Tag Archives: serve

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Make New Friends

Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold!

I think I sang this song in Girl Scouts approximately 782 times. Of course we all know this is true from a figurative standpoint. Friendships are more valuable than any precious metal, but did you know that it can be taken literally as well? In his book Thou Shall Prosper (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010, pg. 61), Rabbi Daniel Lapin has this to say about business and friendship: “Only by actively, perhaps even joyously, interacting with other people can the circumstances of wealth creation be set in place.”

Making friends to try and get something from people NEVER works. It is, of course, also obnoxious. Happily, the side-effect of genuine relationships is expanding business contacts. One of the things I love about having a practice and going to church in the same small-ish (it’s big enough for me!) town is getting to know people and support their business endeavors as they support mine. I wrote about that a little bit in “No Free Pizza!” https://www.smileservesucceed.com/no-free-pizza/ (which is probably my most popular post to date!) I have recently started seeing posts on Facebook encouraging people to share links to their small business to encourage keeping it local when Christmas shopping. I love seeing that!

Expand your circle. Care for people. Care about their well-being. Find ways to serve them and meet their needs. Do it because friendships make our lives fuller and richer. Do it because we were made for relationships. Enjoy the unexpected business rewards as they come.

Are you actively seeking out new, genuine relationships? Where and how?

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Work Week Devotion 08.28.2016

Matthew 5:14-16

Matthew 5:14a, 16 (NIV): You are the light of the world… In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

You were put where you are for a purpose. In front of your students, co-workers, patients, fellow parents. You were meant to be a searchlight in the black night.* The love and light of Christ should shine through you for all to see. How do you accomplish this? Through good deeds.

Your good deeds will look different from your neighbor’s good deeds. Maybe it’s a kind word, a helping hand, forgiveness and grace when it’s least deserved or taking the high road (even if you get a nose bleed!) When you do more than expected or don’t repay ugly with uglier you might get a “Wow! How/why did you do that?” and that’s your chance to praise your heavenly Father. “God loves me so much and He wants me to share that love with others. I want you to know that He loves you, too.”

Loving Father, thank you for giving us the opportunity to be Your light in a dark world. Help us recognize opportunities for good deeds and give us the wisdom and courage to act on them. Let it be not be for our glory but so others will recognize and praise You. Amen.

*This catchy line is courtesy of my friend, Jon Henninger

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Work Week Devotion 08.14.2016

Colossians 3:23

Colossians 3:23 (NLT): Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

People can be tough sometimes! They’re demanding, irrational and unappreciative. They don’t always DESERVE your best, but God asks you to give them your best anyway. When you serve a difficult person in love, it says nothing about what they deserve but a lot about the Lord of your life. Rest assured that God sees each time you are mistreated and all of your effort that you think goes unnoticed.

When you get discouraged and are tempted to cut corners remember that God honors good work. When you are ready to throw your hands up in frustration, imagine Jesus standing in front of you. In serving others you are serving and representing Him.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us and giving us the opportunity to love others. Help us remember that even difficult people are created and loved by you. Show us how to serve You through serving others. Amen.

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Gratefulgiving

November…the month where people who have complained on social media for the last 10 months suddenly become thankful. I’m sure you’ve seen the posts from friends and family listing things they are thankful for. You’ve no doubt also seen the sarcastic memes and comments from others admonishing them for being hypocrites. It’s not hypocritical to choose to express thankfulness. In fact, it’s when we don’t FEEL thankful that it’s most important to acknowledge that there is always, always something to be thankful for.

When we are thankful we are remembering the blessings in our life and acknowledging things that have turned out the way we hoped they would. Being thankful is a great first step, but it’s through gratefulness that we personally grow and change lives. Gratefulness is expressing thankfulness. Gratefulness grows you as a person and blesses others. Be intentional to show appreciation to others in your life. Say “thank you” to your server, mail carrier, co-workers, boss, clients, pharmacist, anyone who works to make your life better or helps you to accomplish what you need to in every day life. Even the simplest expression of appreciation can turn a day around both for the recipient and the giver.

We are all hypocrites. Every single one of us. We deny our words with our actions. Our emotions are all over the place. We’re singing praises one day and complaining the next. When you choose to express thanksgiving regardless of your previous attitude you chisel away at your selfish nature. But, as with so many things, it’s the action accompanying the feelings that makes the difference in your life and in others.

In this season of thanksgiving remember the words of John F. Kennedy “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”  If you need a place to start, make a list of what you are thankful for and consider how you can express gratefulness for those things. How can you turn your thanksgiving into a blessing?

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Children and Parents and Spouses…Oh My!

