Be Outstanding Through Personal Accountability ™

My dad, Coach Jimmy Miller, lead the Cornell University wrestling team from 1949-1975. All the years I was growing up he had posted on the wall of the Teagle Hall wrestling room on the Cornell campus this poem. Many years later, still one of my favorites!:

The Man Who Thinks He can

by Walter D. Wintle

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t
It’s almost a cinch that you won’t
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you’re outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.

QBQ! QuickNote®

Outstanding Holidays Don’t Just Happen

The holidays.

A season all about Family, Faith, and Friends. For many, it’s also a time of Food, Football, Festivities, Fun—and Freedom. Not just the blessing of living in a “free country,” but also maybe—just maybe—a little less tied to our jobs and a little more sleeping, puttering, and simply doing nothing on some days! Sounds great, doesn’t it?

But how about these words? Frenetic—a crazy, stress-filled pace. Finances—jubilant joy leads to dangerous debt. Frustration—things don’t quite go the way we planned. Fear—of being alone, left out. Fatigue—we simply do too much and return in January needing the month just to recover!

The reality is this: The holidays, for lots of people, just aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Though we want them to stand out—that is, to be outstanding—they often fall short of our expectations. But, with some work, some discipline, and some adherence to fundamental ideas and principles, we can each experience an exceptional season.

By extracting concepts from the book Outstanding!—yes, written for the world of corporations, nonprofits, government entities, churches and schools—and applying them to this time of year, we can make the best of the holidays. And since most holiday celebrations involve families—which are organizations—let’s utilize the essences of nine of the 47 Outstanding! chapters to create a stellar season!

Choose to Change: Holiday traditions are great, but remember: Any strength taken to an extreme becomes a weakness. Outstanding families, like outstanding organizations, are willing to set aside “the way we’ve always done things” now and then. Keeping the end goals of joy, fun, and celebration in mind, we might need do things differently. Never forget: Blessed are the flexible, for they cause others to not get bent out of shape!

Keep the Mission Top of Mind: If you believe the “reason for the season” is faith (worshiping God and being thankful) and/or family (traditions and coming together) then don’t forget the “Why” behind the activities. Let purpose come before tasks, otherwise, the tasks can overwhelm the mission—and what’s the sense in that?

Get Actions In Line With Values: If we espouse values like love, caring, and acceptance, let’s ensure that our behaviors support those ideas. Integrity—actions in line with stated values—is a rare commodity in our world, so let’s allow that light to shine at home. Example: If we embrace the word “humility,” let’s avoid boasting, bragging, and topping each other in our interactions. Another: If I say I believe in relaxing and resting, then draw a few boundaries and say NO! if you really want to. It’s okay to not participate in some activities this time of year.

Fight the Fat: And we’re not talking about calories here! As Dave Ramsey says, when it comes to finances, “Bother to bother.” In other words, decide to stay on top of and in control of the dollars. By cutting up the plastic money and living within our means, we’ll experience a far more joyous … January!

Forgive Mistakes: What could be a more perfect way to achieve outstanding holidays than to let some stuff slide? Humans sometimes do say the wrong thing, make mistakes, exercise poor judgment, drop the ball, and forget to act. When these things happen, it’s an amazing opportunity to choose forgiveness. Practice the words, “No big deal. Let’s forget it.”

Let Every Player Count: A little lifting up of each person is a good thing. Careful that one individual’s needs and agenda don’t “rule the roost.” Let’s do our best to help each person—from 2 to 92—feel special. It’s a time to honor everyone on the team!

Speak Well: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) So true! As the tension and stress build, make sure that the way we talk to others—both our words and tone—is encouraging, loving, and supportive.

Listen In All Directions: In Outstanding! we write about listening in three ways: Management listening to the people, the people listening to each other, and everyone listening to the customer. My favorite part is where we take “multi-tasking” to task as a very bad habit. During these precious days, let’s set the iPods, laptops, and PDAs aside—cease the Tweeting, status updating, and surfing—and look each other in the eye, saying, “Go ahead, you are the most important person in my world at this moment and I want to hear every word you have to say.”

Someone Needs to Be the Boss: Lastly, parents, I beseech you—please parent! Family gatherings are hurt when the wrong people are in charge: the children. Let’s hold our kids to a new (yet old fashioned) level of respect, manners, and courtesy. The truth is, it’s not all about the children—and sometimes they need to know that. If your young child needs a really long “time out,” then take action. Don’t be afraid to let him or her know that—surprise, surprise!—you are the boss.

So there they are: Nine ways to have an outstanding holiday season. Share this with others—apply them yourself—and see what a difference they can make. And then come back in 2011 ready to make our organizations outstanding, too!

