It’s Not the Number of Tasks You Do (WT594)

It’s Not the Number of Tasks You Do (WT594)

Blog

by Shirley Dalton | 12 Nov, 2021 | Blog, Leadership

WT 594 It's not the number of tasks you do

As we drive around in the motorhome we like to listen to audio books.

One book that I can highly recommend is Measure What Matters by John Doerr.

The book is all about what he calls “OKRs” – Objectives and Key Results, why and how to use them.

But that’s not what I want to share in this thought.

One of the points that stood out for me was a little sentence for managers.

You see, lately I’ve been coaching a number of Chief Operating Officers at various companies as well as having been the COO for Kip McGrath Education Centres, an Australian international franchise organisation and currently COO for a start up business, this sentence really resonated for me and if you’re a COO or manager or you aspire to be, then I really want you to take notice of it and assess yourself.

Are you ready?

I forget the name of the person to quote, so we’ll say “source unknown”.

If you’re a manager, you don’t get paid for the number of tasks you do, you get paid for the quality of the decisions you make.

I’ll repeat that. If you’re a manager, you don’t get paid for the number of tasks you do, you get paid for the quality of the decisions you make.

To illustrate my point, when I was working at Kip McGrath Education Centres, Kip walked past my office one day and poked his head in and said, “Shirley, if I walk past your office and you have your back turned away from the door and are staring out the window with your feet up, I’ll be really pleased.”

“Ok, I’ll bite”, I said. “What will you be really pleased about?”

“It will mean you’re thinking about how you can improve my business” and with that he walked back to his office.

So, what does this mean for you? Are you running around doing everything? Do you have the mindset that only you can do it?

If so, you are severely limiting your career options and chances for promotion.

What any business owner or senior leader wants to see is people stepping up. People thinking about and acting on how the business could be improved; how processes could be streamlined, how expenses could be reduced, how customers could be wowed. The list is endless.

And if you have trouble making decisions, next week I’ll share a little tip with you that will make all the difference and help you feel much more confident to make those decisions.

Now you have a decision to make. What will you do with this week’s thought? Will you read it, think about it and then forget about it or will you read it, think about it, discuss it with your mentors, other managers and colleagues and find ways you can delegate some of those tasks that someone else can do just as well, if not better than you?

Let me know what you decide. Remember, it’s not the number of tasks you do. It’s the quality of the decisions you make.

P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.

That’s How You Do Customer Service and Sales (WT593)

That’s How You Do Customer Service and Sales (WT593)

Blog

by Shirley Dalton | 5 Nov, 2021 | Blog, Customer Service

WT 593 Customer Service

Ross and I went for a walk on our penultimate night in South Australia before heading back to Newcastle for a whirlwind 3 day drive.

As we left the motorhome I asked Ross if we needed to take an umbrella. The sky looked threatening.

“We’ll be right”, he said.

We walked the kilometre or so into the town village and came across the art gallery.

It was still open and we met the curator, Sarah. Sarah was so enthusiastic about the artwork and the artists and we ended up staying much longer than we anticipated.

Of course, when we left the gallery it started to rain.

What to do?

“Let’s keep walking up further for a bit”, I suggested.

We didn’t have to go far before we found the Adelaide Hills Wine Bar and Wolf Blass Gallery and Museum.

Since it was almost 6:00pm we walked over to take shelter out of the rain.

The Cellar Master looked like he was packing up.

“Are you closing?” we asked.

“At 6:00pm, but you’ve got time for a glass of wine if you like”, he invited us in.

He talked to us about the wine and the museum which is owned by Wolf Blass.

Wine is a passion of Ross’ so he was very interested to look around and learn all about the history of wine etc. especially as Wolf Blass was personally acquainted with Murray Tyrrell, whom Ross worked with for 10 years as a casual cellar door bar person. (I digress.)

As we sat and enjoyed the wine, we noticed a barista coffee machine and salt and pepper shakers and plates neatly arranged on shelves.

As we left we asked if they provided food.

“Yes, mostly lunch, although we’re open til 9:00pm on a Friday.”

Ross and I looked at each other.

Ross asked if we needed to make a booking.

“Yes, particularly for Friday evening”, he replied.

“That’s how you do it”, I thought.

That’s how you do customer service and sales.

He stayed back a little past closing time, made one more sale for the day, having had a quiet day with few interstate or international tourists and at the end of it, we booked in for dinner and who knows how much that will cost.

What would happen at your business?

Would you or your team simply shut the doors and say, “Sorry, we’re closing in a few minutes”, or would they demonstrate hospitality, welcome the guests and without pushing, upsell for a bigger sale?

That’s how you do customer service and sales.

Thank you Matt.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering. We missed the rain.

P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts

Don’t Wear Long Pants in the Shower (WT592)

Don’t Wear Long Pants in the Shower (WT592)

Blog

by Shirley Dalton | 29 Oct, 2021 | Blog, Systems and Processes

WT 592 Don't wear long pants in the shower

Over the past two and a half years of travelling in the motorhome, I’ve seen many many amenities blocks in caravan parks.

The last one we stayed at before heading back to Newcastle with a “For Sale” sign on the back of the motorhome was most impressive.

