Point the Finger at Yourself

Across my time in the working world, I've noticed something. There are leaders, and then there are bosses. And the difference is very simple. Leaders point the finger at themselves when there are problems in the business, and bosses blame everyone else. What do I mean?

I've worked under, and with, many different people all on different parts of the personality spectrum. I've dealt with individuals that are centered merely on themselves, saying that they "work harder than anyone here". I've worked with people that do nothing but complain, and often? They are complaining about everyone else. If they don't complete a task, they often have a laundry list of outside excuses that involve everyone except...guess. Who.

Themselves.

Leaders and bosses differ because leaders want to improve, learn, and uh, LEAD. Bosses do just that- be bossy. Superfluous delegation, martyrism, shifting the blame. Leaders see a problem and think about how they can fix it, and how they can prevent it from happening again. Bosses see a problem and then says, "not my job!" and then assign someone below them to take care of the situation.

Business owners all over the world should all strive to be leaders. Someone workers and managerial staff can look to for answers, wisdom, and guidance. And all too often, business owners and other executive staff point the finger at everyone else but...

Themselves.

See a pattern? If something is wrong in your business, take some damn initiative and fix it. Matter of fact, why don't you get started right now? I know I will.

Dealing with REALLY Angry Customers

Customer dissatisfaction occurs for a number of different reasons, and just as varied are the reactions of our customers to said dissatisfaction. Hey, as long as business is run by humans for humans, there will be mistakes made. And sometimes, the mistakes will be yours to own up to.

Lemmie get one thing straight before I begin, though. The strategies and tips that I am writing about have developed over many different jobs with many different customers. I'm not singling anyone out! Anyway, let's get right into it.

The first thing I notice is that everyone approaches the concept of dissatisfaction incorrectly. Both sides of the fence too; both customer and client. Things go wrong. It happens. And in all honesty, a customer knows when they are in a business relationship that is just plain useless. But that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that both sides are currently divided- the customer is unhappy, and it's the fault of the business. When dealing with these situations, try to remember the following points:

1. Some customers will take mistakes personally. They just do. Instead of matching their emotion, get on their side. Don't trash talk the company you work for, but if you or your organization made a legitimate error that led to a customer's dissatisfaction, own up to it! Let the customer know that the whole business is on their side, and you are merely their guide towards compromise. Honesty.

2. Stay calm. You must never scream or insult a customer. Stay even. Keep your tone regular, and constantly remind them that whatever problems they are having can, and will, be solved. Some customers will get nasty, and swear or abuse you. Don't get mad! Simply inform them that if they are going to continue to talk to you in this manner, that you will hang up. And if they continue guess what?

HANG UP. Life's to freakin' short, man.

3. Empathy, not sympathy. In a perfect situation, a business knows whether or not its at fault for something that has caused a customer's displeasure, and that customer is telling the truth. This is not always the case, but let's pretend we live in a perfect world. You are not the customer's slave, and they are not just dollar signs. When you work on coming up with a solution to the customer's complaint, always keep compromise in mind. Make sure the customer knows that you want to work towards a solution that works for everyone, not just the customer. And not just you.

4. Same team! I can't emphasize this enough. You and your customer are on the same team. There is no "us versus them" mentality that applies here.You want them to keep on frequenting your business, and they want to get their issue resolved. Now that you've chosen sides, meet in the middle! There are myriad ways to deal with problems. Don't limit yourself!

5. Sometimes...people suck. It's true. Sometimes, you just come across someone that is just plain nasty, and no matter what you do, they are never happy and always a miserable chore to deal with. These aren't customers. These are bullies. And no matter how much their business is worth to you, you should never put up with outright cruelty. Do not be afraid to divorce from certain customers. Sometimes, it's the best and only choice for both of you.

In summation, just be a good human being to each other. Put yourself in their shoes, and try to understand the situation from their point of view. When you look at an unhappy customer and decide to be on their side, you'll get much better results than approaching such a situation in an accusatory, or defensive manner. People are people the world around, and on the most part, people want to be treated fairly, and with respect. That's it.

Go spread some joy, willya?

Being the Ultimate Critical Thinker in Business

Think outside the box is one of the most overused, and underrated phrases in the English language.

When you really come down to it, how does one suddenly...think differently? That's what "think outside the box" really means. Go against the grain, and find something unique in a totally different train of thought. Huh. Easier said than done, I'm afraid. But I don't think that the "box" is something that is shared between humanity. It's context sensitive, and I fear that's where people lose their way.

In business, being intelligent is no longer enough. Being vigilant, no longer enough. Opportunistic, no. Nowadays, if a business owner isn't cunning his or her establishment is in a world of hurt. Intelligence is easy enough to come by. But it must be combined with guile, resourcefulness, and sheer hunger to make it worth while.

There are whole websites devoted to improving intelligence and problem solving skills. And by all means, most are legitimate and genuinely want to help people all around the world better themselves. But sadly, these principles cannot be applied to problems in business without some tweaking.

One website I found seemed to really help because they kept their advice more as open guidelines, allowing for the reader to extrapolate and think. But there was one element missing here. This website even lists an entire process that can help business owners solve problems, but once again, it was lacking a single element.

Cunning.

Look at the definition. It has negative connotations associated with it, such as "deception." I've also heard treachery associated with the word, but if you click the link above and take a look at the second part of the definition, it says, "Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity." A-ha! That's what I'm talkin' about.

One must be cunning in business. By no means should you deceive or rob your customers or competitors, but you must be able to outwit competition, know how to handle and please each individual customer, and use all your resourcefulness and determination to succeed. Some of you may believe that the only way to succeed in business is to be deceptive, and to be a backstabber. Ruthless. Greedy. No.

That's where being cunning gets its bad rap. Ingenuity is the great equalizer among all creatures. One moment of inspiration can spark years of success- do you have any idea the kind of things you can accomplish if you set a lofty goal, and then use the power of your mind to reach it? And I'm not talking about the stupid "BELIEVE IN YOURSELF" stuff. I'm talking about using your brain to its fullest.

Don't expect a guide from me. Or a bulleted list with tips. This is something you must do on your own. There will be many times in business where all you have is an empty bank account, and your brain. When the chips are down, no website or resource center will have the know-how to pull you outta the sewer. Only you can do that. So if you have to rely on yourself that much, you better make damn sure you're the kinda person you'd trust.

Don't be smart. Be cunning.