In my recent stay at Embassy Suites, with its “cooked to order” breakfast, I had the pleasure of receiving (and consuming) (2) perfectly cooked over-easy eggs.
If you’ve cooked eggs before, you know- over-easy ain't so easy- sometimes the white’s a bit brown & crusty, the yolk’s broken, or…the entire thing’s too runny.
The thing is- these eggs were PERFECT.
After I finished eating, I placed my dishes in the tub, and made it a point to return to the chef's window. I could tell her body language was anticipating a complaint.
“What can I do for you?” she asked.
”I just wanted to tell you- my eggs were cooked perfectly! Thank you very much!”
A HUGE smile came across her face. “YAY!” she said as she threw her arms in the air and did a happy dance.
She was happy. I was happy.
On the flip side during this same breakfast...
The young guy tending the dining area saw his “boss” enter from the opposite side of the room.
“Does the bar look okay?” he asked him. He didn’t even acknowledge the question.
The attendant moved closer, “Does the bar look okay?”
The ‘guy in charge’ stressed himself to even look around.
“It’s fine,” he mumbled as he turned away.
My opinion?
The place was spotless.
The attendant was clearly disappointed. I told him how much I appreciated his hard work as I left the area. This seemed to brighten his mood...a little. While most praise is appreciated, he was really looking for [at least some] acknowledgment from his supervisor.
What's the point?
Whether you’re a front-line supervisor or CEO (or anything in between), your success depends on the moment-to-moment choices, actions, and behaviors of those who ‘do the work’.
This is “Human Performance”.
It’s what you can brag about when things are going well.
And when ‘the world’ heaps challenges upon you? Your Team Members can save your butt. They're your life preservers.
Wanna have the kind of Human Performance where everyone (you, your customers, and your Team Members) WIN?
Pay LOTS of attention to this:
Feedback is essential. Especially to members of younger generations, AND
What Gets Appreciated Get Repeated.
Now to finish the story…
When I returned to again ask for “2 eggs over-easy,” the young chef’s energy was tons more positive than when I placed my initial order two days earlier. Did my previous compliment have anything to do with that? I don’t have a clue.
What I can tell you is- I watched how she interacted with other customers while I was eating. She was awesome with each and every one.
And, once again, my eggs were prepared to perfection.
What gets appreciated gets repeated.
I trust you’re getting the message…
And by the way, if you’d like to get a snapshot of your predominant “leadership style,” GO HERE.
It’ll only take you a few minutes to learn a ton about yourself and how it relates to changing workforce demographics. And, oh yeah- there’s no cost.
Check it Out: What Type Leader Are You?
Cheers!
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