The cubicles were much larger than usual and there was plenty of pressure for the hot water. They were new and clean.

As I emerged from my cubicle another lady commented on how good the amenities were.

She mentioned the difficulty she normally has with small cubicles, especially when she’s trying to pull on her long pants.

As she was telling me, she was demonstrating how she would lose her balance, doing her best not to get her pants wet or fall over.

“Don’t wear long pants in the shower”, I thought to myself.

I learned that lesson a long time ago.

It doesn’t matter how cold the outside temperature is, I always wear shorts.

I’m often surprised to see people wearing long pants or worse, leaving their slippers and thongs under the door, instead of wearing the thongs in the shower.  Yuk.

Not wearing long pants for me is about being pragmatic and having foresight.

It’s a simple thing, but if you think about your objectives you can always find an efficient way to meet them.

For example, I only ever take clean underwear, a towel and a bar of soap with me, unless I have to wash my hair, then I take a “dilly bag” with shampoo.

I’m often amused and intrigued at the size of the bags that others take to the shower along with wearing their long pyjamas and long dressing gowns. There’s nowhere to place it, that isn’t at risk of getting wet. The less you take, the less that can go wrong.

Of course, this story is a metaphor for looking at situations and being creative to solve problems and increase efficiency.

Why take extra things that I don’t need like deodorant and cleanser and moisturiser when I can use these things in comfort back in the motorhome.

How about you?

Do you invest the time to look at situations and think about them beforehand?

Do you identify the potential hazards, barriers and obstacles?

Do you look for the most efficient and systematic way to complete a task or do you simply carry out the task without thinking; without stopping to think whether it could be done quicker, better or more efficiently?

In case you’ve never thought about it, my strong recommendation is “Don’t wear long pants in the shower”.

P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.

Put Your Hand Up (WT591)

Put Your Hand Up (WT591)

Blog

by Shirley Dalton | 22 Oct, 2021 | Blog, Mindset

WT 591 Put your hand up

This week’s theme is about “Independence”.

Years ago one of my bosses was telling me a story about his grandchildren.

He had three grandchildren – twins and an elder sister.

“The eldest is so independent. She will not accept help of any kind”, he said.

“When I offer her help (and she’s only 4 years old), she replies “My Can Do It”, he continued.

“The twins are completely different. Not only do they accept my help, they will often ask for it, “Grandpa, I need you to help me”, he added. (They were 3 years old at the time.)

I find this fascinating that right from the get-go, we are different in how we respond to accepting help.

This week I’ve been working with lots of clients who are similar to the elder sister.

“My can do it.”

Yes you can. And it’s ok to ask for and accept help. Afterall, aren’t the independent ones, the ones to be the first to offer help.

Imagine if we all said, “My can do it”. None of us would have the gift of being able to help.

Which of the grandkids are you most like?

If you’re like the eldest, could you please reframe your mindset and tone down your independence by asking for and accepting help?

We’re all in this life together.

It’s ok to put your hand up.

If you don’t put your hand up, consider yourself stingy.

What? Stingy?

Yes, stingy. Stingy because you are depriving others of the joy of helping or put another way, what if I said to you, “You can’t help anyone else until you accept help from another”. Would that encourage you to put your hand up.

This week, I encourage you to be open and honest with those who care about you. Putting your hand up and asking for or accepting help takes courage.

Be courageous and put your hand up.


P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.

They Don’t Know if You Don’t Tell Them (WT590)

They Don’t Know if You Don’t Tell Them (WT590)

Blog

by Shirley Dalton | 15 Oct, 2021 | Blog, Business

WT 590 They don't know if you don't tell them

This morning I finished re-fuelling the motorhome and was waiting for Ross to finish cleaning the windows before paying.

I noticed two flags that read “Car Wash”.

I looked around to see where the car wash was and wondered if it would be high enough for us to drive through.

“Hey Ross, can you please ask about the car wash when you go and pay?” I asked.

After what seemed like ages, Ross came back and said he and the attendant went and measured the height and width and we’d be able to use the machine.

“Fantastic.”

As we drove off I reminded Ross about our marketing training with Emerson Brantley many years ago. Emmerson taught us “they don’t know if you don’t tell them”.

If the flags weren’t out I wouldn’t have known we could get Contessa washed.

So, I have to ask, “What’s it like in your business?” “Are you letting people know what you have to offer and how you can help?”

As we’ve been travelling around Kangaroo Island this past week, I’ve noticed heaps of Welcome and Open signs and lots and lots of flags.

It’s important to let people know you’re open for business and what you can do.

Equally, it’s important for us as individuals to let people know what we can do and how we can help. That’s not bragging. That’s advertising.

Remember, they don’t know if you don’t tell them.

Do you want to be overlooked because someone else spoke up and you didn’t?

And one more tip. It includes letting people know about the positions you aspire to have, training you want to do and responsibilities you want to take on.

If you’re up for it, do a little audit for yourself (as an individual) and for your business.  What areas can you improve and what can you do to make sure management and your customers know what you have to offer.

Remember, they don’t know if you don’t tell them.


P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.

Pin It on Pinterest