ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - April 8, 2005

I am writing this in pieces between flights on my way back from Buffalo to Seattle. My thanks to all of you who sent condolences on the passing of Margene's dad. I am still hoping to acknowledge all of them individually, but I am so far behind right now that I won't make any promises.

It will be good to get back to the Northwest again ... but I won't even get out of the airport! Three hours after I arrive I have to catch a flight to Edmonton, Alberta to talk to the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. After that, I should have three days at home before heading back to Buffalo and then down to New Orleans for the Super Summit.

I will admit that the travel schedule in the last two weeks has been far more strenuous than I like, but sometimes it just works out that way. Fortunately, things slow down after the Summit ... and we will be in Italy for three weeks in May! I can live with that.

Don't be afraid to shake things up. The status quo can be deadly. At the least, it is deadly boring.

MOVING TO ITALY ... NOT!
Last week I announced my impending move to Italy. About half of those who commented on it caught that the message was delivered on April Fool's Day. For those who didn't pick up on that detail ... GOTCHA!

That said, Margene and I are, in fact, going to be in Italy for most of the month of May for our annual corporate meeting. (Hey, nobody ever said WHERE you had to hold your corporate meeting!)

That said, I am, in fact, concerned about the value of our currency. Marv Hunt and Cindy Casady will, in fact, become more involved in the operation of the business. Margene and I have, in fact, talked about packing it up while the dollar still holds some value and we may, in fact, look at some real estate while we are there.

What we have NOT done is make a commitment to leave. So you haven't seen the last of me yet.

LOOK AT ME, TALK TO ME
All I have to do to get material for my weekly rant is to go out to eat. This time it was at a chain family restaurant outside Buffalo where we stopped for a quick bite of dinner on our way to the funeral home after we got off the plane on Wednesday.

The waitress was young, with that blank look that told me she was going through the motions but really had not grasped the larger purpose behind her job. She got to the table quickly enough and brought our food out as soon as it was up ... but I doubt that she even looked at us once in the whole process. Mostly she stared at her order pad or the top of the table.

Then she was totally out of sight until she unexpectedly walked by the table about five minutes after we had been served. She slowed down a bit but did not stop walking as she said (I presume to us although she was not looking at us when she said it), "How's everything? Good!" and walked off! What was THAT supposed to accomplish?

Then she disappeared again. I finally had to hunt her down to get our check because the clock was ticking and we had other places we needed to be. All of this brought a few things to mind:

Marvin's Law of Monster Tips, Rule One:
Never talk to a table while you are moving. It delivers a message that you have something going on that is more important than the guests you are supposedly talking to. This is not the way to make people want to adopt you and write you into their wills.

Marvin's Law of Monster Tips, Rule Two:
Always talk TO someone. This means eye contact and a smile. If you are not looking at someone when noise is coming out of your mouth, you missed the point here ... and it will cost you.

Marvin's Law of Monster Tips, Rule Three:
Settle the check quickly. People may camp all night but when they want to go, they want to go NOW. This is the time when they are deciding what sort of a tip to leave, so get them the check quickly, flash that million dollar smile and make sure they know how much you appreciate their business.

PS: Watching the restaurant manager gave me a clue as to how this young woman learned her behavior patterns ... but that is a story for another time.

THE APRIL SURVEY
It's a new month ... and a new survey question. One of the major concerns that surfaced in the January survey was staff training, so this month we explore that area in more detail.

Please take a few minutes to fill us in on the current state of your training and how you expect it to evolve in the next year. Add your thoughts to the April survey

THE SUPER SUMMIT IS FILLING UP
There is no obligation to find out more about what we have in mind in New Orleans

If you are at all curious about what makes this year's Super Summit totally different from anything we have ever done ... the best way to get a sense of what we have in mind is to follow the link below and read the information letter on the program. If that intrigues you, complete the online application.

Once we have your application, Robert Kausen will set up a 30-45 minute telephone interview where you can get all your questions answered. If it looks like the Summit is a good fit, we will invite you to register. After that, it is all up to you.

Why do we go to this time and trouble?
We appreciate that qualifying for this program is an involved process ... but you will come to appreciate that what we are bringing to you in Super Summit 2005 is entirely different than any training you have ever been part of.

After we talk, you should have a sense that we have something very special available for those who are ready to hear it. We will not accept anyone for the program unless we believe that they are one of those people ... which is why we are being so careful about who we invite.

From my own experience, I can promise that if you are fortunate enough to join us in New Orleans, your life -- both professionally and personally -- can, in fact, become effortless. The only question is whether you have the courage to let your life be that easy.

This is the last program of this sort that we have planned. Don't miss it. Submit your application today. Get the whole story on the Super Summit

THE PERPETUAL QUESTION
What did you learn from your staff today?

I learned that one of my waiters has a chronic medical condition. (I had to send him home in the middle of a busy shift to get his medicine.) Therefore, I will now ask that question of all applicants and require new hires to leave a dose of their remedy in our first aid cabinet for future emergencies.

A Note from the Doc:
Over time, you may come to understand that my perpetual question is really a lot deeper than it may sound. You may come to understand that improving your listening skills may be the most valuable management talent you can develop.

... and you may not. It all depends on how serious you are about finding out what you and your company are really capable of becoming.

I will continue to collect your answers to this important question. Just click on the link below for a short coaching session on listening and a chance to contribute your answer for the common good.

What did YOU learn from YOUR staff today?

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