While I was attending an intensive, 10-day training program in Las Vegas for a business coaching franchise, I went on a tour at the headquarters of Zappos.com. It was an insightful visit that presented concepts that flew in the face of conventional business practices; yet, has allowed the company to achieve phenomenal growth.
In case you haven’t heard of Zappos.com, they started in 1999 and after making minimal gross sales their first year, they went on to earn $1.6 million in 2000 selling shoes online. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve rarely bought shoes online because it’s one of those things that you need to try on first and walk around a bit to make sure the shoes are a right fit.
Well, there must be a lot of people that don’t think like me because their sales continued to grow each year because their focus was on giving great service. CEO Tony Hsieh summarized a paradigm shift that helped reposition the company to achieve meteoric growth by stating: “back in 2003, we thought of ourselves as a shoe company that offered great service. Today, we really think of the Zappos brand as about great service, and we just happen to sell shoes."
A paradigm shift is basically a change from one way of thinking to another, sort of a mindset metamorphosis where individuals begin to think in a new and different way. The term was first coined by Thomas Kuhn when he argued that scientific advancement is a “series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions,” and those revolutions have “one conceptual world view replaced by another.”
With Zappos.com, it is a subtle shift in the ultimate purpose of the company, and the critical role everyone has as agents of service who are ready to go above and beyond the expectations of their customers. The company had a goal to reach one billion dollars in sales by 2010, and they achieved it by 2008. When I was there in November, they had just experienced their biggest day on Cyber Monday (a few days after Thanksgiving Day) by answering over 14,000 calls and making sales of $16 million in one day!
I have been a student and teacher of customer service for over 20 years. I developed the first accredited customer service course at Northern Marianas College, have written numerous articles published in the paper on the topic, and have worked with dozens of businesses to implement better service. And from my studies, I have concluded that most service training focuses on making external changes by training employees to smile more, use a person’s name, and behave in a certain manner.
Zappos.com and many other great service companies apply an inside-out approach to service by changing the mindset of its employees and instilling core values that help transform their culture. Values and culture are such an important component of the company, that they have a division that is called the Culture Department. In fact, our tour guide, Rocco, worked in the department and introduced himself a “culture magician.”
Extraordinarily successful companies have achieved paradigm shifts that have separated themselves from the competition and allowed them to achieve outstanding performance. Even though these mindset shifts are simple to understand, they can be very difficult to change in a company because it involves a change in attitude, thoughts, and behaviors that must start at the top and be sustained at the bottom. In other words, there has to be a cultural shift among everyone in the organization. I believe that the companies that will survive and continue to thrive are those that are currently implementing important paradigm shifts or who will learn to make them a part of their business in the future.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Metamorphosis
When the first phase of life as a caterpillar is complete, it moves to a branch and begins to spin a cocoon to transition into a butterfly. This metamorphosis is different from a tadpole that transitions into a frog because the caterpillar undergoes a complete meltdown into a mass of liquid gel. Specific cells, called imago cells, will organize themselves into an entirely new creature that will eventually emerge from its protective shell.
To do this, the butterfly must create an opening large enough that will allow it to escape. Interestingly, the longer the struggle during this transition, the longer the butterfly will live. Well-intentioned individuals who try to “help” the emerging butterfly break through the cocoon often cause more harm than good because the new creature needs to exert enough effort to pump fluids into the small, unformed wings. If this doesn’t occur, the wings are not developed enough for it to fly away to safety and find food, and it will eventually die.
As humans, we go through numerous transitions in life that can motivate us to change as we experience life’s struggles. A successful “metamorphosis” occurs when we are able to learn the lessons that life presents to us. If we avoid or ignore the struggles, we may not learn the important lessons that will allow us to progress toward a more fulfilled person.
This progress may involve deep introspection that causes us to examine our current beliefs and realities, and ask ourselves if we are happy with the way things are right now. Interestingly, the less we have to struggle, the less we will learn from the lesson, and the more likely we will have to deal with similar struggles in the future. Often, our greatest growth will come from experiences that cause a “meltdown.” At this point we might become unrecognizable to ourselves and others as we examine how we have arrived at a particular point in life, determine what we want to become in the future, and then make the decision to reshape ourselves into a new and better person.