John G. Miller
Author of …

Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question®
Flipping the Switch … Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability

Twitter: QBQGUY
Facebook

Note: Don’t miss the Application Exercise at the end of this QuickNote!

I suppose we all have a phrase or two that we can’t stand hearing. Here’s one for me:

There’s plenty of blame to go around!

Often spoken by someone in the media, it’s a phrase that has become prevalent. Possibly because blame has become popular.

• Parents blame the schools, churches, Hollywood for how their kids turn out.
• Spouses blame each other (sometimes with their attorneys present).
• Employers blame the employees.
• Workers blame management.
• Voters blame the politicians they elected.
• Politicians blame … their predecessors.
• Coaches and players blame the officials.
• Manufacturing blames R&D who blames HR who blames Marketing who blames Sales who blames … the customer!

And everyone blames the economy. Why not, it’s so easy!

In our newly reproduced DVD-based QBQ! training program, I list some costs of blame in a work context. Blame:

• Indicts people
• Destroys morale
• Reduces creativity
• Lowers productivity
• Increases fear
• Drives wedges between colleagues
• Breaks down teams

Blame also hurts us at home, not to mention in our communities, churches, and schools. You see, at the very least, when pointing fingers, we’re not using our time, energy and creativity to solve a problem. AND ALL ORGANIZATIONS HAVE PROBLEMS! And since schools, families, nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses are all “organizations,” there are problems everywhere! Remember this:

Nothing gets fixed when we are fixated on who’s at fault.

The truth is, outstanding organizations do not “seek culprits.” When there is a Culture of Culprit Catching, we actually create more problems than existed in the first place. If you don’t believe me, see costs of blame listed above.

As we say in QBQ!, leaders at all levels (that’s you and me!) blame nobody—not even themselves.

That last statement is not a way of escaping blame. Since we all make errors, it simply means that if it’s me that committed one, I don’t have to beat myself up over it. The right questions to ask are, “What can I learn from this experience?” and “How can I now work to solve the problem?”

Blame-busting questions like these—we call them QBQ’S put me on the path of Personal Accountability and that path is always the place to walk. And no matter who caused a problem, QBQ’s always bust the blame.

Our society may constantly send the message that “there’s plenty of blame to go around,” but we can resist the temptation to do what’s popular, trendy—and incredibly immature. (Yes, finger-pointing is an emotionally immature behavior.) Instead, each of us can rise above the urge to blame; each of us can be a Blame Buster. And when that happens, our organizations can be Outstanding!

Application Questions:

Forward this QuickNote to your colleagues and begin a dialogue using these questions—

1. How often do we search for culprits when something goes wrong?

2. In what way does blame impact the morale within our organization? What are the consequences?

3. How will we benefit when finger-pointing is eliminated?

4. What can I do today to bust the blame?

Kevin Brown, Director of Franchise Sales for SERVPRO in Nashville, TN—a QBQ! believer and Miller friend— makes me think when he says, “Life is fair … bad things happen to all of us.”

How often, though, do we think life is not fair? Ever made statements like these?

The bank got us a “no interest” mortgage we now can’t afford. It’s not fair.
My kids don’t ever listen to me. It’s not fair.
My retirement account is way down. It’s not fair.
I didn’t get the promotion/I lost my job/I was denied a raise. It’s not fair.
Others don’t work as hard as I do. It’s not fair.
My boss doesn’t communicate, coach, or seem to care. It’s not fair.
My employer cut our benefits. It’s not fair.
The referees were awful and we lost the game. It’s not fair.
My staff doesn’t seem to get what we’re trying to do here. It’s not fair.
I listen to others more than they listen to me. It’s not fair.
I’m buried in high interest credit card debt. It’s not fair.
My home is worth less than I owe on it. It’s not fair.
The neighbors have a new boat/car/pool and we don’t. It’s not fair.
My co-workers are difficult and management doesn’t deal with it. It’s not fair.
Professional athletes make more than teachers. It’s not fair.
The government doesn’t exist to take care of me after all. It’s not fair.

Oh, and here’s a bonus one:

We’re going through a ton of change at work. It’s not fair!!!

My wife, Karen, has a favorite phrase. “It just is,” she’ll say. Meaning, sometimes stuff just happens, circumstances just exist, and people simply act like people. The truth is we were never promised “fairness.” Humans make hurtful comments, accidents occur, events take a turn we don’t expect, others are blessed with talents we lack, things happen out of our control—sometimes way out of our control.

Childhood friend, Philip Foltman, and I were both born May 28, 1958. I, though, am three hours older and never let him forget it.

