We all have our moments. Harrison Ford had funny ones with rocks, hidden paths, horses and assassins in his explorations. One thing always came through clearly in his movies: the man was on a quest. I liked that trait in the character because sometimes we will not find things unless we really set out to do just that.
It's that spirit of the rugged explorer, not afraid to get into scary territory, that we should borrow for our customer service people. Simple questions can be revealing if we take the time to examine the implications. And we won't find the right answers if we're not looking in the right places. When we stay in a conversation and take the opportunity to explore, we will find the reason why we're in it in to begin with.
It's not always obvious, yet it will become apparent, given the chance. That is the subject of my post at FC Expert blogs today. Find out what the story is about and join the conversation.
[photo from Indiana Jones and The Temple of the Doom. Harrison Ford with Sean Connery]
Interesting post. I am currently reading a book that this post is similar too. Its about the Jesuit's ability to adapt and how they built a 450 year old company on just s few principles. Adaptability and engaging being one of them.
Posted by: Stephen | April 26, 2007 at 07:23 PM
Valeria,
This type of issue is part of a four-part series I am developing on words versus action.
As I posted at FC: The tension is created when a company perpetuates the perception of a certain level of customer service, and then doesn't allow their front-line staff to deliver on the perception.
This is inherent in many areas of companies, and our personal lives: the dichotomy of 'what we talk about" versus our actions.
It doesn't have to be that way. Companies need to uphold their brand promise - from advertising, to product development to front-line service.
What a quest that would be!
Posted by: Joe Raasch | April 27, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Stephen -- I'm sure that in your reading you also got a sense of preserving the core while being flexible. Building on values and having a compass are important even as we adapt to changing environments.
Joe -- you might take a look at some of the evolutionary reasons for deception of self and others. I came across an interesting book called "Why we Lie" that gets into that. Not to make excuses, but to understand some of the mechanisms built into our human wiring.
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | April 27, 2007 at 12:12 PM