this wondering what the magic word is.

Good customer service?! Yes!

Good products?! Yes!

A good sales team?! YES!

All of those things are good. All of those things take vision. But the real way to crush the competition is not having vision. After all, didn’t the competition also take a risk because of a vision they had? Aren’t they your competition because they too had a dream?

The difference between good and great are the logistics that take vision and bring it to fruition. The answer, then, to crushing the competition is STRATEGY.

What is your marketing strategy, your sales strategy, your customer service strategy, or your social media strategy?

In talking to many FEC and bowling center operators at IAAPA, I found they don’t currently have these strategies in place. Do you? And if your competition has these strategies in place, how do you think they will fair? They’ll certainly have a leg up come 2012!

Don’t let your beautiful creation of a vision be crushed by the weight of reality! Spend a few hours in 2011 PLANNING your vision; make a step-by-step process on how to turn your vision into vitality.

For example, many centers I spoke with don’t have a marketing strategy. When I asked, “Why not,” I was told because they don’t have a marketing department. Okay – now we’re getting somewhere. “Do you have a sales department or team,” I asked. “Of course,” was always the reply. Well, if marketing drives sales and you have a sales department, why not ask them why they think people buy from you? {Insert looks of “Ah-HA!” here}

Your sales team should know why people buy from you. YOU should know why people buy from you. What makes you unique? What makes you special? Is it the experience or the price (I bet for most of you it’s the experience!) that sets you apart?

You and your sales team are a very good start to answer these questions (which are inevitably the key to building your strategy), but would you like to know a GREAT – possibly THE GREATEST – resource for these questions?

How about your consumers?

It used to be that we had to send out surveys (that people never completed) or ask every, single customer how their experience was as they were leaving (which got to be painstaking). But with the advent of social media you have a direct line to your most loyal customers. Why not ask them what sets you apart?

I know some of you are gasping in your chairs reading this…”Oh my GOSH – Brooke’s gone mad!” I encourage you to really think about this strategy though. More than likely, as I stated earlier, you’re selling an EXPERIENCE to your customers, right? More than likely, if someone is your fan on Facebook or your follower on Twitter they’ve HAD that great experience, right? Wouldn’t it make all the sense in the world to ASK those people about it?

Whenever I have this talk with people the “fear factor” inevitably emerges. “What if they say something negative?” Well, what if they do?

Can you immediately reach out to this person, in a public forum, apologize and ask to fix it? Yes. Can you give this person a direct line to contact you, in a public setting, so you can find out more information? Yes.  Can you find out something about your employees, your products, or your service that you may not have known? Yes.

What if it’s an easy fix? Can you then go back to that public forum, thank your community for their insight and advice, and inform them that you LISTENED and FIXED the problem? YES! How many of your competitors are using that strategy? Not many…

I’m getting off my soapbox now…

My point is this: There are resources beyond measure in front of you right now (by way of social media), and using those resources can vastly improve your strategy…which will improve your vision…which will ultimately improve your bottom line and crush the competition. The strategy should not be B2B or B2C, but P2P (people-to-people or peer-to-peer).

Ask questions. Come up with a strategy, tactics or a plan of attack – and do it before the New Year! Your competitors are already doing this, and if they aren’t? Well, now YOU have the leg up.

Need a strategy? Let’s talk! Comment below or reach out to me on the TrainerTainment Fan Page for some tips on a step-by-step strategy for your vision!

When you say no to a child or tell them they can’t do something what usually happens? In my experience, the most likely result is that the child will try harder to do whatever it is they are being restricted from, or they will continued to ask to do other things until they receive a yes. The truth of the situation is that everyone wants a yes answer all the time. We feel good when we hear yes rather than no and we are more inclined to respond in a pleasant and confident manner when given positive reinforcement rather than negative.

Rather than saying, “No, you aren’t allowed to do this or that,” respond by giving an alternate option to what the kid is doing. For example, if you tell a child, “Don’t play in the street,” most likely the child only hears, “Play in the street.” They want to know what’s so important in the street. What’s there to see, and why are they restricted from going?

