Do you just go through life with no purpose? just get out of bed hope the day turns out okay nobody bothers you. Get home if its been an easy day it's been a good day, dinner, watch some TV and go to bed then start the day over the next morning.
Well you would be like most people.
Could your life be better if there was a purpose a reason you got out of bed, went to work at a place of your choice and throughout the day you were full filling your life's purpose. How much self satisfaction would you feel, because you knew there was a difference to be made.
What does it mean to have life purpose,its the reason you exist,You have clarity you make a difference and you leave the world a better place. Give it a try:
Take a sheet of paper, put a heading MY LIFE PURPOSE, Why were you put on this earth? (apart from to make your parents life hell)What difference can you make?
Write the first 3 things that come into your mind, sit with them how do they make you feel, are you emotional, do they make you feel good deep down inside, do you feel like crying? If not start again (unless your not the emotional type and you quite like what you've written).
Would love to know how you go.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
"The greatest Leaders Don't Rule They Inspire"
Lead the team and the team will follow. Earn respect with your actions and your words. Reach goals by coaching employees to reach their peak performance. Be positive, enthusiastic, supportive, trusting, respectful and patient.
As an effective laeder get the workers what they need to do their jobs well, it may be tools, time, instruction, answers to questions, and protection from outside interference.
Respect them, respect their rights as employees and human beings. Its important to work with them, you are all part of a team if they do well you do well.
Everyone has a need to achieve, they want to learn and they want to contribute to the end result. Everyone wants to be challenged, when handing out tasks match the person to the job and most importantly stretch them sometimes they may need guidance its about the journey they take thats were the learnings are.
Create an atmosphere which encourages staff to share ideas, the greatest leaders listen and ask great quality questions. its okay to sometimes get it wrong admit to the mistake, fix it and learn from it. You don't have to always get it right you need to look like your human.
Most importantly have FUN.
As an effective laeder get the workers what they need to do their jobs well, it may be tools, time, instruction, answers to questions, and protection from outside interference.
Respect them, respect their rights as employees and human beings. Its important to work with them, you are all part of a team if they do well you do well.
Everyone has a need to achieve, they want to learn and they want to contribute to the end result. Everyone wants to be challenged, when handing out tasks match the person to the job and most importantly stretch them sometimes they may need guidance its about the journey they take thats were the learnings are.
Create an atmosphere which encourages staff to share ideas, the greatest leaders listen and ask great quality questions. its okay to sometimes get it wrong admit to the mistake, fix it and learn from it. You don't have to always get it right you need to look like your human.
Most importantly have FUN.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Power of Attitude: by Chuck Swindoll
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life, Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. it is more important than appearance, giftedness or scale. it will make or break a company....a church..a home.The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it, and so it is with you...We are in charge of our attitudes.
I am glad I read this last night it made me realize that we can sometimes get caught up in the politics of life and other peoples stories etc. As long as we learn from the things that happen to us in our work and our private lives we move forward with greater knowledge and forgiveness for others misgivings.Life is full of lessons "Learn and Grow" and most importantly have people around you who are nurturing, loving and fun.
I am glad I read this last night it made me realize that we can sometimes get caught up in the politics of life and other peoples stories etc. As long as we learn from the things that happen to us in our work and our private lives we move forward with greater knowledge and forgiveness for others misgivings.Life is full of lessons "Learn and Grow" and most importantly have people around you who are nurturing, loving and fun.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
ZARA, too successful to give follow up service
When is it that a company is so successful that they feel the customer is not important. Shopping in Athens we had an issue with a top that had been purchased
and worn once. When we went in with the receipt and our problem t-shirt we were told we had created the issue and there was nothing that could be done. I had 4 18year old
staff members stand around telling me we had caused the issue.
When I asked for head offices number they gave us a contact. As we left the store we were treated like criminals by the staff and the security guard because we had dared to question the quality. (let me say we had spent a considerable amount of money in their stores throughout Athens.
We told our story to the assistant of the national manager, and she would call us back. There was no phone call or follow up service.
So we no longer shopped in Zara Greece, (we gave in when we got to Paris though) not that the service was any better and I was actually giving them my money.
So when your ZARA and you are so successful and have a good range of clothing (quality questionable at times)is customer service not part of the business model?
Why do we still shop there is there no alternative?
and worn once. When we went in with the receipt and our problem t-shirt we were told we had created the issue and there was nothing that could be done. I had 4 18year old
staff members stand around telling me we had caused the issue.
When I asked for head offices number they gave us a contact. As we left the store we were treated like criminals by the staff and the security guard because we had dared to question the quality. (let me say we had spent a considerable amount of money in their stores throughout Athens.
We told our story to the assistant of the national manager, and she would call us back. There was no phone call or follow up service.
So we no longer shopped in Zara Greece, (we gave in when we got to Paris though) not that the service was any better and I was actually giving them my money.
So when your ZARA and you are so successful and have a good range of clothing (quality questionable at times)is customer service not part of the business model?
Why do we still shop there is there no alternative?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
When Time Is of the Essence!