Growing up in Ithaca, N.Y., we graduated from Ithaca High in 1976, were pals during our college years, and he served as my “best man” in 1980. And that he is: the best.

But in comparison to Phil, I am a victim! I have “the right” to be angry, hurt, and bitter. It’s not fair!

How come? Because for over 35 years Philip has had something that I have not:

A mom.

In fact, he still has his mom. I can barely remember mine.

I’ve not had a mother since Gerald Ford was President, the Bee Gees were hot, and Star Wars was only in George Lucas’ imagination. It was May 20, 1975, while attending a “ladies’ meeting,” Mary Miller, age 51, experienced a blinding headache, slumped on a friend’s sofa, and was rushed to the hospital. Two hours later she was gone. A quiet but deadly killer had taken her. “Aneurism” is a word I wished I’d never learned, and certainly not at 16.

It wasn’t fair.

But Philip, my buddy, was there that tragic day in 1975. Within an hour he was at my house and five days later he and his mom—“Mrs. F”—came to my mom’s memorial service.

Three and a half decades later, he still has his mom. Phil is a fortunate man.

But so am I, as I have many blessings …

Karen is still my best friend, there are seven special people ages 27 down to 11 that call me “Dad,” a beautiful baby grandson, Joshua, has joined the Miller clan, and I love what I do.

And just as I certainly would never hold it against Philip for still having his mom, I shouldn’t hold it against anyone for having more of anything than I do. Envy doesn’t wear well. Neither does the It’s not fair! We’re all victims! mentality that pervades our society today.

Now here’s what’s not fair:

Begrudging people their achievements, success, possessions, financial status, and good fortune.

When I hold it against others that they have more of anything than I do, I have chosen to be a victim. And victim thinking, self-pity, and envy eat away at my soul, destroy my ability to contribute, and make me a lesser person. Maybe even a small person.

Bottomline, when I play victim, I serve nobody—not even myself. It’s far better to flip the switch and completely eliminate victim thinking from my life.

Kevin Brown is right: Bad things happen to all of us. Sometimes those bad things are tragedies beyond our control and sometimes they’re the result of our own mistakes. Either way, the secret to life success is in how I respond, the choices I make, and how I talk to myself.

And I—like you—will engage in healthy, productive, and truth-based self-talk saying:

• Success and happiness are based on choice not chance.
• My decisions have directed me to my destination.
• I am personally accountable for every choice I make.
• I am not a victim!

Thoughts like these enable each of us to be outstanding. It’s just as simple as that!

QBQ! QuickNote®

Outstanding! is Different

Since “outstanding” means to stand out—and only a few organizations really do—then it makes sense to say that to be outstanding is to be different.

It’s also true that Outstanding!—the book—is different. That is, it’s different from my other two. Yet there is commonality.

“This book will do for organizations what QBQ! and Flipping the Switch have done for individuals: Make them better.”

John Duff of Penguin/Putnam, publisher of my books (as well as Who Moved My Cheese?) made that remark the day we agreed I’d write Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional. It’s no surprise that an author would agree with a comment like this, right?! And the truth is, our organizations, just like people, can be better. They can even be outstanding.

But this is what it takes:

Effort. Energy. Time. Commitment. Dialogue. Learning. In other words, it takes work.

It also takes content.

Outstanding! has the content. We ask you to do the work. The book is dedicated to “those who care enough to improve the place,” and my hope is … that’s you!

Outstanding! differs from QBQ! and Flipping the Switch (FTS) in that the latter two offer a quickly-applied, life-changing, thought-shifting, behavior-altering, and habit-busting tool that we at QBQ, Inc. call The Question Behind the Question®. (Sorry if that sounds a bit proud, but it’s what we hear from readers!). These books are focused on one core idea (personal accountability) and one person (the reader) and one goal (the reader improving self).

But Outstanding! is focused on many ideas (47 of them, in fact) and the broader goal of improving the organization. This huge difference lends itself not only to more pages (a couple hour read versus 55 minutes for QBQ! and FTS), but requires a different type of engagement with the content. Many individuals read the shorter books and immediately use the material to eliminate Blame, Victim-thinking, and Procrastination from their lives. But with Outstanding! and its goal of making the organization better, collaboration and teamwork are critical.

So, since you and I believe in practicing The Question Behind the Question (QBQ) methodology of asking accountable questions, I pose this friendly challenge to “QBQ! Zealots” everywhere: Ask QBQs such as, “What can I do today to help my organization be outstanding?” and “How can I provide my team the tools to make our organization better?”