Inevitably the parent’s afternoon will be centered around telling their child no over and over again. It’s challenging for a parent to feel the need to police their child’s behavior, and the child does not feel so great being told no. Rather than giving the negative in the beginning let’s look at this from a different angle: What is the most desirable end result? Most likely the parent wants the child to play in the yard, and this is a totally reasonable request. The reality is the yard is safer, and the kid will have more fun playing in the grass with the dog rather than running around on asphalt in danger of being struck by a car.

So how can mom alleviate a stressful afternoon of watching the kids and keeping them safe? Start the day positive! Tell the child what they can do, and eliminate the negative. For example, tell the kid, “You can play in the yard” this will shift the attention from the street to the yard. Keep the subject focused on what is possible and positive. Redirecting the child’s focus to the yard will greatly reduce the chances of the street being an attractive option.

So how does this relate to business and sales, you ask?

At work, with friends, or while completing an independent task we are often faced with challenging questions that can spur a, “no” or a, “I don’t know,” response. Is this really true? Are there situations where we need assistance or more training to give a definitive answer? Yes, of course!

It’s extremely challenging to become an expert about any subject, and we are all learning to serve and communicate better with one another. Even though you may think the answer to a customer’s question is no, I encourage and challenge you to focus on the positive and what you know instead.

This topic came to my attention by one of our Sales Shopper callers. He relayed a story to me from a birthday inquiry he made with one of our Sales Shopper clients. The location the mystery caller called has three standard party packages, one of which includes ten adults in the cost of the package. Our Sales Shopper representative asked if there was a package that came with fewer adults because he only anticipated on having five attend the gathering.

Based on the standard packages offered by this location, the easy answer was, “No we do not have a package with fewer adults.” Although, if we stop to think about what is known at this particular location, there was an alternative way to answer the question. This facility allows for a party to add on adults to any package. To avoid the no answer to the caller’s inquiry, and to better serve the guest, the customer service representative could have offered an alternate suggestion by describing a smaller base package without adults and explaining they could customize it to include the number of adults attending.

This is a prime example of how focusing on what you KNOW rather than saying NO can help to serve the guest. When we say no to a potential guest we are a putting up barriers to new business, and in all likelihood we do know the answer to the question, and we can create a situation to serve their needs.

So how can we move from giving a quick no response to digging in and thinking about what is KNOWN?

There is a need to change our habits of response. We all fall into the trap of using negatives. We are trained and conditioned to some degree to categorize our lives into yes and no lists. We block others and ourselves by saying no. On a personal level, if we are restricting ourselves from what we want to do by thinking, “No, this can not be done,” then we are left with a feeling of loss or disappointment. If we say no to a guest as described in the example above we are setting up a situation for the potential customer to call another location where the may receive a yes response.

So what is the solution? I say work to keep your speech positive all the time. If you initial response is to say no, take a deep breath and a few seconds to come up with an alternative. This only takes a moment. In the beginning it may seem challenging and the benefits of speaking positively may take time to show themselves. It is a continuous process of self-editing.

Take the challenge this week, and see how often the no factor appears in your mind. Be it with a personal situation like, “Should I eat this or that?” Instead of saying no to chocolate cake perhaps you can say yes to a delicious smoothie. Instead of saying no to a caller on the phone, stop and think of a way you can provide a positive answer to their question. It takes a bit of creativity to get going with something like this, and I promise the rewards are worth the effort. Think of a life were the only answers you give and receive produce a yes answer! How great would that be?!

I say it’s within reach. It starts with the individual and it will spread to those whom you interact with. The result is that your child, customer or yourself will be left feeling with a greater sense of satisfaction, and a desire to move towards the yes or what is known.

~ Amanda Standlee

Director of Sales Shopper

Meet Chris Creason:  Business owner, son, brother, friend, and Disney fanatic.  I received this email from Chris last Thursday and immediately asked him if I could reprint his story.  The bottom line is to pay attention to people; see when you can help. Underneath, you never know the impact your actions have on others. DO the simple stuff!!!

