Category Archives: Triple III
LEARNING MOMENTS: Organization & Business Responsibility SHIFTS!
Too often traditional… “We have always done it this way” operational practices stand in the way of progressive process upgrades in the workplace. You know what I mean. The “if it’s not broken… why do we need to fix or change anything” leadership/management standardized approach to change… RIGHT?!
Well this month’s Inspiring Innovations LEARNING MOMENTS podcast: Organization & Business Responsibility SHIFTS! is simply about realigning traditional operational activities to obtain greater employee workplace ownership and more diverse leadership opportunities. Keep in mind because of my self-imposed podcast time limits only two basic examples are discussed. However, the hope is to open doors in every workplace regarding the short- and long-term benefits of engaging new Organization & Business Responsibility SHIFTS!
Enjoy the listen.
TRIPLE III TIME: Customer-Base Realities
Every product and/or service has a customer–base that it applies to. Whether owned and operated by a private or public business entity…to be profitable, efficient and effective…every product or service has to regularly meet the need(s) of a certain group of customers.
So given this reality…how much time…study…and development effort do you/your organization devote to appropriately address: Customer-Base Realities?
When I went full-time into my consulting business I thought that I would be instantly “over-booked” by customers needing “innovation inspiration”! Guess what…I was wrong. Although it was and still is true that many could benefit from what services I provide… I did not:
- Realize the niche customer-base I was looking at.
- Take into account the impact timing has on those I was hoping to serve.
- Recognize that I had a lot of competition in my market.
- Understand that my service was not a necessity to the customer-base…rather only a continuous improvement option.
Or take into account other factors like:
- Locations I was planning to serve
- Age of potential customers
- Past consultant experiences
- Technological influences
Bottomline: I did NOT do a quality job researching, identifying and addressing (in the most simplified manner) the: Customer-Base Realities facing my business plan.
Today with all of the life-style, service delivery, hi-tech, job change and info-overload issues influencing people everywhere… challenging yourself/your employer to become better aware of Customer-Base Realities is critical. Whether you work in the field of human services or in a manufacturing area… your Customer-Base Realities regularly change similar to the seasons. Therefore becoming and remaining a “student” of Customer-Base Realities in your profession has endless potential benefit.
TRIPLE III TIME: What’s Your “Value Package”?
Whether you are (or work for) a private company or public organization…every so often I believe it is not just important but absolutely critical to ask: What’s Your “Value Package”? Does everyone understand what this question refers to?
Well before I get into the factors that I consider true company/organization Value Package components…it is important for me to report that this TRIPLE III TIME topic was generated via a local grant application! How excellent I thought it was for a grantor to ask every applicant to identify and describe what makes them special…RIGHT? Yes, often applicants do well to include cool, confident…special attributes about themselves…but this was the first time I officially saw it in writing as a requirement of the grant application!!
OK…enough background…now let’s focus on TRIPLE III TIME What’s Your “Value Package”? factors. So here is my initial list but be advised that these factors are not in any particular order.
- Simplicity: With the huge rise in everyday information-sharing…keeping things simple has high value.
- Convenience: Making it a priority to make doing business with you easy and convenient will draw in great customers.
- Reputation: Having a REAL high quality reputation is only generated if you do great work.
- Timeliness: Being recognized as a business that delivers products/services on-time is a solid value attribute.
- Reliability: If you make a promise…keep it in the world of business.
- Accessibility: In today’s 24/7 communication world, remaining readily accessible to customers can be a priceless value.
- Innovation: Retaining a practice of offering creative/innovative solutions to business/organization challenges has unlimited value to many.
As you can see every factor that I have listed in this draft “Value Package”…would very much contribute to labeling your group as SPECIAL!
So please take some TRIPLE III TIME and solidly respond to the What’s Your “Value Package”? question.
TRIPLE III TIME: Special “Best Of!” Assignment
In many situations during my consultant discussions, individuals or groups are best helped when I can offer them an experience, visual and/or a specific person as a “Best Of!” example of the professional development issue I am trying to push. Too often we get lost in the details of the basic progressive point we are trying to explain…and then walk away questioning if we really helped someone “get” the message principles/priorities?!
Well this week the TRIPLE III TIME message is asking everyone to complete a Special “Best Of!” Assignment and determine who or what have been your GREATESTprofessional development messengers. Think about it.