What a difference in service standards when you leave mainland Greece and come to the islands. We are in Santorini and this island is geared for tourists and the service standards have risen 1000%. They know they have 5 months to make their money ch has to last the year. They actually smile! They attempt to help you and do whatever is necessary to get the sale. Sometimes to the point where they get pushy!
The best service I had received was in a jewellery store called PONIROS (meaning sly), he was able to get me into the store try on the piece I had admired, gave me the credibility of the designer through magazine articles and how their business was the place to purchase. He made sure that I had all the features and benifits covered before he even mentioned the price, he wanted me to fully understand the value.
He knew I would not make a decision immediately so he even suggested he would give me information on the island and where to eat when I came back to purchase. (Very sleek). Every time I went past he would greet me remembering my name. Santorini is small so it was hard to avoid his store. Even though I will not be purchasing that piece of jewellery. I admired his salesmanship and I'm sure it will be a good summer for this business.
When time is of the essence these people need to work hard for their money!!!!
The best service I had received was in a jewellery store called PONIROS (meaning sly), he was able to get me into the store try on the piece I had admired, gave me the credibility of the designer through magazine articles and how their business was the place to purchase. He made sure that I had all the features and benifits covered before he even mentioned the price, he wanted me to fully understand the value.
He knew I would not make a decision immediately so he even suggested he would give me information on the island and where to eat when I came back to purchase. (Very sleek). Every time I went past he would greet me remembering my name. Santorini is small so it was hard to avoid his store. Even though I will not be purchasing that piece of jewellery. I admired his salesmanship and I'm sure it will be a good summer for this business.
When time is of the essence these people need to work hard for their money!!!!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Service Is a Dirty Word
We have now been in Athens for the past week. We have found that there is no such word as service in this country. The service mantra is "Like it or leave it". We have been in stores, travelled on their bus line 'KTEL', and visited tourist destinations. If it is a simple transaction they are nice enough, however, do not ask questions or deviate in any way.
The worst interaction we have had was at Delphi wanting to catch bus back to Athens and needed to be on the 1.30pm as the next one was at 4pm. We had a plan, buy bus ticket, eat food quickly starving by this time and it would take 3 hours to get back to Athens. The KTEL man was not there OMG!
He finally arrives, proceeds to answer his phone call and ignore us as if we didn't exist. He has lovely chat with friend still ignoring us, 5 minutes later whilst still chatting to his friend he processes the tickets. We give him 200 euros, the tickets cost 54 euros, he screams at us, it is getting later and he does not accept cards, we are in a small town. What do we do? Panic. We go across road to the Periptero (Little shop on street), my husband is sent to bank, it is now 1.25, no husband ,no food and bus coming soon. The KTEL man comes out screaming at me "where are you to pay for tickets!!!?". By this time hungry, children bored, still no husband and peeved, my reply from across the street was "you are a backwards country and will always be a backwards country!!!!". Finally husband comes back with money, buys tickets and leaves. We got on and the bus was full! after our long wait husband had to stand for 2 hrs and me for 1 hr.
The worst interaction we have had was at Delphi wanting to catch bus back to Athens and needed to be on the 1.30pm as the next one was at 4pm. We had a plan, buy bus ticket, eat food quickly starving by this time and it would take 3 hours to get back to Athens. The KTEL man was not there OMG!
He finally arrives, proceeds to answer his phone call and ignore us as if we didn't exist. He has lovely chat with friend still ignoring us, 5 minutes later whilst still chatting to his friend he processes the tickets. We give him 200 euros, the tickets cost 54 euros, he screams at us, it is getting later and he does not accept cards, we are in a small town. What do we do? Panic. We go across road to the Periptero (Little shop on street), my husband is sent to bank, it is now 1.25, no husband ,no food and bus coming soon. The KTEL man comes out screaming at me "where are you to pay for tickets!!!?". By this time hungry, children bored, still no husband and peeved, my reply from across the street was "you are a backwards country and will always be a backwards country!!!!". Finally husband comes back with money, buys tickets and leaves. We got on and the bus was full! after our long wait husband had to stand for 2 hrs and me for 1 hr.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Great Service comes from within
On my flight from Melbourne to Dubai via Singapore,I was dissapointed with the average service we had received. I started to think.What makes the experience great?
There were smiles. They were helpful, when asked. What makes the differnce? It's when the person cares and wants to make a differnce to the person they are servicing.
It's like they were shells but there was nothing inside!
They mostly knew what they had to do, they needed to smile and be nice. But did it come from within?
Food for thought!
When either serving or being served look out for the rapport building. Did the service come with warmth, care? If these signs are there,m then you will notice a difference!
There were smiles. They were helpful, when asked. What makes the differnce? It's when the person cares and wants to make a differnce to the person they are servicing.
It's like they were shells but there was nothing inside!
They mostly knew what they had to do, they needed to smile and be nice. But did it come from within?
Food for thought!
When either serving or being served look out for the rapport building. Did the service come with warmth, care? If these signs are there,m then you will notice a difference!
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