ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - December 23, 2005

With Christmas nearly upon us, I will keep this short and sweet. You surely have more productive places to be and more rewarding things to do that sit here and read e-mail.

Still, whenever you finally get to this, I hope your heart is filled with the warmth and love of the season and that you are grateful for the countless blessings that you enjoy. Happy Holidays.

GO HOME
Spend time with your loved ones and let the rest of the world turn without you for a day or so. Give yourself a break from the rigors of commerce. Allow yourself to recall that the spirit of the holiday season -- or any season for that matter -- is found in gratitude.

My holiday wish for you is that you be grateful for the situations of your life, whatever they may be.

Be grateful for the opportunity to have hung out with your parents. That time is all too brief. However it looks now, they were always doing the best they could at the time in a tough job with no training. They have wonderful lessons to teach if you only have the courage to ask, but ask while you still can.

-- What did you learn from your parents today?

Be grateful for the love of your mate. None of us can do it alone, even if we think we can. It would be a much lonelier road to travel without someone to do it for. Don't forget that you are never successful unless things are working at home as well as on the job. If you have the courage to allow it, your mate can turn out to be your best friend and best teacher.

-- What did you learn from your mate today?

Be grateful for the children, for they constantly remind us of the innate curiosity, innocence and joy of living that is our true nature. The years seem to build a crust over that free self-expression but we can reclaim it if we have the courage. Be adult, but don't put too much value on "growing up." Teach the children the things they ask for and don't be afraid to be a student yourself.

-- What did you learn from your kids today?

Be grateful to have been led into an industry that has as its central focus making others feel welcome and well cared-for. What could be a more noble calling? In the hustle and hassle of making a living, don't forget that the hospitality business is about being hospitable. If you can create and maintain that climate, people will beat a path to your door.

-- What did you learn from your guests today?

Be grateful for your staff. If you could do it all by yourself you probably would, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun. Accept the awesome responsibility of helping the members of your crew to find their excellence, whatever that may be. Celebrate their victories and help them through their lessons, for they truly are a mirror for your life.

-- What did you learn from your staff today?

Be grateful to live in a country, however flawed, that allows you the opportunity for self expression and a chance to rise or fall based on your own vision, skills and desire. This is still only a dream in many parts of the world so don't blow it. And don't worry about making mistakes -- a mistake is only a situation that you don't learn and grow from.

-- What did you learn from your life today?

I am grateful for the opportunity to make a living by learning. My warmest wishes for the holiday season.

(I originally wrote this six years ago. It sounded like something worth re-visiting. I hope you agree.)

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE
Regular readers know that every year at this time I beat you up about stocking up on those small, clear Christmas lights.

If you haven't already done it, don't forget to buy these versatile little lights while you can still find them! Within days, they will be off the shelves until next season ... and there are just too many good uses for them year 'round.

Use them to provide visual interest in the dark corners of the restaurant, raise the energy level of a room, add sparkle to buffet lines, draw attention to the front of your operation and in dozens of other ways ... but get 'em while you can!

Just give one of your crew a $20 bill and send them to Wal-Mart, Target or the local drug store. They will come back with half a dozen boxes and the deed is done. Trust me, you can't have enough of these things in your toy box. Consider yourself beaten up for another year.

THE DECEMBER SURVEY
Nearly 170 of you contributed your thoughts to the December survey of which topics you were most interested in exploring in 2006. That is the best response ever!

The top vote-getter was new approaches to customer service, with 98% of the respondents saying they would definitely or probably participate in a survey on that topic.

Filling out the top ten:
* Staff training (97%)
* Staff motivation & incentives (96%)
* Marketing best practices (96%)
* Rewards & recognition (91%)
* Controlling theft (88%)
* Recruiting approaches (84%)
* Local store marketing ideas (81%)
* Internet marketing ideas (75%)
* Employee meal policies (72%)

My thanks to all who participated in this exercise. As a reward, there will not be another survey until the January 6, 2006 edition of the EHC when we will look at ... surprise! ... new approaches to customer service. Happy holidays!

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

I learned to quietly observe the employees working without my being in the way and monopolizing the environment myself. -- Joe Wagner, Jackson Java Company, Jackson, MS

When you undertake a leadership position, it is no longer about you ... it is about what you can get done through your crew. Your value becomes your ability to be a good coach ... and you can't coach without watching the game and analyzing how it is being played.

You also can't coach without understanding why the players are behaving as they are ... and to do that you must not only watch, but ask good questions and listen carefully to the answers.

Remember that you are listening past the words. Your goal is to understand how they think and grasp why it makes sense to them to do it the way they are doing it. Only then will you be in a position to make relevant course corrections ... and only then will they be willing to consider what YOU have to say.

Never doubt that the most critical management skill you can develop is your ability to truly listen.

I will continue to collect your answers to this important question ... and you can add comments as often as you want. Just click on the link below and contribute your insights for the common good (and your own as well!)

What did YOU learn from YOUR staff today?

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