- Who and why does a certain person(s) serve as YOUR professional development “Best Of!”?
- What and why does a specific visual(s) help you think/move forward?
- How and why does a past experience(s) give you motivation for doing more than the minimum?
- When and why have you been inspired to share a special learning moment that felt “once in a lifetime” like?
And as you think about each question…maybe make a list of “Best Of!” reasons.
The goal of the Special “Best Of!” Assignment is to remind you of the critical points that today (and maybe even more tomorrow) make you better in the workplace and in regular life. Your “Best Of!” lists should contain personal lessons and professional development factors that in many ways are timeless.
Make sure you enjoy this Assignment!
TRIPLE III TIME: “Til You Can’t”
I know I have written it before how I never really know where inspiration for certain TRIPLE III TIME messages come from. Sometimes an idea just “sneaks” up on me and the writing almost happens effortlessly. But his week’s message has been quietly building with me over the last year…and was then ignited when I heard the song: “Til You Can’t” sung by Cody Johnson. Here are the lyrics:
“You can tell your old man
You’ll do some largemouth fishing another time
You just got too much on your plate to bait and cast a line
You can always put a rain check in his hand
‘Til you can’t
You can keep putting off forever with that girl who’s heart you hold
Swearing that you’ll ask some day further down the road
You can always put a diamond on her hand
‘Til you can’t
If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance
If you got a dream, chase it, ‘cause a dream won’t chase you back
If you’re gonna love somebody
Hold ‘em as long and as strong and as close as you can
‘Til you can’t
There’s a box of greasy parts sitting in the trunk of that ‘65
Still waiting on you and your granddad to bring it back to life
You can always get around to fixing up that Pontiac
‘Til you can’t
If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance
If you got a dream, chase it, ‘cause a dream won’t chase you back
If you’re gonna love somebody
Hold ‘em as long and as strong and as close as you can
‘Til you can’t
So take that phone call from your momma and just talk away
‘Cause you’ll never know how bad you wanna ‘til you can’t someday
Don’t wait on tomorrow ‘cause tomorrow may not show
Say your sorries, your I-love-yous, ‘cause man you never know
If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance
If you got a dream, chase it, ‘cause a dream won’tchase you back
If you’re gonna love somebody
Hold ‘em as long and as strong and as close as you can
‘Til you can’t”
Bottomline: The words contained in the song ARE this week’s TRIPLE III TIME message. Whether the “Til You Can’t” motivation is driven by special friendships, co-workers past, child birth, graduations, weddings, job changes, retirements and/or unfortunately a death…reread this blog and:
“If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance
If you got a dream, chase it, ‘cause a dream won’tchase you back
If you’re gonna love somebody
Hold ‘em as long and as strong and as close as you can
‘Til you can’t”
LEARNING MOMENTS Podcast: QUALITY NEGOTIATION
At no time in my career did anyone set me down nor did I participate in a special workshop/training on facilitating QUALITY NEGOTIATION. Do you pick up tips and strategies as you go through your workdays and participate in multiple topic negotiation sessions… yes! But have you ever taken the time to sort out what factors really assist to arrive at a workable solution and enable you to achieve QUALITY NEGOTIATION outcomes??
This month’s Inspiring Innovations LEARNING MOMENTS podcast is all about suggesting a common sense TOP 10 list of QUALITY NEGOTIATION concepts. As you listen think about your negotiation experiences with clients/customers/co-workers… and consider if one or all of the TOP 10 could have helped!
Enjoy the listen.
TRIPLE III TIME: Constructive Criticism
This week’s TRIPLE III TIME message beings by asking everyone to take a serious look in the mirror and assess your style of delivering Constructive Criticism! Think about it?! We have all been in THE situation that requires you to offer a personal statement of honesty regarding an action taken by a co-worker, friend, manager, colleague and/or even a family member. So how did you do?
Well before we go much further into our discussion… let’s see what GOOGLE says about the definition(s) of this challenging topic!
“Constructive Criticism is a form of feedback that focuses on delivering critique and negative feedback constructively and positively to improve performance or behavior. Constructive criticism is actionable, clear, and beneficial to the recipient.”
Or
“Constructive Criticism is a comment or comments saying in a helpful way what is wrong with something and how it could be improved.”