Learn to help people with more than just their jobs. Help them with their lives. – Jim Rohn

No one lives in a vacuum. We don’t work in one, either. My team has lives and marriages and kids and parents. We’ve gone through cancer, surgeries, tragic death of loved ones, divorce, problems with kids, chronic illness of parents, job loss of spouses…the list goes on and on… As a leader I can’t focus on their work-life and job performance without taking home-life into consideration. I am human, so sometimes I’ve handled these situations better than others, but I always try to err on the side of grace.

My goal is to serve my patients and my team. My team is my most valuable resource and is indispensable in the success of my practice. That means I need to make their lives better with the resources I have and genuinely care about their well-being. If I haven’t improved the lives of the families represented on my team I have failed, regardless of what the report from my accountant says.

It goes without saying that hourly wages should be fair. Bonus/incentive programs, insurance and retirement plans are always welcome. The problem with ending here? These things are the expected minimum. They are necessary but don’t actively “pour into” the lives of your team members. Here are just a few things I’ve found that seem to improve the life and well-being of my team:

  • onsite chair massage
  • back-to-school gift cards/supplies
  • seminars/certification/continuing education
  • flexible days off
  • including family in events
  • FOOD!

Maybe your team and workplace look very different from mine. Maybe you can offer working from home or in-office daycare. Maybe you’re just starting out and have ZERO extra funds to allocate. The important thing is to be observant and sensitive to the needs of your team and be creative in improving their lives at work and at home.

  • As a business owner or leader what are some creative ways you (could) invest in the lives of your team?
  • As an employee what would make a difference for you in your workplace?
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Be a Tour Guide

Do you ever think of yourself as a tour guide? If human beings enter your place of work you should adopt a tour guide mentality. Those who are attempting to do business with you want guidance and security. One of the worst feelings is being lost and floundering. I can think of three examples in the last few months that made me feel that way:

  1. Entering a sit-down chain restaurant. The hostess was cute with a very sweet smile, but that’s all she did. When we entered the building she just stared and smiled at us. I finally said “2” and she picked up two menus and sort of motioned for us to follow her. It was very awkward, but at least she was smiling, which brings me to the next example…
  2. Entering a dry cleaners. The woman behind the counter just stared at me and picked up a pen. No “hello,” no “how can I help you,” no “how many pieces do you have,” not even the smile I got from the aforementioned hostess. I honestly wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, so I just put my clothes on the counter. She filled out the ticket and told me when they would be ready. Those were the only words she spoke to me.
  3. At the end of an exam at a quick clinic. I had a severe ear infection that had hit out of nowhere. The provider was pleasant, she asked me questions, she explained what was going on and what she was going to do and then walked out of the room. I was left to find my way back to the front to check out and I really wasn’t sure where I was supposed to go. I can hear my ten year-old niece saying “awkward!”

I don’t ever want my patients to feel that way. I’m sure you don’t want your customers to feel that way either. Welcome them. Guide them. Let them know what to expect and when to expect it. Let them know when they need to do something and when they can just relax. Don’t leave them guessing. It’s awkward, it’s frustrating, it can lead to misunderstandings.

You are working hard to give your customers/clients/patients a good experience. Make sure they know they’re getting a good experience! Don’t assume that they can absorb all that’s going on and appreciate it. Figuratively (or literally when it’s appropriate) take their hand and guide them through your process. Don’t make them work for it. Make it easy for them. You can perform every step perfectly to complete the interaction, but if the person you’re interacting with doesn’t know what’s going on, most of it will be lost.  Be a tour guide.

 

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Catfish to Corneas

It happened again today. Today, it was because I was having lunch with a friend in our old hometown at a restaurant where we used to work. My family was the original owners and I worked there for many years. It happens every few months at other places, though. Sometimes I am overcome by the overwhelming feeling that no matter how successful a doctor or business owner I am, a part of me will always, ALWAYS miss waitressing. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am thankful that I don’t have to depend on waiting tables to make a living, but I really did love it that much.

More than once, while interviewing a potential employee for my optometric practice, I’ve asked them about a restaurant job on their resume. More than once, the candidate has looked a little embarrassed and said something like “Oh. I was just a waitress.” and I will almost shout “No! Don’t EVER say you were just a waitress.” (unless, of course, you were just a really really bad one!)

I spent four years in optometry school learning to be a doctor, but what I learned as a teenager and young adult working in a busy, very casual, restaurant and a busy, slightly upscale, retail shop has helped me be successful in more ways than I could probably even list. I couldn’t have imagined at the time, but looking back I can see how my spiritual gift of hospitality and secondary love language “acts of service” were in play throughout my entire life.