These QBQs direct us straight to Outstanding!—a book not to talk about, but to talk through, as a team. A manager emailed saying, “I loved the stories, the bite-size chapters, and the 47 commonsense ideas, but Outstanding! really came to life when my staff and I studied it together as a group.” Perfectly put. Outstanding! is a tool for TEAMS—a book to study, explore, and review, chapter by chapter, page by page, idea by idea.

Here’s our recommendation on how to best put Outstanding! to work:

Since true learning occurs during conversation, discussion, and dialogue, picture your department, work group, or team getting together virtually or face-to-face to work on questions like …

“In what ways can we enhance our focus and ‘keep the mission top of mind’?”
“What can be done to ensure we ‘never forget who pays the bills’?”
“Do we strive to ‘work’ or has entitlement thinking crept into our culture?”
“How does the customer win when we ‘make no excuses’?”
“If we don’t ‘forgive mistakes,’ but rather hold grudges between departments, what are the costs?”
“Do we ‘coach moment to moment’ or just annually on Performance Review Day?”
“What will be gained when we commit to ‘seek no culprits’ and strive only to solve problems?”

There are countless questions a team can work through based on the “47 Ways” in Outstanding! I just provided seven based on seven chapter titles (in single quotes). Go ahead, review those questions and envision your team exploring them after reading the related chapter. I promise you, the experience will range from a fun conversation to a spirited debate—but the result will be the same: Learning.

And as we say around here, when there is learning there is change. And that’s a good thing.

Allow me to be plain spoken: Discussion, dialogue, learning, and change require work. Honestly, it doesn’t take much effort to buy a book, read it, loan it out, or give it away. The real work is done when we get together—investing time and energy, risking our own attitudes and actions being challenged—to delve deeply into the content. Therein lies the value of Outstanding! …

… it’s in the work.

And as I said, the Outstanding! book provides the content. You—because you care enough to improve the place—provide the work.

Bottomline, as Dave Ramsey stated in his front cover endorsement of Outstanding!, your colleagues and you will find a “road map” to becoming exceptional, and exceptional is an outstanding place to be.

So be different—do the work and Be Outstanding!®

So, a special offer: Purchase a carton of 12 Outstanding! books at our store and we will email you 47 FREE discussion questions—one for each chapter—for your team to work through. Believe me, it’ll be outstanding!

Click on this link and type the word “questions” into the order form “comments” box:

http://qbq.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=33&products_id=82

Thanks much!

John G. Miller
Author of …

Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question®
Flipping the Switch … Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability

It’s emails like this that warm the heart of any author:

Hey John:

Just wanted to let you know I picked up “Outstanding” and have not been able to put it down. It has been great reading and even more fun beginning to implement some of the ideas in my second year in Worcester! Thanks for the recommendation. We will be reading QBQ! as a group sometime this year!!!

Margaret
High School Principal
————————

Thanks to Margaret for deciding it’s good to strive to be outstanding. She knows it’s the best place to be!

Personal Accountability … Bengy Style!

Need to buy a car? If so, then here’s where you go:

Mountain States Toyota, Denver, Colorado.

Why? Because they are outstanding!

Ask for Bengy Martinez—the happy salesperson with the big smile (email him at Bengy.Martinez@mountainstatestoyota.com). Let me tell you, Bengy is a star. And like every star, he has a supporting cast. In his case, sales manager, Matt Marr, and General Manager, Tim VanBinsbergen.

Some background: My wife, Karen, and I were not planning to buy two new vehicles this year, but a horrific May hailstorm—like none we’ve ever seen in our dozen Denver years—destroyed her Honda Odyssey mini-van and my fav “candy red” Toyota Tacoma longbed!

So, long story short, off to Mountain States we went, because we’d bought there before and have always been treated with dignity and respect. Well, low and behold there was a “pre-owned” (back in the day we called them “used”) Nissan Xterra for me—almost candy red—and another Odyssey van for Karen.

We bought. And all was well.

A few days later, I noticed the Odyssey’s back right tire looking soft, so I put some air in it. Honestly, I never thought much about it, until a June Saturday evening when our 22-year-old son, Michael, drove Mom and Dad to the Denver Int’l Airport to fly out for that long-planned cruise from Seattle to Alaska to celebrate our 30th. It was then on busy Peña Ave.—the only highway into DIA—we heard a “bam!” and a “bonk” and pulled over to find a flat tire. Yep, right side, rear.

Stupid! I thought. Should’ve gotten that tire fixed!

Decision time: Change the tire on the shoulder, call for a tow from the roadside, or try to go two more miles to DIA and let Mike handle it all. But Mike spoke up with, “Come on, Dad, let’s change the tire.”