Knowing our values and beliefs allows us to lay a foundation upon which we can form a specific image of the person we wish to become. If our struggle is shortened by well-intentioned groups, persons or programs, then we may not fully learn life’s lesson, nor transform into the person we are destined to become, and instead of evolving into a better person we devolve into a bitter person.
It may be instinctive to reach out to others and take the pain away from those who are struggling. However, unless the situation is life-threatening or could cause long-term harm, our efforts to help might shortchange the growth process and deny the person the challenge that is necessary for them to transform in a more mature and joyous person.
Social programs are great to help struggling individuals to get back on their feet; however, they can backfire by creating a culture of dependency on others that turns those helped into helpless individuals. It denies them the challenges they need to become more self-reliant and fulfilled. This nature is then passed on to the next generations, where the assistance becomes an entitlement that limits them from developing into fully capable individuals who contribute back to society.
To break this dependency cycle, one must realize that the struggle is part of the growth process. It will take three key characteristics to emerge from the cocoon of safety: 1) Commitment to our future self, 2) persistence to not quit when the going gets tough, and 3) developing new life skills and strategies that will allow us to remain independent.
If we have a specific image of the person we want to become in our mind, stay focused and committed to a course of action that will allow us to fully develop, and then implement the new skills and strategies necessary to make a successful transition into a new and better person, then we can continue this process when we have new challenges we must face.
Do you have what it takes to meet life’s challenges head on and gain the strength to be a new and better person, or will you remain in a cocoon of safety? Leadership and life are about growing through each of our challenges and experiencing transformations that eventually allow us to fly above them and create a new life that is more fulfilling and an inspiration to others. The question isn’t if you’ll experience a life transition, but instead the quality of your experience as you transition through life.
To do this, the butterfly must create an opening large enough that will allow it to escape. Interestingly, the longer the struggle during this transition, the longer the butterfly will live. Well-intentioned individuals who try to “help” the emerging butterfly break through the cocoon often cause more harm than good because the new creature needs to exert enough effort to pump fluids into the small, unformed wings. If this doesn’t occur, the wings are not developed enough for it to fly away to safety and find food, and it will eventually die.
As humans, we go through numerous transitions in life that can motivate us to change as we experience life’s struggles. A successful “metamorphosis” occurs when we are able to learn the lessons that life presents to us. If we avoid or ignore the struggles, we may not learn the important lessons that will allow us to progress toward a more fulfilled person.
This progress may involve deep introspection that causes us to examine our current beliefs and realities, and ask ourselves if we are happy with the way things are right now. Interestingly, the less we have to struggle, the less we will learn from the lesson, and the more likely we will have to deal with similar struggles in the future. Often, our greatest growth will come from experiences that cause a “meltdown.” At this point we might become unrecognizable to ourselves and others as we examine how we have arrived at a particular point in life, determine what we want to become in the future, and then make the decision to reshape ourselves into a new and better person.
Knowing our values and beliefs allows us to lay a foundation upon which we can form a specific image of the person we wish to become. If our struggle is shortened by well-intentioned groups, persons or programs, then we may not fully learn life’s lesson, nor transform into the person we are destined to become, and instead of evolving into a better person we devolve into a bitter person.
It may be instinctive to reach out to others and take the pain away from those who are struggling. However, unless the situation is life-threatening or could cause long-term harm, our efforts to help might shortchange the growth process and deny the person the challenge that is necessary for them to transform in a more mature and joyous person.
Social programs are great to help struggling individuals to get back on their feet; however, they can backfire by creating a culture of dependency on others that turns those helped into helpless individuals. It denies them the challenges they need to become more self-reliant and fulfilled. This nature is then passed on to the next generations, where the assistance becomes an entitlement that limits them from developing into fully capable individuals who contribute back to society.
To break this dependency cycle, one must realize that the struggle is part of the growth process. It will take three key characteristics to emerge from the cocoon of safety: 1) Commitment to our future self, 2) persistence to not quit when the going gets tough, and 3) developing new life skills and strategies that will allow us to remain independent.
If we have a specific image of the person we want to become in our mind, stay focused and committed to a course of action that will allow us to fully develop, and then implement the new skills and strategies necessary to make a successful transition into a new and better person, then we can continue this process when we have new challenges we must face.