Beth,

Last year during the RSA conference the keynote speaker was a gentleman that had formerly worked for Disney for many years. Myself being a Disney junkie I relish new stories of how Disney conducts themselves, I have studied a lot about the Disney philosophy and how they train their cast members and I always love learning more. One of the things he spoke of is how the cast members are trained when they see a family taking a picture to offer to take one of the entire group, that way the entire family can be in the picture. I had heard of this practice in the past and had never given it much thought, but after hearing it again it was one of the things I took from the meeting and began working with my staff on when we returned home. Disney participates in so many programs like Make A Wish and other organizations and is the focus of so many first and final family trips, that their philosophy makes so much sense and can be such a gift for the family members left behind. To be honest I thought it was a nice gesture but I really didn’t get behind it in the Disney way. I viewed it more from divorce and that photo could mean a lot to someone one day.

Last month I was proven wrong not just once but twice, and both in one day. The first party of the day was for 4 year old Indy and like most of our birthday kids he wanted a party at the skating rink. However, Indy is not expected to live to see his 5^th birthday, he has a brain tumor and is not expected to make it another year. Indy did not know how to skate and under these circumstances we bent our own rule and let Indy use his scooter. The memories that his family have of his last birthday party will be of their experience in our skating center and when they look back over the photos of that day, they deserve to have lots of photos of their family together with their son and not just the ones they took. Our second private party of the day was a 47^th anniversary party for Donnie and Linda. Donnie has terminal cancer as well, and was not expected to make it past 2009. Donnie and Linda first met at a skating rink, all those years ago and their daughter, Joyce, wanted to have their 50^th anniversary in a skating rink. Donnie’s health continues to decline and he is not expected to make it to see his 50^th anniversary; so Joyce wanted to throw them a skating party while she still could. Both Donnie and Linda laced up a pair of skates and took to the floor, and once again the photos they have of that day will be so important to the family that will be left behind.

Needless to say, this is a practice that I now firmly stand behind and during my future training sessions I will bring this to my staff in a whole new way.

Chris Creason,

Manning’s Skating Centers

What small things do you do at your center to make a difference? Let us know in the comment section below!

You know, I have the opportunity to work with some pretty amazing people. On a weekly basis we coach many sales teams. Last week the training focus was on Passion. I happen to have a “favorite” District Manager in the Louisville, KY area. This guy is very young.  He started in the game room and moved up to the GM quickly and has recently taken over DM role of 2 stores in Louisville. Mike is still very young and a wonderful leader.  He leads with passion, it shows and I’m amazed at how his staff looks to him for leadership.

The operations teams usually participate in these weekly coaching calls.  We’ve found that when sales and operations take 30-45 minutes to get together on a weekly basis that the energy of the team and the sales levels increase, as well as the communication.

During our call last Thursday, Mike was pulled away; and I didn’t know it. I reached a point in the training where I thought using Mike as an example was very appropriate. I know him; and I know that his young family is a big part of the passion that drives him to do the great job he does on a daily basis. He was unable to respond but got the gist of what was going on.  After the call was over I received the following email and knew that there was nothing better that I could share with you all this week. So with Mike’s permission, I’ll let you peek in on his private email to me:

Beth

Sorry I was unable to get back on the call as I was talking to a lady from the Zoo here about an upcoming promotion we are doing.

I appreciate your kind words and you are absolutely correct; my motivation comes from my family. I love them more than anything and that certainly helps motivate me. This business is nuts. You can love it and hate it at the same time but you must have a short memory, learn from your mistakes and make every opportunity a possible teaching moment.

The leadership in this company is excellent and the love and passion they have for this business is contagious. Bill, Nick, Derek, and people like Jim Barclay (and of course you!) are so passionate about what they do that you cannot help but be the same way.

These people have taught me to never stop improving and to always step back and look at things from a customer’s perspective. We will all go through many struggles and challenges but the attitude you choose each day will ultimately make the difference. Your people feed off of you and you must be a leader. It all starts with me.

Take Care,

Mike

Sometimes we just do what we do because it’s our job. If we’re lucky, we love what we do and the passion for people helps drive our daily actions and decisions. I know that when I got this note from Mike last Thursday that I was reminded why we do what we do. Honestly, I just couldn’t help but being pretty overwhelmed with his words. Thanks Mike for putting it all in perspective. Your note was far better than any Passion Powerpoint I could have delivered!

What’s your passion? What gets you out of bed every morning?

