Inside the Magic Kingdom

Several years ago I read the book “Inside the Magic Kingdom” by Tom Connellan for a project I was working on for a client.  Recently I picked up the book again and had a hard time putting it down!  There is so much wisdom in this book on how to provide extraordinary customer experiences every time.  For the next seven weeks I am going to share with you the seven lessons outlined in this book.  At the back of the book Tom has provided questions for each lesson that each reader can apply to their own situation and I will include them as well.  The book gives the readers permission to use the information provided proper credit is given to the author. 

LESSON 1

The competition is anyone the customer compares you with.

When I first read this concept I thought, how can that be?  In the book talks about how the same people that call your organization also call other companies and people are always comparing whether they realize it or not.  Quote from the book “If someone else satisfies customers better than you do, no matter what type of business, you suffer by comparison.”  Literally everyone competes in the world of customer experience and satisfaction.  It is the same whether you are talking about an internal or external customer.

Questions for discussion with your team:

1. Recall a situation where you were very impresses with the level of service you received.  How did it raise your expectations of other companies?
2. How does our company’s service compare?
3. Who are our direct competitors?
4. Who else might our customers compare us with?
5. What does that suggest about how we might change the way we do business?

Why gratitude makes you a better manager?

By Wendy Woods

Makes you more empathetic.  People with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathic and to take the perspective of others (McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002). Empathy is one of the skills required for Emotional Intelligence which accounts for 80% of success at work.

Leads to greater optimism and positive emotions within your team.  Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions and optimism (Emmons & McCullough, 2003) which is easily transferred to others by mood contagion (Roland Neumann,2000)

Leads to greater employee loyalty. In 2001 Michael McCullough found that interactions that involved an expression of gratitude encouraged the other person to behave in a loyal manner.  In a recent survey carried out by Susan M. Heathfield, fifty-five percent of the respondents said that praise and attention from their supervisor would make them feel as if the company cared about them and their well-being.

Quick & simple ways to express gratitude to your employees:

Say thank you every opportunity you get.  It seems like such an obvious expression of gratitude but it’s often forgotten or overlooked. Employees tell me time and again that all they want from their boss, and colleagues, is a simple thank you. Make sure everyone hears those words from you often.

Praise their contributions. Everyone appreciates genuine praise regardless of their position and level of success. Make sure your employees know you are grateful for their contributions; don’t keep them wondering.

Let employees know that their work contributes to the organization’s overall success. The need to feel connected to a larger cause is very important to most employees.  Believing that “the mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important” is a primary motivator, according to the authors of 12: The Elements of Great Managing by James Harter and Rodd Wagner.

“Gratitude is the best attitude.”  ~ Author Unknown

Coaching for Accelerated Results

by Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

As a coach I work with many people who are employed in a variety of jobs.  I coach salespeople, entrepreneurs, executives, managers and homemakers.  Everyone’s situation is unique and yet similar.  The people I work with have one thing in common, they have areas of their lives that do not work as well as they would like.  I love working with people as they create their goals and work week by week to achieve them.  Sometimes there is a misconception initially where the coachee thinks the coach is going to tell them what to do.  I explain to them that in coaching, the coach asks questions so the coachee can arrive at their own conclusions and discover their own insights.  The real coaching is in holding the coachee accountable to produce the results they say they want in their lives, even when they don’t feel like doing the work they committed to.  I have included below an outline of what coaching is, what it isn’t and the roles and commitments of both the coach and the coachee.

What is a Coach?

Professionals in all sectors require a coach for many reasons.  One-on-one coaching is a powerful way to support people to provide objective analysis, constructive support and accountability so they can achieve the goals they set for themselves.

Your coach is your champion and provides a structure to hold you accountable to do what you say you are going to do even when you don’t feel like it.  In other words support you to “Plan your work and Work your Plan.”

What a coach does:

• Mirroring-reflecting back
• Listening without judgment and beyond what they say (listen from the place of their commitment)
• Ask hard powerful reflective questions to help the client gain clarity
• Hold client accountable by telling the truth and by endorsing and validating them
• Create a safe environment
• Help client identify strengths and possible blind spots
• Partner with the client – celebrate their successes
• Conduct all interactions with complete confidentiality
• Does not council (i.e. legal)

What the client does:

• Set goals and be goal oriented
• Does the assigned homework and projects
• Honest and tells the truth
• Willingness to be coachable and move forward with their commitments
• Prep-work – Coaching Call Prep Form
• Willingness to move through fears and be open to change
• Commitment to the process

Commitments of the Coaching Program

 My commitment as your personal coach: I will exercise the highest degree of professionalism, integrity and honesty.  I am committed to your success.  I at all times with maintain the highest ethical standards and diligently respect your confidentiality.

