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SanFred
06-2-19 THE FRED FACTOR
How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary Mark Sanborn |
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Motivational speaker Mark Sanborn was so impressed with the extraordinary service of his postal carrier that he began using him as an example in his lectures and eventually included him as the showpiece for this little motivational book on excellence. “You can make a difference.” “Nobody can prevent you from choosing to be exceptional.” “Faithfully doing your best, independent of the support, acknowledgment, or reward of others, is a key determinant in a fulfilling career.” (9-11) “The quality of the relationships determines the quality of the product or service.” (11) You can continually create value for customers and it doesn’t have to cost a penny. You can replace money with imagination. The most critical factor for employability is “the ability to create value for customers and colleagues without spending money to do it.” Substitute creativity for capital. (12-13) Your primary competitor is mediocrity. (14) “One thing seems common to all human beings: a passion for significance.” (29) “All men matter. You matter. I matter. It’s the hardest thing in theology to believe.” (33, quoting G. K. Chesterton) “You do change the world every day, whether you intend to or not. “Often it only takes a small act to make a big difference.” “The key question is, What kind of difference is each of us making? (34-5) Don’t use people as a means to an end. “Strong relationships ... are the basis of partnerships and teamwork.” “The quality of a relationships is related directly to the amount of time invested in it. Make sure you give some of your best time to your relationships.” (43) “The prerequisite for relationship building is trust. At its most basic level, trust is built on believing that people are who they represent themselves to be.” (46) [I think I would say it is being who you present yourself to be. dlm] Be interested. “Appreciating the people we serve, I believe, increases the value of our service to them.” Be a better listener. Care about people. Be honest. Be helpful. Be prompt. (46-48) “The best Freds are true artists at taking ordinary products or job responsibilities and services and making them extraordinary.” (51) Add value. Some ways: Tell the truth. Be personable. Extend yourself to others genuinely and enthusiastically. Add an artistic flourish. Meet needs in advance. Add enjoyment, enthusiasm, and humor. Eliminate nuisances and irritations, like waiting, defects, mistakes, etc. Simplify. Improve. Entertain. (53-60) To grow your value, become a sponge for ideas. (63) “Seek out what the best people are doing. Watch and learn. Then adapt and apply.” (66) “Freds have a profound impact on others because of the example they set. Their efforts inspire, both directly and indirectly.” (70) “Customers don’t have relationships with organizations; they form relationships with individuals. Passionate employees, whether they are salespeople, technicians, or service reps, constantly show their commitment to customers.” (74) “When you don’t see much meaning in what you do, you won’t bring much value to what you do.” Help others see the bigger picture of their importance. (83) Recognize their contribution, reinforce its positive effects, and repeat. (85) Inspire others with the example of your life. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle (99) “Jesus said simply, ‘The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 23:11).” (106) The most important thing is love. “Love is the commitment to treat a person with dignity and kindness regardless of how you feel about him or her.” (109) “Fred the Postman loves people. He loves his customers. He loves his coworkers. And it shows.” “What makes any life extraordinary is living it with love.” (110) * * * * * |
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