| Curiosity question: Since Sawyer is 17, I know that she is too old to be a camper at Heart O' the Hills this summer, but is she planning to be a Heart-Lite? |
| Where have the years gone?! It seems like only yesterday that we had to convince them to let her attend when she was "almost six" and now she's old enough to be an assistant counselor. |
| True, but that does not answer my question. |
| She submitted the application and a phone interview has been scheduled. But what prompted your question? |
| I received an email from them describing their new leadership team, including some of this summer's counselors, and I thought about the great resume value for those individuals. |
| That's not why Sawyer's doing it. She just loves camp – the activities and the friends she's made, especially the "little ones" that she got to be "big sister" to. From the very beginning, she's always talked about hoping to be a counselor one day. |
| I have always been impressed by her ability – and passion – to teach and to mentor, whether at camp, at volleyball, or with the Special Olympics team. And, even though I only attend a few volleyball games each year, her leadership skills are very obvious. No wonder she has been named team captain the last two years. |
| Funny you say that, as other parents have commented to me about that, too. I know that as her mom I'm biased, but I'm so proud of her this year. Not only is she "playing up" and on the team for 18-year-olds and developing her technical skills, but she's really excelling at strategic thinking and team-building. |
| From what you have told me, she is extremely dependable and her teammates trust and rely on her. That is critical. As are the ability to communicate and resolve conflict. |
| She seems to have all those traits, although I can't take any credit for them. She must have been born that way. Not to mention, she didn't inherit her athletic skills from me, either. |
| I do not have the time for a nature versus nurture conversation, but hard work and focused efforts can go a long way. |
| Maybe in terms of athletics, but I think being a leader is something you're naturally born to be or not. |
| I disagree. I think it is easier to learn to be a good leader than to be a good athlete. |
| Then explain why I was more of a natural at golf than you, but you ended up a better golfer. |
| Because I needed it to advance my career. So, I took lessons and worked at it. Plus, I am much more competitive than you. |
| Now there's an understatement. But you're definitely a natural leader. |
| I have to disagree again. After business school, I did well in positions where I worked independently. I could analyze any situation, spit out a bunch of ideas and suggestions, and get them implemented. But, then I wanted to move to the next assignment. Unfortunately, rather than using me as in-house consultant, I was promoted into management. |
| Wasn't that a good thing? |
| Except that I was totally unprepared. |
| So, what did you do? |
| I looked around the company and found senior management that I admired and respected. Then, I emulated their style and approach. |
| Are you saying that you pretended to be someone you weren't? |
| Have you never heard the adage, "Fake it until you make it?" There is actually science supporting the concept, but the interesting part is that, along the way, I learned the difference between management and leadership. |
| There's a difference? |
| Managing is telling people what to do, how to do it, and then expecting them to do it. Leading is showing by example. Would you rather follow someone or "obey" them? I witnessed that the true leaders were open to ideas, they were patient and empathetic, and they provided timely communication, effective feedback, and positive reinforcement. All powerful traits that can be learned. |
| Well, I have to tell you, based on your description, most of the volleyball coaches I've seen over the years have been managers, not leaders. |
| I would be interested to know if that is a function of the level of the team. Is there a difference in coaching style when you get to the best nationally ranked club teams? What about at the collegiate level? |
| Good questions. I'd guess having better players helps, too. |
| Yes, but even with "better" employees, just demanding them to "do better" will not get the same result as inspiring them to do so. Funny thing is that I was just trying to do my job better, but by helping them do their jobs better, we all benefited. |
| Well, it sounds like Sawyer's leadership skills will one day be invaluable in the workplace. But I'd love to know where she learned them. |
| Probably from you. |
| Seriously? I find it very hard to believe that you think of me as a leader. |
| Do you demand things of the girls? Or, do you ask and then take the time to explain why? Do you follow through on the expectations and rules you have set? Do you take responsibility for your actions and expect them to do the same? Do you provide them with positive feedback or only just find fault? Even when you think you are right, are you willing to listen not only to their perspective, but also their ideas and suggestions? Are you willing to admit when you are wrong? Shall I continue? |
| No! You made your point. I guess I just see these as good mom skills, not leadership traits. |
| But, it is not an either-or situation. Those same traits can be used to be successful at home, at work, even as a volunteer. Think about the parents who are part of the PTA or who are little league coaches. Leadership skills are transferable. And, definitely can be learned, and taught. |
