The Fortress

A fortress is a place of exceptional security or stronghold. Imagine a fortress with thick rock walls, weapons to guard the entrance, a large one foot thick solid wood door with fortified iron hinges and multiple huge dead bolts to lock access trough that door. 

During times of distress a fortress is on high alert and its access points are bolted tight with all soldiers at their post ready for this incoming threat. It makes perfect sense that a fortress would need to be built considering the tyrannical leaders this world has seen.

In my experience I have found that the majority of people have built personal fortresses around their hearts. Thick walls, Dead bolts, fortified hinges and weapons of war. The human spirits are wondering around in their fortresses trying to find someone to share the space of understanding. 

The BIG question. Is there anyone in this world that cares enough about me that will spend some time to understand me? Did you know that even the closest people in your life are hold back about 60% of their cooperation because they don't feel understood? If the people we love are holding back imagine the people we work with and the ones that pass us by each day. 

Og Mandino said that love can melt the hardest heart like the suns rays that softens the coldest clay. I will quote Tina Turner and say what's love got to do with it? Well if you are a follower of Christ remember the woman that was caught up in adultery that was about to get stoned to death.(A true act of love)! If you are a follower of Buddha's teaching remember this, "Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.”  Truly inspired people that left us something to ponder! 

Steven Covey said that understanding to the soul is what air is to the body. So if you want cooperation from people then follow the principle being taught. listen and you will find open doors. Next time you hear someone say "boy I am tired", that is the sound of an open door. Instead of thinking how you feel ask a question like, "why are you so tired'? You will notice that they are surprised that you asked. Could you imagine the internal dialog going on in that persons's head? I bet alarms are going off and they are thinking what the heck, this person actually cares enough to ask why to my comment.  

It is sad that people are wondering around looking for someone that understands them or care to truly listen to them without thinking how to respond. Most people are mired in this prison and don't realize that the keys are within a question away. Seek to ask questions with love in your heart and be astonish as to how people will show up in your life ready to cooperate.

The human fortress is not so fortified after all, listen for doors and you will have your mind blown as to how many fortresses have their doors wide open. There are millions of fortresses sending out signals like the radio operator in a one person is left on the earth SCI-FY. Is there a receiver out there that is powered up ready to hear what is being broadcast-ed? Seek to hear the doors and join the 1% of the people that experience the highest levels of relationships and cooperation. 

Cutomer Service

World Class Customer Service:

While talking to a coworker I realized great things come from listening. The 7 Habits of highly effective people has a habit that states "seek first to understand then be understood". Being open to listen and learn, the following questions came up.

1. What do we have to do to become a world class customer service Organization?
2. What is your corporate objective in regards to customer service?
3. Can you honestly say that if you were to ask your work team members they know what the corporate objective is?
4. What is leaderships roll when it comes to the objective?

A world class team is focuses on a clear Objective not personal recognition. All world class teams have world class leadership. How can you tell if a leadership is world class? This is a very easy question to answer. Now in all Caps for emphasis " A WORLD CLASS TEAM ALWAYS FOCUSES ON THE CLEAR OBJECTIVE NOT PERSONAL RECOGNITION"! This goes for the team as well as the team leaders. This was revealed to me at young age but I did not have the wisdom truly understand it. Christ thought his follower in simplistic but eloquent ways, which in itself is a principle. Principles govern everything regardless if we choose to believe it or not.

The by-product of action taken is recognition. Recognition is defined as The acknowledgement of achievement, service or merit. Service, achievement and merit are things that come from action. So what action needs to be taken to achieve the objective? It is better to focus on the work and let the byproduct come when it comes.

At times it seams insurmountable to get a team pulling in the same direction. My question to any leadership team is, are you clearly defining the direction for your team. In the very word leadership is the word lead! Have you ever noticed that at the end of a race there is always a clearly defined finish line? It is actually easy to lead a team if the leaders are crystal clear as to where the organization is going. Clearly defined guild lines are the road map to a world class organization. A very large ship/organization can be benefited by a small helm in the time of a storm by keeping the ship/organization work ways against the wind and the waves.

Every interaction with the team should be accompanied with an overview of the objective? This principle is defined in the 7 Habits of highly effective people as beginning with the end in mind. Keeping the end in mind at the fore front of the organization will keep the team running in the same direction at all times. Remember if the littlest person in the organization is not clear about what the objective is, then the definition is not clear enough.

World class and simple go hand and hand and world class loves clearly defined road maps! Keep it simple and clear and the objective will be realized.