This is dedicated to the idea that the relationship is everything. . .and that often it is incredibly easy to establish and build upon a relationship. Sometimes just a word or two. . .
I received an e-mail today from a business that I haven't frequented for a long time; it was part of a process of setting an appointment. The sign-off on the very polite e-mail was this: Happy (Almost!) Friday.
Those parenthesis and the "almost!" were a such a great touch. The writer broke away from the form and in a very convivial style put in a little personality - a little extra effort that was made just for me. And it made me feel good.
Similarly, I often consider why it is that a coffee shop can be directly across the street from Starbucks and often the Starbucks has the long lines of customers that breed envy from the competition. From my personal experience, it's the difference in the way the person behind the Starbuck's counter treats me. More consistently, they are usually friendly, ask how I'm doing. . .and in a very informal fashion communicate to me that I'm important. (And if you've ever taken a Starbuck's customer satisfaction survey, you know that one of the key questions is "The team member made an effort to get to know me.")
Such small gestures that carry such great power. Simple things:
An acknowledgment in the hallway.
A smile.
"Good morning, how was your commute today?"
Opening the door for someone.
"Thank you for generating that report."
"What you did today was genius."
"I'm so glad you took the initiative today."
Or even, "I want you to know that I care about your welfare - I want you to take a vacation/day off/leave a few hours early."
These extra words. . .the kind gesture. . .it all goes so far to establish a relationship.
And the relationship is everything.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
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