| Wow, I never realized there are so many similarities between leadership and parenting. But I can see where they're each both challenging, yet highly rewarding. |
| Agree, but I would venture to guess that parenting is much more difficult. |
| Now, that I was never expecting. |
| Whatever. |
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| Why does everything have to be such a struggle? Even a simple phone call to a doctor’s office. I don’t know whether it’s because I’m tired or getting older, but I just don’t have the time or the patience for this. |
| Me, neither. |
| Do you mean this conversation? Or are you agreeing with me? Which, although nice, doesn’t make sense, as you don’t even know what happened. |
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| I listened to what you said and suspect something that should have been simple became a production. I do not need the specifics to understand the concept. |
| Well, at least you’re listening. Which is part of the problem. |
| OK, now I need more information. |
| I used to think that the phone systems where you call a company and get automated prompts were the worst thing imaginable, as I wanted to speak to a human. Now I’m not so sure. |
| Yes, they can be very time-consuming and frustrating, but there are ways to bypass the system. |
| Thanks, but the problem started once I reached a real person. I don’t think people listen anymore. |
| I agree with that, too. Or, maybe you do not get to the point quickly enough. |
| Fine. A few months ago, I got a bill for my annual physical, and it included an item I shouldn’t have been billed for. But it was during the holiday season, so I got busy with other things. About a month later, I called the office, and after spending quite a bit of time going over everything, I thought it was resolved. |
| Let me guess; it was not. |
| Not even close. I received a letter from a credit collection agency! Which led to having to start all over again with a different person in the doctor’s office. Hopefully, it has been resolved this time, and I’ll get a corrected invoice, not a second letter from the collection agency. |
| You do realize you could have paid the uncontested amount at the start. And, FYI, the collection process is probably another automated system the doctor’s office uses. |
| I was looking for sympathy, not advice, but I should’ve known better. Anyway, the whole thing is ironic. I know that I’m always saying that with everything being automated these days, I want and miss dealing with people. And then it was people that created this problem. |
| Technically, technology and automation caused the problem. But, whoever handles “customer service” should have been able to fix it. This means businesses need employees who are knowledgeable, good communicators, and problem solvers. |
| At the risk of being old-fashioned, is it too much to want them to ask, “Can I help you?” and mean it? |
| “Can” means having the ability. And, is a separate question from “May I help you?” which reflects the desire the help. Both are required. |
| I’ll ignore the English lesson, but that’s what Home Depot does! They hire people who are knowledgeable about the products, and they’re always happy to help. In fact, they’ve often walked me clear across the store to help me find something. I remember trying to buy a new toilet, which somehow became complicated, but the store manager went above and beyond to make everything right. Bottom line, and this may sound crazy, but they take pride in helping customers. |
| That started at the top. It was how the company was built. They wanted to be a big business that offered the expertise and service of a small hardware store. When the chain first started, they stacked empty boxes on high shelves to give the illusion of being bigger than they were, but provided training for their employees to make sure they could help customers with most home repairs or improvements. |
| Impressive, but it must be expensive to train everyone. |
| It is an investment. And, reflects priorities. But, not all jobs require that level of training. It is about mindset and perspective. Each employee that interacts with a customer has the power to make the experience a good one or a bad one. Customer service should be more than a stand-alone department. |
| I remember when we were “teaching” at KIPP Houston High School, and you explained to the seniors that taking pride in how you do your job, regardless of what it is, doesn’t “cost” anything and doesn’t require special training. And is a great way to stand out in today’s workforce. |
| When I was in corporate, I told my employees the same thing. |
| Do you remember when you interrupted the manager’s meeting at the table next to ours at Pappadeaux’s Seafood Kitchen to say that same thing? I bet that was the last thing they expected to hear from a customer. |
| I could not help myself. Although it had been years – no, make that decades – since I worked at the Strawberry Patch, one of the Pappas’ first restaurants, I still remember the manager, Steve Sims, explaining that the hostess is the first employee the customer would meet and that they set the tone for either a great start or a bad experience. Each person, no matter what their job, is an important member of the team. It has stuck with me all these years. |
| What a powerful but simple lesson. However, I have a hard time picturing you working in a restaurant. |
| You would have an even tougher time if you saw the uniform I had to wear. Luckily, there are no pictures. |
| Are you sure? Maybe I should call their customer service. |
| Maybe you should not … |
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