Having a servant’s heart is a blessing and a benefit, but did you realize you can build your serving skill set? That’s what those of us with a history in the restaurant or retail industry were doing, even at a young age. It’s important to recognize and hone those serving skills. Don’t ever think anything is too insignificant.  If serving fried catfish to boaters straight off the river or motorcyclists fresh off the road can help me be a better doctor, your past service experiences can serve you, too.

To be competitive in any business today, service is the key. If you are looking to better your career situation, and you have experience in the service industry, perfect those skills and market them! If you are an employer interviewing job candidates don’t forget how seemingly unrelated jobs (waiting tables, retail, etc) can give great experience for other life-long careers in business. And always remember: that friendly server at your favorite restaurant? She could be your eye doctor one day!

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Leaving a Legacy

Memorial day has come and gone. Graduation ceremonies abound. It’s a perfect time to think of the potential that is within all of us and the legacy we will leave behind. Do you ever think about the legacy you will leave? Psalm 112:1-3 says:

1 Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord
    and delight in obeying his commands.
2 Their children will be successful everywhere;
    an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.
3 They themselves will be wealthy,
    and their good deeds will last forever.

Their children will be successful EVERYWHERE. An ENTIRE generation will be blessed. Their good deeds will last FOREVER. Now that is a legacy! Our good decisions can bless an entire generation and our good deeds can last forever. Conversely, our poor decisions can become our legacy and influence generations to come. The decisions you make in business and in life have eternal consequences. What a privilege and responsibility!

Even if we don’t have children of our own or a protege training directly under us, we all have successors. Any child near you is watching everything you do (much more than they are listening to what you say.) You have teams at work and church. Maybe you lead a class or hold a political office. I have nieces and patients and young church friends and members of my community who are watching the decisions I make and how I handle myself.

Who is YOUR “next generation?”

What legacy do you want to leave? What are you doing to cultivate your legacy?

 

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Night is Coming

I can’t believe we only have 2/3 of 2015 left! I’m still making plans of what I think I’ll do this year. I’m still in analysis paralysis mode. That happens to me a lot. I’m pretty good at making plans, but I’m not always good at executing them. “As soon as things slow down…” “later.” “When I have more time…” are things I tell myself when I have a good idea. I love the word “intentional” but I am not as intentional with my time as I should be. I tend to go through life subconsciously feeling like I have all the time in the world. Jesus warns us against that.

In John 9:14 (NIV) He says “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” Jesus is telling his followers that a time is coming when they won’t be able to work, so they must do all they can while they can.

It’s important to live with a sense of urgency. Not panic or sheer busyness but intentional urgency. We only have so much time to accomplish what God would have us do. Thinking we have all the time in the world to accomplish our purpose is the worst kind of procrastination. We have lives to enhance, people to serve and children to teach. We have prayers that need to be placed at the throne and praises that need to be lifted to heaven.

We all have goals and dreams that have been placed in our heart for a purpose. There are things on Earth that you were put here to accomplish and no one is exactly equipped like you. Night is coming. It always gets here quicker than you ever think it will. Search your heart. Make your plan. Most importantly, take action before it’s too late.

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Intrapreneur???

Hopefully you read the previous post “Every Walt Needs a Roy.” If you haven’t read it yet, just go ahead and click on it over there on the right —> and read it now.

Every Walt needs a Roy and intrapreneurs are an important asset to a business of almost any size. Intrapreneur is a term that you might not be familiar with. It has been coined just in the past 30 years or so. Intrapreneur describes a person within an organization who is given the resources and freedom to make things happen but doesn’t take on the risks and responsibilities of the entrepreneur. They are often responsible for turning an idea into a finished product.

We’ve all heard and read about the importance of delegation. We can’t be everywhere and do everything. As a business owner, the risk and responsibility ultimately ends up on our desk. Some very talented people don’t have the desire to take up that role but can still take “ownership” over some of the operations. If you can give some resources and freedom to a trusted team member you might be surprised at how much more can be accomplished within your organization. Give someone the opportunity to grow and surprise you. Show appreciation when they do.

If you are in an organization where you are not the owner don’t ever underestimate what you can bring to your employer. Taking ownership of a project or some area of operation is a great way to expand your skill set and increase your team’s confidence in your abilities. Think of yourself as being in business for yourself. Your product is you! You can package, market and sell your benefits to your employer and everyone wins.

If you are an entrepreneur, recognize a good intrapreneur when you see one. If you are an employee, don’t be afraid to step up and be that team member who makes things happen.