This isn’t a trick question. It’s just a check to see if you as a team member or leader in the organization watch all the little things that need to be taken care of to make your organization top notch.
I’ve watched leaders who just walk past litter and either don’t notice it or feel it’s someone else’s job to pick it up. That may be true, but the chance that employees will see you picking up the piece of litter shows them that you are right there with them in making the organization the best.
The Florida Business Observer interviewed Don Fox of Firehouse Subs about his organization. He said, “Your team has to feel there’s nothing you wouldn’t do that you’d ask of them. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve cleaned the worst restrooms.”
I think that’s big. It’s not that a leader shouldn’t spend more time working on the business than in the business, but that occasional demonstration that nothing is too menial shows that we all care about our image.
ACTION STEPS FOR THIS WEEK
- Walk through the doors of your business like it’s the first time.
- What do you see?
- Is there anything that stands out as not typical of what you originally created?
- Do all of your people notice the little things that need to be done to create a great customer experience?
- Call them together to make a list of what should be done to create the best organization possible.
- If you don’t offer a product, but have a service(s) instead, examine the customer experience to see if it could be any better, as well as what things are not being attended to.