Your commitment as my Client:  I request that you also bring a high degree of professionalism, integrity and honesty to your coaching sessions.  I request that you be open to new possibilities, fresh ideas and unique ways of approaching solutions.  I request that you be accountable and committed to producing your results.  Foremost, be prepared to have fun and enjoy the coaching.

Getting the Most from Your Coach

• Lead our session, know what you want.  The Coaching Call Prep Form is designed to assist you to do so.(sent in a separate file along with this agreement)
• I am professionally trained to help you discover your own answers; I do not tell you what to do.  Use me as a resource, not as an answer.  Said another way, I will support you with all of the resources, training and experience I have, but ultimately only you are responsible for getting the results you want.
• Enjoy our calls, personal and professional development is fun.
• Be fully human and communicate authentically, I respect your needs.
• Make sure you are fully heard and have the courage to express yourself.
• Double your level of willingness.
• Be prepared to be challenged, raise your standards, redesign your time, remove all sources of stress from your life, change your behaviors and discover more about yourself.

Everyone Makes a Difference

by Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

In addition to sales and presentation skills programs, I periodically deliver programs that are designed to support employees with the tools to deliver exceptional customer service.  It is surprising to me sometimes how little it takes sometimes to make a difference for people.  I usually include a exercise that includes the following paragraph that I found in the book “Inside the Magic Kingdom” by Tom Connellan:

XVXRYONX MAKXS A DIFFXRXNCX

Somxtimxs I gxt to thinking that what I do doxsn’t mattxr.  But whxn I start thinking that way, I rxmxmbxr my old typxwritxr.  Most of thx kxys workxd finx most of thx timx.  But onx day, onx of the kxys stoppxd working althogxthxr.  And that rxally mxssxd xvxrything up.  So whxn I’m txmptxd to say I’m only onx pxrson, it won’t makx a diffxrxncx if I don’t do this quitx right, I rxmxmbxr my old typxwritxr.  Thxn I say to mysxlf “I am a kxy pxrson and nxxdxd vxry much.

Often after we read this paragraph I ask everyone what it means to them.  I get varied responses and they all agree with the message that everyone makes a difference.  Usually the groups are small enough to have everyone go around the room and tell each other why they are important and what they appreciate most about each other.  In many instances I can see that people are moved by what they are acknowledged for.  I have had people come up to me after the program is over and say they were surprised (and delighted) to know they were appreciated.

We will debrief this session with some creative ways that people can acknowledge each other on an ongoing basis, and these are some of the suggestions:

• Thank you notes when someone does something special
• Buy a coffee (or tea, soft drink) for someone who has helped you
• Have candy or treats available for spontaneous acts of kindness
• Compliment when you see someone doing something great
• Send an email to a person’s boss telling them of something special colleague did
• Have a mascot (appropriate to the organization and culture) that is awarded weekly to the person who went the extra mile the most

The take away from this short exercise is to acknowledge each other for even the small things and this will go a long way to building a supportive team culture.  I encourage everyone to look for ways to acknowledge each other everyday.

Leadership Training

I have conducted many assessments since the start of Athena Training and Consulting in 2005 and there are some common outcomes that are desired from Leadership training.  Here are 7 areas where I have found organizations want training and coaching for their leaders so they can build powerful teams.

Organizations and Employees want the following attributes/attitudes in their Leaders:

  1) Leaders who are consistently approachable – people want to trust their leaders and know they can always come to them when they need their support.  Leaders that deal with difficult situations in a timely and fair manner.

  2) Leaders who listen and understand the employee’s perspective (this does not mean agree with them, it means the employ has the experience of being heard.

  3) Leaders who are positive, focused, yet flexible (open to new ideas)

  4) Leaders who support their employees to being their best.  Delegating and coaching to give employees an opportunity to grow.

  5) Leaders who set a clear direction and walk their talk.  Leaders who live with integrity to what they say they will do and what they actually do.

  6) Leaders who communicate when things go well and celebrate employee’s successes – recognition.

  7) Leaders who set challenging yet achievable goals that are aligned with the Company mission and support the success of the employees with a high level of accountability.