I don’t know about you but I have a terrible relationship with my GPS.  Don’t get me wrong, I really like having a GPS, I just don’t trust her.  Currently it is a she.  I’ve tried the male voice, the female voice, a voice with an English accent, a young man, an old woman, and here’s what I’ve learned.  I can’t really stand for ANYONE to tell me where to go.

Who knew?  I guess the relationship is more love hate than anything.  I love the GPS when she tells me where to go in a timely manner and the path is the shortest, most efficient way to get there.  However, if you’ve ever used your GPS in the town you live in you may identify with my frustration.  I’ve lived in a suburb of Ft. Worth, TX for 21 years. In the old days we use this archaic book called the Mapsco.  I studied the Mapsco because there are at least 12 good ways to get anywhere in this giant Metroplex.  I feel pretty competent about my ability to head in the right direction of where I need to go in the city I live in.

Dallas is another thing all together.  I can get to Dallas, but I usually have a time getting out of Dallas.  So I use the GPS.  She always wants me to take some stupid route to get across town.  I KNOW how to get across town. I don’t know what to do when I get to Dallas.  The challenge is that you need to set the route before you leave because it won’t let you mess with it while driving down the road… Good option really.  I should be driving when I’m driving and not playing the electronics in the car. Right?

So there I am, driving to Dallas yesterday, using the shortest route.  She’s nagging me to turn, make a u-turn when possible, turn right when I know left is best.  I just want her to shut up until I get to the city.  I’m surprised the GPS machines I’ve used in the 100’s of cities I’ve traveled to really work at all.  I keep expecting them to say, “Why bother Beth. Turn me off, you aren’t listening to me, please make a legal u-turn as soon as possible!”  It’s unbelievable to me that she can really know the right way to go.  Many times, I’m looking at a map and it just looks like she’s lost her mind!  I don’t understand how she knows there’s slow traffic ahead.  It really creeps me out.

I’m driving along in Irving and she’s kept her mouth shut for a while; and then all of a sudden she pipes up and says in her know-it-all voice, “stop and go traffic”.  I’m the one sitting in the traffic.  I already know there’s stop and go traffic.  Of course I sarcastically responded to my dashboard, “No kidding-I’m the one driving.”  It did cross my mind in that moment that I might need a therapy session for this issue.

I wound up getting on the phone so I wouldn’t have to listen to her insistence that I was going the wrong way.  I KNOW how to get to Dallas. Then I get near the Dallas exit, and this crazy machine tells me to turn left.  I do, and would you believe it, I should have turned right.  She’s such a trickster!  I figured it out and got to my destination.  I used her to get home and she did not lead me astray on the way out of town, thank goodness.

Why do I bring this up?

It strikes me that knowing where to go and how to get there is a pretty big deal. You must trust the navigator.  My guess is that we all trust ourselves a little more than an outside source.  Trust is hard to build and when you are led astray it’s easy to assume the advice you are receiving might be wrong.

If you are trying to navigate your way through this crazy economy and your sales aren’t what you want them to be, if your staff isn’t performing the way you want them to perform, your learning systems are non-existent, your marketing approach stills uses archaic “Mapsco” like methods then maybe the TrainerTainment GPS (Gift of Performance Solutions) is the new machine you need   :  ) … Ok, I just made that up but it’s sounds pretty good to me!  I hope it does to you too.

Call us today and let us help you build sales, deliver great guest service, and put strong learning and marketing systems in place to insure results.  817.886.4840.

I had a huge revelation this past week.  I’m sure this is something I’ve always known but for whatever reason this theme keeps coming back over and over.  I’m dieting again for the 700^th time in my life, and have a friend who’s helping me with the accountability. Every day I journal and send her my food plan and actual consumption.  As it turns out my thoughts around the choices I make pop up as well.  So today is Sunday, Day 17 of the concentrated “food plan” effort. On day 12, after a chip binge, I had the big “You can’t take it back” epiphany.

It really started me thinking.  When I eat chips, which aren’t on my food plan, I can’t take it back.  It’s a conscience decision to delay progress.  And then it dawned on me that everything is like that. No matter what we do as a parent, employee, friend, spouse, mom, dad, boss, it’s lasting. Good things and bad.  You can’t take it back.  If we waste time, if we choose not to make a call or follow up on a lead, if we blow off accountability, or say things we wished we had not said, we can’t really take it back.