Do you have what it takes to meet life’s challenges head on and gain the strength to be a new and better person, or will you remain in a cocoon of safety? Leadership and life are about growing through each of our challenges and experiencing transformations that eventually allow us to fly above them and create a new life that is more fulfilling and an inspiration to others. The question isn’t if you’ll experience a life transition, but instead the quality of your experience as you transition through life.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Great People
I recently went to a laboratory to have my blood and urine analyzed as part of my regular health check up. I was told by the physician to go to the location that I had been to several times in the past, but when I arrived on the appointed day, the place was empty inside and a paper was taped to the window stating that the company had moved to the second floor of a larger and nicer building.
I wondered how many other individuals made the wasted trip. That was one strike against the company for not informing the medical clinics and physicians about their move. I’ll spare the name of the business, even though they enjoy a virtual monopoly on the island.
When I arrived at the new location, I went to the second floor and wandered around for a few minutes looking for a sign with the name of the company. On my second trip around I noticed some people sitting in a large room, so I looked at another piece of regular paper taped to the door with their name on it. Strike two for cheap signs and lack of professionalism. I have some hope that the next interaction will be positive after I read their slogan: “Great Science. Great People.”
The chairs were lined up like a workshop with a TV screen in the front, but it was turned off. No one was there to greet me, nor were there signs to say what to do. I walked over to a desk and saw a clipboard with a few names on it, and asked one of the individuals waiting if we were supposed to sign in. She said “yes,” so I signed in and sat down and waited for a few minutes until a gentleman called my name.
Okay, here was one of the “great people” I was going to be dealing with, but there was no greeting, he only asked for my insurance card, and then told me to sign a paper that had some wording as part of their contract. I started reading it and he seemed annoyed that I was actually reading something before signing it. I was then told to have a seat while he processed my paperwork.
A few more minutes go by and then I hear “Come with me,” and the individual gets up and walks off. I look up and there are a couple of people seated with me, and I’m not sure if it was for me, so I wait until he appears at the doorway and tells me again to come.
I’m now seated and my blood is taken, then I’m told he needs some “pee-pee.” Luckily, I understand his less-than-scientific terminology, having raised several children and having used the same word often when they were babies. However, each interaction I’m having with the “great people” of this company, is making me question the “great science” they’re going to use to analyze my bodily fluids.
I’m ready to leave at this point, but they’ve already got my blood, so I might as well leave my pee-pee. The restroom is clean, but then I notice that there is no trash receptacle in the room. I’m pretty creative, so I make do and when I go to wash my hands there is no soap in the container. Okay, I’m really losing confidence in this place as a professional facility.
When I finally leave the restroom with my pee-pee container in hand, I see that they’ve conveniently placed the trash can on the outside of the door. I point out to the individual that there is no trash receptacle in the bathroom, and he just shrugs and tells me to place my sample on a shelf with other samples. I checked to make sure my name is spelled correctly - at this point they have just struck out and I have lost all confidence in their great people, and their great science is waning in my mind.
As a business person, my thoughts quickly move to see what would need to happen to compete successfully against this company and knock it off its monopolistic pedestal. The equipment can be purchased, and the science part can be hired out or outsourced. The great people may be more difficult to find, but they can be trained. With great customer service, communication, and strong relationships built with the local medical clinics, there would be another option for patients to have their lab work done.
Would a medical clinic rather send their patients with confidence to a lab that takes care of their people vs. the cattle car of an operation that fronts itself as a laboratory? I think so.
I once had a wise business person jokingly tell me that the reason he was so successful was because he’s no worse than the competition. In reality, he made sure his business had great service, great products, and great people to deliver them. In a down economy that we’re experience, it is risky to treat people as just another number, and essential to make them a valued customer.
I wondered how many other individuals made the wasted trip. That was one strike against the company for not informing the medical clinics and physicians about their move. I’ll spare the name of the business, even though they enjoy a virtual monopoly on the island.
When I arrived at the new location, I went to the second floor and wandered around for a few minutes looking for a sign with the name of the company. On my second trip around I noticed some people sitting in a large room, so I looked at another piece of regular paper taped to the door with their name on it. Strike two for cheap signs and lack of professionalism. I have some hope that the next interaction will be positive after I read their slogan: “Great Science. Great People.”
