How Good Do You Want To Be?
How much time are you willing to put in to being a great server, a top salesperson, an engaged leader, an enthusiastic cashier, a great guest service person, an energetic lane attendant, one exciting party pro, or a fantastic floor guard?
How good do you have to be in order to be considered great? How often do you practice your greatness? Are you playing at the top of your game? Can you celebrate each shift and know that you won because you played your very best?
When you watch a professional athlete you can see their enthusiasm when they win and their pain when they lose. Now maybe you don’t think your job is as glamorous as a famous athlete; but don’t you think it’s possible that your performance could at least make you feel famous about yourself.
I don’t know a single person who doesn’t have a lot of pride about the things they do well. I coached a ball team when my oldest was 13 and we had 2 twin gals on that team who were amazing. I ask Stephanie (I think it was Steph, they were identical twins) one day why she and her sister Jennifer, seemed to enjoy the game so much. I’ve never forgotten her answer. With a giant smile and a gleam in her eye she said, “Well that’s easy, we’re good at it”! And they were. They practiced a lot, they were the first ones to sign up to go to the batting cages and they missed plays and struck out, and they got better every day. They wanted to play at a high level and they did because they worked at it.
I think that no matter what you do that the kind of drive, passion, and enthusiasm to be the best can inspire you to work enough, practice, enough, to be the very best.
Why would you want to come in second?
Why would you choose to only perform at a mediocre level? We all have the opportunity to be the very best that we can be. So I ask you, are you playing at the top of you game? If not, why not? What would it take for you to give it you all?
Motivating employees-I want X so I have to do Y like crazy right now. A Front-Line employee is probably not planning to be a floor guard, a lane attendant, or a party pro for the rest of their lives. Have you found out what they do want to be? Have you ask them how they see themselves in the world? Check this out with your front line. Connect them to that (gonna be) with the job they are doing now. I believe that helping your team understand how their performance right now is helping them prepare for what will be that potentially you can ignite and inspire performance. I don’t think people want to fail. I do think that sometimes they just can’t find a path to success and they need help!
Consider This: Even if what you do now is not that long term thing you want to do in the future the reality is that somehow the two are connected. Why not get engaged and get the most out of what it is you are doing right now? Win for crying out loud. If you are in the game, it’s a lot more fun when you play to win!
President Ronald Reagan said?
My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose – somehow we win out.”