Sometimes on Sundays I’ll have a total veg-out day and watch a Law and Order Marathon.  It cracks me up when defense attorneys object to something and the judge says to the jury, “please disregard the witnesses’ last comment.”  Okay, really? What’s done is done.  People don’t forget.  You can pretend you didn’t hear the comment but the reality is you can’t take it back.

The travel creates unique challenges when it comes to following a good food plan.  It can be done.  Just like anything, it takes planning, good goal setting, and a commitment to the process.  My plan yesterday was good, but execution was lousy.  Life really is a lot like bowling!  You can have all the knowledge, the best equipment, and even know where and how to play the lane-but if execution sucks-the result is usually pretty sucky!

I guess the real challenge is the reaction to travel.  If I put it in day-to-day work terms I think it’s easy for anyone to understand.  Everyone has a reaction to each day that can create good outcomes or be an excuse to delay progress. Do you know what I mean?

Here’s a peek into the travel saga of understanding that each decision is final.  Every day matters.  On Thursday I had to travel from DFW to OKC so that I could fly right back to DFW and on to COS.  (Long story; I’ll not bore you with the details).  I was distracted and on the phone when I left the house and when I arrived at DFW I realized I left my bag in the garage!

The good news is that my husband, “Saint Jerry”, met me at DFW when I returned from OKC back to DFW so that I had my bag for the COS trip. This trip, by the way was amazing, I was at the Air Force Academy working with the Food Service team at Mitchell Hall … INCREDIBLE opportunity.  However, I flew first class and did not say no to the wine that they insisted I have with dinner.  OH this is after the snack of warm nuts. I can’t take those calories back … they count!

I won’t bore you with the food details of Friday. My choices were marginal at best.  Saturday was not much better.  I traveled home from COS.  When I arrived at the airport, had a grilled chicken salad –good so far — but just wait!  I had salsa as my dressing for this salad so you can only guess what else I had. Chips, of course!

Then the world came to a complete end! I accidently posted a question as my status update on Facebook, in PUBLIC, asking someone I love dearly a question about a very private situation. OMG, I thought I was texting to their phone.  I did not realize the communication was on Facebook.  A dual meltdown ensued.  I did not have the techno savvy about how to clear my status right away.  It was 18 minutes of torture for both of us.  OMG, to say the least.  It did get cleared. I was just hysterical that I had screwed up that bad. Although we were able to clear my status, I can’t take it back that I goofed up big time!

I had two glasses of wine on the plane and two packages of snack mix (they are 130 calories for each package and the wine is 100 calories per glass). That’s 430 calories I can’t take back.

Did I mention what a beautiful morning it was in COS?  It was amazing.  I wish I had stayed present with those glorious mountains and ignored the text messages and the Facebook updates.

Once I arrive back home we land at the A terminal. I had driven myself to the airport; and if you remember I forgot my luggage and had to meet JD after I flew to OKC and back.  I was a little concerned that I did not know where I was parked but thought it was on the D level of the C terminal around gate 7. I take the tram over to C and spend a warm 30 minutes walking the parking lot.  Up, down, around-clicking my key thing with no luck.  I finally decide that maybe I’m in the A terminal, or wait, maybe I’m  in the 1st section of C, or better yet,  I’m just an idiot and I need some help.  I call my knight in shining armor and with NO hesitation, JD gets in the car and comes straight to DFW to help me find my car.  While he’s on the way, I decide maybe I was at C 7, NOT C-17…

I go to the next gate area and spend the time it takes JD to get to the airport looking there.  We found the car on the B level around C-21.  I was very close but was so convinced I had walked downstairs to get to the terminal level that I guess I just did not go to the B level to look for the car.  I swear I looked on all levels.  The good news is I got my exercise.  JD and I went to Mexican Inn for dinner.  We split chicken fajitas.  I had 2 corn tortillas, chicken, grilled onions & bell peppers, and of course chips and queso. I can’t tell you that my “can’t take it back” epiphany helps me a great deal with the food thing.  But for everything else, I have great focus.