The chairs were lined up like a workshop with a TV screen in the front, but it was turned off. No one was there to greet me, nor were there signs to say what to do. I walked over to a desk and saw a clipboard with a few names on it, and asked one of the individuals waiting if we were supposed to sign in. She said “yes,” so I signed in and sat down and waited for a few minutes until a gentleman called my name.
Okay, here was one of the “great people” I was going to be dealing with, but there was no greeting, he only asked for my insurance card, and then told me to sign a paper that had some wording as part of their contract. I started reading it and he seemed annoyed that I was actually reading something before signing it. I was then told to have a seat while he processed my paperwork.
A few more minutes go by and then I hear “Come with me,” and the individual gets up and walks off. I look up and there are a couple of people seated with me, and I’m not sure if it was for me, so I wait until he appears at the doorway and tells me again to come.
I’m now seated and my blood is taken, then I’m told he needs some “pee-pee.” Luckily, I understand his less-than-scientific terminology, having raised several children and having used the same word often when they were babies. However, each interaction I’m having with the “great people” of this company, is making me question the “great science” they’re going to use to analyze my bodily fluids.
I’m ready to leave at this point, but they’ve already got my blood, so I might as well leave my pee-pee. The restroom is clean, but then I notice that there is no trash receptacle in the room. I’m pretty creative, so I make do and when I go to wash my hands there is no soap in the container. Okay, I’m really losing confidence in this place as a professional facility.
When I finally leave the restroom with my pee-pee container in hand, I see that they’ve conveniently placed the trash can on the outside of the door. I point out to the individual that there is no trash receptacle in the bathroom, and he just shrugs and tells me to place my sample on a shelf with other samples. I checked to make sure my name is spelled correctly - at this point they have just struck out and I have lost all confidence in their great people, and their great science is waning in my mind.
As a business person, my thoughts quickly move to see what would need to happen to compete successfully against this company and knock it off its monopolistic pedestal. The equipment can be purchased, and the science part can be hired out or outsourced. The great people may be more difficult to find, but they can be trained. With great customer service, communication, and strong relationships built with the local medical clinics, there would be another option for patients to have their lab work done.
Would a medical clinic rather send their patients with confidence to a lab that takes care of their people vs. the cattle car of an operation that fronts itself as a laboratory? I think so.
I once had a wise business person jokingly tell me that the reason he was so successful was because he’s no worse than the competition. In reality, he made sure his business had great service, great products, and great people to deliver them. In a down economy that we’re experience, it is risky to treat people as just another number, and essential to make them a valued customer.
Perturbation
Perturbation is an interesting word that describes change, especially agitation from the status quo. A perturbation of a biological system is a change in the external or internal environment. This can occur from temperature changes, pressure changes, toxins, drugs, etc.
Celestial bodies can experience perturbation when there is a disturbance of their regular orbit because of the attraction of neighboring planets. For example, perturbations in Neptune’s orbit led to the discovery of the planet Pluto, and perturbations in the orbit of stars have led to the discovery of other planetary systems.
The CNMI in general and individuals specifically are experiencing perturbation from the various activities that are impacting their normal routine. For example, the external events such as the changes in labor and immigration are affecting the personal lives of individuals and thus creating stresses that weren’t there before in the lives of the individuals and their families, as well as employers and customers. Other factors that have an impact are the economy, self-serving political bills and initiatives, and world events that have a ripple effect on the islands.
These influences cause slight to severe deviations that disrupt the status quo and puts programs, processes, and people in an uncomfortable situation that requires some adjustments – sometimes for the better. What might have worked in the past is now ineffective and a new set of strategies and systems are needed to create similar or better results.
Leaders will sometimes create perturbation intentionally to place additional pressures on their followers so that they are forced to discover new solutions. What was working in the past either isn’t producing the same results or the results the leader expects. I’ve known several leaders who announced that they were intentionally turning the organization upside down so they could shake their people out of complacency. The mantra of “that’s how we’ve always done it here” wasn’t working and change was needed right away.
If you think about it, many of your changes from routine patterns were caused by internal or external events that bumped you out of your comfort zone. People are creatures of habit, and usually will not stray far from their areas of comfort before returning to their familiar patterns of behavior. We typically sit in the same places in classes or church, and take the same routes to work or to shop.