As you continue engaging with your image in the mirror… think if you try to always deliver your Constructive Criticism in a positive tone. Do your words of advice come across as critical and non-progressive? Or does your feedback generate the wish for additional assessment discussion that is issue specific… with improvements that are understandable and corrective action suggestions that are workable?
Bottomline: I believe the responsibility for providing Constructive Criticism today has become more challenging than in the past. Choosing the right words… controlling the tone of your message delivery… and offering the most appropriate alternative actions to be taken… is and always will be going forward… a HUGE professional responsibility.
So think more deeply about the words you use to create every Constructive Criticism message. Also remember that raising your voice may cause someone to listen less… so a soft, direct tone may be best. And finally only suggest an initial limited number of action improvements. Too many can be as damaging as too few.
If you are questioning if this message makes positive sense… put yourself on the Constructive CriticismRECEIVER side of the table.
Public Sector Entrepreneurship Part III
It has been quite some time since I have authored an American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) article on one of my favorite topic areas: Public Sector Entrepreneurship! Part III of this continuous series again is intended to offer a few innovative options for incorporating entrepreneurship thought/practices into the public sector worlds-of-work.
Public Sector Entrepreneurship: PART III – PA TIMES Online | PA TIMES Online
TRIPLE III TIME: Service Leadership
This week was one of those weeks that required me to “shift-gears” multiple times to match the “client-customer” needs that I was responsible for. And as I shared some of my thoughts and frustrations with a close colleague…I remembered a very special purposed leadership quote:
“Service leadership means more than just meeting the current needs of your client competently and efficiently. It also means stepping beyond the traditional client/provider boundaries to inspire change and fulfill the promise and the potential for the client.
Service leadership also means more than knowing your client. It requires the mastery of topics, issues, and insights related to your client’s experiences, goals, thinking, motivations and needs. A service leader creates a vivid picture of what will make the client prosper not only today but tomorrow. With that picture firmly in mind, the service leader then commits himself or herself to making it happen.”
(Henry Givray: Profile in Leadership)
As you can assume this quote and TRIPLE III TIME message are mostly directed to those involved in public sector/service jobs. In my career, I have logged over 40 years to the “CAUSE” of Service Leadership. And whether the client-customer was one person needing help and guidance with their life circumstances or an agency group who were in constant pursuit of that “ALWAYS A BETTER WAY!” opportunity, the principles in Mr. Givray’squote have held an important place in my daily actions.
It is critical with every passing day, that those in Service Leadership positions practice what they preach. Unfortunately there seems to be an ever-growing number of inappropriate leaders in important service positions. The result is the sharing of mis-information, conflict in workplaces, promises made but not kept and/or a lowering standard for doing your best and commitment to quality.
Bottomline: Do NOT take your Service Leadershipcapacities/responsibilities lightly. Client-customers still view you as LEADERS everyday…EVERYDAY! Reread Henry Givray’s quote one more time…it’s worth the reminder.
TRIPLE III TIME: Product/Services “Knowledge Classes”
Quality customer service has all kinds of measurements. You know what I mean. Friendly appearances inside the company/agency facility, professional/appropriate staff dress, informative communication processes, timely responses to customer questions on available products or services…and we can all think of several more to add to this list. But how often do we think about and test ourselves on conveying: (1) accurate, (2) complete, (3) up-to-date application process specifics, (4) location and consistent product/services knowledge??
Have you ever considered using periodic: Product/Services “Knowledge Classes” as a methodology of continuous improvement for all company/agency personnel?
In this day and age when products and services are continuously modified…access to them become available in a store or online, and the people working with/for us change more than in recent years; it is important to conduct fun, simple but vital Product/Services “Knowledge Classes” for EVERYONE!
Some of the questions that could be addressed in the classes may include but not be limited to the following:
- Do the new and senior staff share common product/services information with people?
- Are all customers given ALL the relative company/agency contact information?
- Is there a standard product /services “elevator sales pitch” that is used?
- Do some employees assume people “understand” product/services application and time specific information…and then take them for granted?
- Will potential customers walk away with the right product/services information that will enable them to positively pass it on?
I realize conducting periodic Product/Services “Knowledge Classes” sounds corny and maybe even insulting to some. However, before you cancel this TRIPLE III TIME message idea…give it a try.
Inspiring Innovations, Inc. 