I send encouragement your way to know that each day counts. We don’t get it back. We can’t take back anything. So, make the most of the rest of your week!

You read that right. Yes, I’ve made up another word-just like TrainerTainment! I’m such a horrible speller I’m thinking this is the best course of action if I want to keep writing.  Thank you all for muddling through.

I’m really excited about next week. I have 7 people coming to our first TrainerTainment training bootcamp. Everyone works with our company now and does some training or coaching with us currently. Next week is an opportunity to expand our training base so that when you want us to come, we have the people who can do the job!

It’s an amazing process to put everything together in order to train your staff! DUH-That’s the work we do on a daily basis with you. It’s our goal, our mission, and at the heart of our values that we help others!

OK so let me ask you, are as guilty as I am as a business owner trying to put the best (you fill in the blank) system in place for your own team. You know, does a painter ever paint their own house?  It seems easier to do for others the things that are hard to do for yourself!  Raise your hand if you agree.

So with that in mind, I’ve worked on creating a GREAT platform for internal training. Guess what, it has cost quite a bit of time, money, and internal and external resources AND I couldn’t be more excited.  It’s a training bootcamp.  The attendees have been preparing for weeks.  We have been working very hard here in the Ft. Worth office to put everything together. When you read this note we’ll be into day 2 of the camp. Our people will be training from the Fun Training Serious Results book.  The great thing is that once they’ve delivered their presentations, we’ll have created added value for you!

I guess that’s where the SELLabration comes in.  I expect that you are going to want to have Brooke Ballard, Dave Patton, Amanda Standlee, Carla Bishop, or Thad Crouch at your center very SOON.  I can’t wait for you to see what they can do!

As a final word I want to encourage you to SELLabrate on a daily basis because you’ve made selling a priority.  The only real way for you to grow is to book more groups, parties, and host more events!  When you SELL you can SELLebrate.  One of our favorite customers has a bell in their sales office and every time someone closes the deal they ring the BELL!  I love that….Why don’t you go get your “Sells-Bell” today and you can begin Sellebrating all the way to the bank!

Hello and good Wednesday.

I believe that the BEST message I can pass along this week is a sincere invitation to participate in our upcoming Leadership Summit, September 27th, 28th, & 29th.

Leadership is an area that I continue to seek guidance on a daily basis. If you are reading this newsletter and you are a business owner, manager, supervisor, parent, or responsible to anyone in a leader or mentor role, then I want to make a commitment to you. Learning to lead well is a daily discovery; and if you’ll come spend 2.5 days with us in OKC, I promise you’ll walk away with strategies that will make a difference in your ability to help others as you live the leadership role in their lives.

I once heard someone say that you know you are the leader if you look around and people are following you.

Is your team following you? Do you understand how to best handle the 4 generations of people that probably work in your center? Could you use help with communication or resolving the drama or conflict that can be part of daily life when a group of people work together? Do you know how to best create and share your vision, backed up by a plan to execute so that your team is able to deliver those great guests experiences? Finally, would you like to have the very best system of training others? If you answered yes to any of these questions please know that you must sign up for this event today!

It’s inexpensive to spend the night in OKC. We’ll feed you while you are at the Summit and best of all you are going to receive ALL training materials, powerpoint presentations, and the wealth of knowledge that the attendees and the TrainerTainment team bring to this event.

It is impossible for a group of leaders to get together and not walk away with value beyond measure! I sincerely invite you click this link and sign up today.

If you don’t think you need help with your leadership style or effort, think about someone who works for you. We have so many young people in supervisory roles and I promise, they’ve not been exposed to the same books, seminars, or other leadership opportunities that you’ve had. Let us help you develop your staff. Use the coupon code SAVE50 and you’ll save $50 on your sign up fees!

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Have a great week.

Lately we’ve been talking a lot about attitude, so I thought it might be a good idea to revisit a reprint from a newsletter in 2009. It’s worth a reread!

Be sure to check out the great book recommendation at the end of the article.