Individuals often stay in relationships that aren’t working because they believe it’s too uncomfortable to change, so they will live quiet lives of desperation for years until something bumps them so far out of their comfort zone that they find it more difficult to return.
If you think about it, a breakthrough often follows a breakup, a breakdown, or a break with the ideologies of the past. It’s those rare individuals with a spirit of adventure that have broken speed records, climbed the highest peaks, or discovered new worlds while the rest of humanity was trudging along in their familiar ruts. These individuals intentionally place themselves in a state of perturbation to learn new ways of thinking, make new relationships, and learn new skills that will enable them to better adapt to change.
Trying to operate in the same way while the world around us is changing will only create more stress and ultimately lead to failure. Discovering new ways of thinking, working, and relating will allow us to better adapt to the many changes that are rocking our world.
Are you a creature of habit who gets over-stressed when things aren’t working the way you want them to work? When you find someone sitting in “your seat,” do you get perturbed? If your usual route to work is blocked because of construction, do you get upset, or do you just go with the flow?
Do something today that is out of the ordinary or a change in your routine. We have a new year coming soon, and this is a time when many people set resolutions or goals to accomplish. Set some goals to create perturbation and break you out of familiar routines. Learn a new skill, visit a new place, and make new friends. Soon you’ll make these mini-adventures a part of your life and start to look for bigger adventures that will transform you into a better and more interesting person.
Celestial bodies can experience perturbation when there is a disturbance of their regular orbit because of the attraction of neighboring planets. For example, perturbations in Neptune’s orbit led to the discovery of the planet Pluto, and perturbations in the orbit of stars have led to the discovery of other planetary systems.
The CNMI in general and individuals specifically are experiencing perturbation from the various activities that are impacting their normal routine. For example, the external events such as the changes in labor and immigration are affecting the personal lives of individuals and thus creating stresses that weren’t there before in the lives of the individuals and their families, as well as employers and customers. Other factors that have an impact are the economy, self-serving political bills and initiatives, and world events that have a ripple effect on the islands.
These influences cause slight to severe deviations that disrupt the status quo and puts programs, processes, and people in an uncomfortable situation that requires some adjustments – sometimes for the better. What might have worked in the past is now ineffective and a new set of strategies and systems are needed to create similar or better results.
Leaders will sometimes create perturbation intentionally to place additional pressures on their followers so that they are forced to discover new solutions. What was working in the past either isn’t producing the same results or the results the leader expects. I’ve known several leaders who announced that they were intentionally turning the organization upside down so they could shake their people out of complacency. The mantra of “that’s how we’ve always done it here” wasn’t working and change was needed right away.
If you think about it, many of your changes from routine patterns were caused by internal or external events that bumped you out of your comfort zone. People are creatures of habit, and usually will not stray far from their areas of comfort before returning to their familiar patterns of behavior. We typically sit in the same places in classes or church, and take the same routes to work or to shop.
Individuals often stay in relationships that aren’t working because they believe it’s too uncomfortable to change, so they will live quiet lives of desperation for years until something bumps them so far out of their comfort zone that they find it more difficult to return.
If you think about it, a breakthrough often follows a breakup, a breakdown, or a break with the ideologies of the past. It’s those rare individuals with a spirit of adventure that have broken speed records, climbed the highest peaks, or discovered new worlds while the rest of humanity was trudging along in their familiar ruts. These individuals intentionally place themselves in a state of perturbation to learn new ways of thinking, make new relationships, and learn new skills that will enable them to better adapt to change.
Trying to operate in the same way while the world around us is changing will only create more stress and ultimately lead to failure. Discovering new ways of thinking, working, and relating will allow us to better adapt to the many changes that are rocking our world.
Are you a creature of habit who gets over-stressed when things aren’t working the way you want them to work? When you find someone sitting in “your seat,” do you get perturbed? If your usual route to work is blocked because of construction, do you get upset, or do you just go with the flow?
Do something today that is out of the ordinary or a change in your routine. We have a new year coming soon, and this is a time when many people set resolutions or goals to accomplish. Set some goals to create perturbation and break you out of familiar routines. Learn a new skill, visit a new place, and make new friends. Soon you’ll make these mini-adventures a part of your life and start to look for bigger adventures that will transform you into a better and more interesting person.
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