Reputation COUNTS

This week I watched a football Bowl game where seven players on one team were not permitted to start the game because of curfew violations.

My immediate reaction was what a dumb thing to do.  They betrayed the trust their coach had in them and jeopardized the outcome of the game.  Particularly poignant were the remarks of the coach who said he was hurt and disappointed in his players.

While one player admitted missing curfew was a “bad decision,” I wonder if this group of athletes truly understood that their actions showed a lack of respect for their coach and teammates.  Or did this player own up to the mistake only because he was caught?

I hope that these athletes learn that once trust is violated, it is hard to regain it.

Tags: Respect by Marcia Hall
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One of the most gratifying programs in which I’ve been involved this past fall is a pilot program Reputation COUNTS has created called Career First Steps.  Along with guest speakers from the South Anne Arundel Rotary Club and other businesspeople in Maryland, I have been identifying specific workplace behaviors employers expect and telling business students at Southern High School why they matter.  The Rotary Club is sponsoring the program and purchased copies for each student of my book, Jumpstart Your Job: 12 Simple Ways to Shift Your Career into High Gear, which describes the specific behaviors we are teaching.    

Each session features a soft skill, such as smiling and being positive, and students participate in activities to learn the specific behaviors. For example, during the discussion about the importance of saying thank you, students wrote notes of appreciation to the teacher of their choice.  The notes were then given to teachers who had no idea they would receive them.  Several sent emails back expressing their surprise and delight.  I read many of the teacher comments anonymously to students so they could see firsthand the impact of saying thank you.

Demonstrating soft skills is clearly important but not everyone understands what they are.  We have been giving students simple behaviors to practice one at a time and this is the approach we are testing.  Constant reinforcement from teachers, parents, employers, and the community at large is needed so that these skills become habits.  The pilot concludes in January 2009.

My goal for 2009 is to help more and more people realize that soft skills are critically important to employers and to their personal success.  As one manager told me, “I don’t even want to see you if you don’t have these skills.”

Tags: Soft skills by Marcia Hall
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Doing what I say I will do is one of the most important soft skills I practice because I want people to know they can count on me when I’ve given them my word.  Sometimes this involves asking business associates to help me with a request.

For example, I have asked colleagues to make a phone call or send some information to another person and they have agreed to follow through by a certain date. When I find out nothing has been done, even past the date they chose to respond, I am both embarrassed and irritated by the inaction because this lack of attention means the other person is not being helped.

I wish the colleague would have said, “I can’t do this right now.”  As we approach 2009, here’s hoping that people will make a resolution to stop and think before promising to do something.  And if they agree, to keep their word by following up promptly!

Tags: Respect by Marcia Hall
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Over Thanksgiving I decided to organize my home office.  That meant throwing away outdated files, papers, journals, and books I no longer use.

I’ve always known that everything needs to have a “home” so it is easy to put items back and also to find them in the first place.  But what I didn’t think would affect me is how much I now enjoy not having so many piles around me.  The room has opened up and it has become a priority to put things back when I’m done with them.

Even my eraser has a “spot” all its own.  This organization has freed up time, and that is the best outcome of all.

Tags: Organization by Marcia Hall
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During the holiday season in particular, I am struck by how unhappy people look as they shop or go about their day.  People walk right by each other without smiling or acknowledging the other person. 

But, what if one of the two people smiled instead?

Employees who greet customers or clients with a genuine smile and friendly attitude make interactions pleasant and memorable.  It’s easy to do, plus there is an added benefit because the physical act of smiling releases endorphins that will reduce stress.

My holiday wish is that we all will smile just a little more often.

Tags: Attitude by Marcia Hall
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Every time I hear that another elected official has been charged with corruption, I focus instead on all the people who act with integrity every day.  One of my favorite stories comes from the president of an auto repair facility. 

“I had an employee who had found a substantial amount of money in a car he was repairing,” he said. “This employee could have pocketed the money, but instead, he brought it to the company office to return to the owner.  No one would have known if he kept the money.  But he lived his values, even when no one was looking.”

I wish we could hear a lot more stories about people just like this man.  Please share yours.

Tags: Integrity by Marcia Hall
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I stopped at Ace Hardware last week to pick up some nails.  A store employee greeted me as I walked in and asked what I needed.  He then led me to the aisle with the nails, but told me I would need to buy a large package to get the size I wanted.

What happened next impressed me to the point of writing about it.  He said, “Come with me and let’s see what we have in the back.”  Another employee opened up drawers of nails and took out a handful of the right size.  He put them in a small bag and asked if they would be enough.  I asked how to pay for them and he said to not worry about it.

It was at that point that I knew I would write about this store in my newspaper column so I started asking him questions about their customer service philosophy.

“We want to bring back service that people used to experience,” he said.  He went on to say that he hoped I would come back for hardware needs, to which I said I would.

As I was leaving, the employee pointed out his name badge to me.  In addition to his name was the word, “Anybody.”    When people come into the store, they often ask say, “Can somebody help me?”  Store personnel can then track down “Somebody,” “Anybody,” or “Anyone” as real people.  If a person says, “Is there nobody who can help me?” there is an employee with “nobody” on his/her nametag.  It is a lighthearted approach to make customers smile.

This is exactly the type of customer service that attracts and keeps people coming back.

Tags: Customer Service by Marcia Hall
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“How do I know how to act during the first few days or weeks when I’m unfamiliar with the particular social dynamics of the office?”

To answer this question, I thought back to the best advice I ever heard when starting a new job.  It is to simply listen and observe your surroundings before opening your mouth.  You may have great ideas that could fix problems, but until you know “how they do things around here,” it is best to wait to share them.

Next, you need to be friendly and positive.  You look around and see what co-worker’s wear so you dress appropriately.  You watch to see what “roles” certain employees play, such as the people others go to for advice, and who understands the office culture.  Ask for advice but not for things you can easily figure out yourself.

Do what you say you will do so people know they can count on you.  Don’t act as if you are entitled to special treatment or that any job is beneath you.  Be considerate of others in common spaces, such as leaving the kitchen area the way you found it.  Make sure your desk doesn’t have too much clutter.

When you listen and watch first, you’ll learn all sorts of things and see what to do as well as what to avoid.

Tags: Workplace behavior by Marcia Hall
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