A commitment to a great attitude helps you do the right thing every time.  I fly American Airlines almost exclusively.  I have a commitment to them because I have Platinum status which means I’m treated very well most of the time.  There seems to be a big difference with the attitude of service that comes with that frequent flyer status.  Often I’m upgraded to first class, flying standby is a non-issue because I’m at the top of the list and typically get a seat,  and overall there is simply an attitude of automatic respect and willingness to do whatever it takes to make my flying experience as good as it can be.  I like the AA attitude that comes with Platinum and Executive Platinum status.  Of course I’m spoiled and have grown to expect that each of their employees has a commitment to that attitude of service all the time.  I want to go on record to say that I love American Airlines.  I don’t like it when I have to fly anyone else.

However…last Friday I spent the day working in San Angelo, TX.  It just so happened that I finished up earlier than I thought.  I checked flights and although I felt like it might be a long shot, I went on to the airport to see if I could catch the 2:55 back to Dallas rather than the 5:55 that I had originally scheduled.

I arrived only 10-15 minutes before the flight was to depart.  The San Angelo airport has exactly 2 gates.  I had a boarding pass and TSA moved me through quickly and even indicated that the flight was still on the ground and I could probably get on.

I was delighted to see that the jet way door was open-YES they have jet ways in San Angelo, TX.  I was surprised as well!  Anyway, I asked the gate agent if I could get on.  He was busy clicking his computer and said, “No, it’s too late and we are at our limit.”  He did not say they were full.  My gut was that he was already into his final paperwork and he did not want to start over.  Normally, I would have been more assertive but honestly I was stunned.  I did not flash my status and I should have I guess.  I did finally find some words and challenged him a bit and said, “Sir, I just flew over here this morning and there were exactly 5 people on the flight, are you sure there’s not room for one more this afternoon?”  He grunted which I interpreted as sit down, you aint’ going!  Then the guy from the bridge came up and said, “Is that everyone?”  I knew then that his commitment to whatever he was doing to finish up his paperwork was a lot more important to him then service to his customers.  Things went from bad to worse.  The 5:55 was delayed until 6:20.  I did not waste my time.   I can work anywhere.  I was able to return a few phone calls and had a really good dinner at the airport.

This employee may have a great attitude most of the time.  However, he does not have a commitment to an attitude of service.  I do think if I had waved my status under his nose he may have been more willing to help me but is that really necessary or fair?

The thing that American is so great at is recognition of our men and women in the military.  I flew the next day and rode in coach.  It showed first class and N/A for my outbound trip.  No big deal, I had the first class seat in coach (the exit row).  As it turned out there were lots of first class seats.  The captain personally came through the cabin and grabbed military personnel that were in uniform and brought them to the front.  I was more than happy to bypass first class so that those service men and women could catch a more comfortable ride home or to the field in service to us.

You know it’s not just what you do for an individual but it is the attitude of consistency and commitment to do for others.  People watch and make decisions about your attitude and who you are every day.  I love acronyms and put this one together for attitude.  If it helps, I hope you’ll post it on your board to help your staff stay motivated and committed to having a great attitude.  Winston Churchill said, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference”.  I happen to agree with him!

Affirmation-Affirm everyday that you are a positive person willing to make a difference

Talk-To others and let them know your commitment to them and spread your GREAT attitude to others.

Trust-That although things can get you down, you have the opportunity to choose how you react to all things.

Insist-That every day is a new day!  My friend Mary teaches special needs children-and gives each child a blank slate at the beginning of each day so that they can start fresh!  We should follow that model for ourselves and others.

Thanks-Be thankful that you have your life and your attitude-look around, there are plenty of others that you would not want to trade their circumstances for your own!

Understanding-It helps your attitude to “seek first to understand” – (Steven Covey-7 Habits of Highly Effective People)

Devotion-To others and to having a great attitude.  It is surprising how much can happen when you make up your mind that this is the way it’s going to be.  Get devoted to your GREAT attitude.

Enthusiasm-Stay alert and excited for the BEST thing that can happen to you today…and to the best thing you can make happen for another.  This kind of attitude makes each day fun.  Cool stuff happens every day and you can miss it because you weren’t looking.

Finally, if you just can’t muster a great attitude then do what Alex Grevin, who wrote, How to Talk to Girls, find a cool boy in class and copy him!