Reinforce Positive Behavior

Have you heard the story about the tree falling in the forest? It goes something like this: If a tree falls in the forest, and nobody is around to hear it, did it make a sound? When I sold the business that had been my life and livelihood for many years I wondered how my associates would react. Would they really care? Did they like working for me? Would I ever know?

I got my answer in a way that touched me beyond word. (Some even remembered my birthday!)

"Thank you for the opportunity and the freedom to do things my way here."

"It would be a pleasure to work for you again."

"Happy birthday! I wish you well, and the best."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm and time that you have invested with me. I always could tell how much you enjoyed working with me and the staff here."

"You don't know how much you inspired me and you made me feel how a good employee should feel. You always said positive things to me when you came up here, and that said a lot about the company,"

The last quote was my favorite. It was from a customer service associate - someone who wasn't making a big salary. She simply liked her job, the company, and wanted to feel part of a team. Part of "Hitting the Grand Slam" and putting a thrill into customer service is stepping I paying attention to your associates. Everybody knows this, though, right?

We've all heard the slogan: happy employees equal happy customers; however, something this simple is rarely easy to do. It all boils down to Listening, Loving and Learning. Here are some easy tips.

oDon't ignore the help. The quote above wishing me a happy birthday was from a cashier. She took the time, from her personal email to wish me a happy birthday after I had sold the company. Why? Because every time I went to that store, I stopped by to speak with her. I tried to make her feel like the most important person in the world to me at that moment.

oAddress people by using their NAMES! Seems simple, but it's not easy to remember every name. My company had 200 associates, not exactly General Motors, but enough names to cause confusion. I didn't know everybody's name, but I sure tried my hardest. I always remembered what Dale Carnegie said in his famous book,"How to Win Friends and Influence People." He said, "There is no sweeter sound in the English language, than the sound of one's own name."

oFind something positive to say about every person as often as possible. I had an associate who always went out of her way to please our customers. I recognized this, and its wonderful effects, and pointed this out by complimenting her many times. She was inspired (see if you can pick out her quote) and continued this positive behavior.

Reinforcing positive behavior is one way to say, "Keep up the good work!"