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December,
2009
Activity
Update
Greetings
and welcome to the December edition of Servant-Leadership
Solutions. I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving
weekend, and that you are looking forward to a joyful holiday
season. This is the first issue using my new newsletter
solution. For any difficulties, I willingly assume responsibility
and beg forgiveness. Please let me know if you experience
any issues so I can correct them as soon as possible.
November
has been extremely busy as I prepare for the upcoming NAMM
'10 show, January 14-17, 2010, in Anaheim, CA. This is the
music industry's largest event, and I'll be there representing
Teach Me Bass Guitar, as well as Rick Turner Guitar Company.
If you're planning on attending, and are coming into town
Wednesday before the show, make sure to be in the Hilton
lobby at 6PM for Roy Vogt's show. Then, on Thursday at 1:30PM,
I'll be presenting The Magic of Wish Lists - Building
Your Business Year-Round. It's only a half-hour long,
so you won't miss too much. (smile) Most of the time you'll
find me at booth 1410 in Hall E, with Teach Me Bass Guitar.
Roy will be there as well, so stop by for a chat, OK?
Last
month I met with a group from nearby Champaign/Urbana to
tell them about Danville Foodstock. They are very interested
in starting up a program in their area and wanted to know
how we got started, and how we grew. I have invited them
to be a part of the Foodstock family, but have also promised
to help them even if they went in a slightly different direction.
I'll keep you posted on any news.
As
I write this portion, it's Tuesday evening; Glenda and I
just returned from a walk and memorial service as part of
AIDS Awareness Day. The event was sponsored and produced
by the Vermilion County AIDS Task Force, which is chaired
by our good friend Susan Star. I have served as performer
and "talking head" for previous events, and I
look forward to more events in the coming year.
Finally,
I'm very excited to announce the launch of Write Yourself
a Raise™, my new sales training program. For more
than a decade, I've focused on service-based sales and servant-leadership
management. The Write Yourself a Raise™ program
is the culmination of my work in sales training. Based on
the True Service ethic, the program teaches how to achieve
far greater success - and personal fulfillment - by serving
the interests of customers first and foremost. I look forward
to presenting Write Yourself a Raise™ workshops
around the country in 2010.
True
Service = True Success
I
had a major light bulb moment this past month. It was one
of those times that the light blazed forth and I found myself
saying, "well, duh!" because the point seemed
so obvious. Let me explain.
For
many years I've spent the bulk of my time focused on service-based
sales and servant-leadership management. Over the past decade
I've refined my understanding of how servant-leadership
principles can be implemented in a sales environment. My
goal has been to promote my servant-sales philosophy to
others.
This
year, I've made a huge amount of progress and am now to
the point that I'm ready to offer a sales training system
based on an identifiable philosophy. And thus, True Service
was born, along with Write Yourself a Raise™
sales training.
Here's
the light bulb - the ultimate desire for a servant-leader
is to serve others. When talking about servant-leadership,
I focus on serving the interests of the team above one's
own. Similarly, I have found that serving customer interests
above my own is the main key to my success. I realized that
my quest as a salesperson is to provide ... well... true
service.
Simply
stated, True Service is the implementation of servant-leadership
ethics in sales relationships. It puts the customer's needs
at the top of the priority list. I've written an essay on
True Service for those who would like to know more. You
can read it here.
Resource
- Your Local Library
This
month's resource may seem like a no-brainer, but it isn't.
In fact, last week I recommended to a client that they check
out their library and the reply was basically, "huh?"
Libraries
often have large sections of business-related books. They
also have periodicals (magazines) and newspapers. In addition,
if your local libraries are interconnected, you have access
to the entire system.
When
looking for resources, don't overlook the simple, yet effective
library.
Quick
Tip - What if it was me?
Whenever
you're helping someone else, always let this be your guide.
Ask yourself, "what if it was me on the other side
of the counter?" Always let that be your minimum guide
- to treat the other person the way you would want
to be treated.
This
is more important when the customer is upset or frustrated.
They have a reason for feeling that way. Your job is to
solve the problem so they are no longer upset. And, isn't
that what you would want?
You've
Got Questions
Q:
Several people emailed in response to last month's tip to
ask what to do about employees that just aren't working
out. Basically, they all came down to this: What do I do
about an employee who just can't - or won't - do the job?
A:
First
- disclaimer. I am not answering from a legal standpoint.
First and foremost, you must follow all employment laws,
regulations, union contracts and what-have-you. Secondly,
you must document the problem fully if you intend to take
drastic measures. And let's be honest, taking away someone's
job is always a drastic measure. So, run all of this by
your lawyer if you want real legal advice, OK?
Firing
someone is one of the most difficult jobs any manager has,
especially a servant-leader. Whether we like it or not,
however, there are going to be times when an employee just
doesn't work out. Yes, I hate to be the one to tell the
employee, but am I doing that person any favors by allowing
them to continue to do poorly? Jack Welsh pointed out that
sometimes it's in the employee's best interest to find another
job that suits their talents, abilities and personal goals
better than the one they aren't doing well.
The
keys here are compassion and a desire to help the employee
get something positive out of the situation. By compassionately
showing the employee that they are stuck in a dead end with
no chance of raise or advancement, and that their skills
are better suited to other work, you can minimize the blow.
You may also be able to help that person find a much more
fulfilling job.
For
those who are underperforming by choice, compassion is still
important. Don't judge, and certainly don't be harsh. Simply
show them the documentation for their unacceptable performance
and explain that, for the benefit of the rest of the team,
you have to let them go and find someone who's willing to
do the work. Often, coming face to face with the negative
consequences of their poor choices will turn a person around.
I've
had to let a few people go for this over the years, and
it was never easy. But the majority of the individuals involved
turned themselves around. I know because I've heard from
most of them, and I've heard from their new managers.
This
just scratches the surface of the issue, and it's already
far longer than most answers I give here - mostly because
it's hard to be specific when addressing a general question.
Remember that each situation is different, and may require
a different approach. Also remember to follow all laws and
regulations to the letter. If you have any concerns
in this regard, speak to your HR professional or lawyer
before moving forward.
Thought
for the day
If
our lives demonstrate that we are peaceful, humble and trusted,
this is recognized by others. If our lives demonstrate something
else, that will be noticed too. - Rosa Parks, civil rights
activist (1913-2005)
End
of Servant-Leadership Solutions V2009, #10, a publication
of:
Lane Baldwin Servant-Leadership Solutions
My business is improving yours.™
Copyright
by Lane Baldwin Servant-Leadership Solutions, 2009. Reprinting
or republication of Servant-Leadership Solutions is prohibited
without prior approval.
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