“Oh, fine.” I responded, with absolutely no heart in it.

But then—wait for it—the problem that would lead to Bengy, Matt, and Tim becoming heroes presented itself.

There was no spare. Nor was there a Honda-specific tool to remove the wheel lugnuts.

My first thought was, I know it’s a used car that we purchased “as is,” but who sells a car with no spare and no lugnut wrench!?!?

So while calling for a tow truck, we limped on to the airport. Once there, we hugged Mike goodbye and headed to our gate. Fun way to begin the trip!

The next day, before we left Port Seattle, I emailed Bengy this note (abbreviated):

“Bengy, we bought the Odyssey from you and it had a bad back right tire from the start which blew out last night as Karen and I were being driven to the airport. We had to have the car towed to our home where it sits. Karen and I are now heading to Alaska and I’d like to ask what can you do for us? It’s not normal to sell an expensive vehicle without a spare and no way to remove the lugnuts, is it!? Thank you!”

After I sent my polite, frustration-laced note, I feared Bengy and Cast had only three choices:

1. Apathy. Do nothing.

2. Point fingers at the prior owner who kept the spare tire or at the “other department” who took the car into the dealership and didn’t check for a spare. And then do nothing.

3. Do something to help us, but charge us.

I did not really think there was a fourth choice, but that’s what outstanding organizations and people are all about:

Surprising and delighting the customer!

This, of course, causes the customer to send out a QBQ! QuickNote to 28,574 people. It also prevents customers from firing the organization!

So there we were, enjoying life on the “high seas” while the problem back in Colorado was getting solved. As Mountain States Toyota moved fast to excel, son Michael later texted me a suggestion: “Dad, you should write this story up as a QuickNote!” As a father, just that observation makes me proud, because we can’t be outstanding, till we can see outstanding. I’m glad he saw it.

So, what was Bengy’s solution? Mid week, a tow truck was sent 18 miles to our home to pick up the car, tow it to the shop, and repair the tire. Cool, right? But then, on that Saturday night, Bengy, the sales guy, personally drove Karen’s van to our home, parking it in our driveway. When we arrived home Sunday, there it was—ready for “Mom use.”

The next day, joyful, helpful Bengy told me, “Finding your house in the dark out in the boonies was not an easy trick. I bet I passed it five times before I knew it was yours! But, no biggie—glad we got it to you!”

That’s Bengy, a happy guy who loves to serve—and sell cars. And that’s a good thing, since most of us need one.

Oh, and guess what? I later found out that the Odyssey model we have does not come equipped with a spare. This makes Mountain States’ actions even more impressive. Clearly, they could’ve said, “Sorry, not our problem!”

So, do you need a car? If so, go to Bengy and see what personal accountability and outstanding service look like wrapped in a really big smile.

John G. Miller
Author of …

QBQ! The Question Behind the Question®
Flipping the Switch … Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability
Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional

QBQ! QuickNote®

Integrity Begins With Me!

On a December Saturday years ago, the Millers piled into our van and headed for the mall. It was lunchtime, so we stopped at McDonald’s. Waiting at a red light in front of the restaurant, we saw a man standing at the intersection. In his mid-40s with a full beard, he was wearing a well-worn army jacket, ripped jeans, tennis shoes, a skimpy wool hat, and gloves with holes in their fingers. He looked cold.

He was also holding a sign that said, “Food for work.” Our kids had a lot of questions. Karen and I did our best to answer them. “Yes, kids, he’s probably hungry. Yeah, I guess he’d work for food, not just money. No, he probably has no place to go tonight. Yes, I’m sure he’s poor. No, he probably does not have a home. I’m sure he’s cold. You’re right, it’s very sad.”

Finally, the light changed and we turned into the home of “880 Billion Served,” or whatever the sign said that year.

After 30 minutes of heavy eating and light conversation, we walked out. I was carrying a leftover cheeseburger, still warm in the wrapper, untouched. We got into the van, turned around, and pulled up to the same red light. The “Food for work” guy was still there.

Suddenly, Kristin—the missionary in our family and now a brand new mom—who was nine years old at the time, asked the question I did not want to hear. From the back of our van she shouted, “Daddy, can you get out and give that guy our cheeseburger? We don’t need it.” I froze. And then did some fast talking, saying, “Well, Kristin, it’s awfully cold. The light’s about to turn green. Might cause an accident. I’ve got lots of cars behind me. I’m sure he wouldn’t accept charity, anyway!” An eternity passed and the light turned green.

As we pulled away, the man and I exchanged a glance, and then we were gone.

Many years later, I vaguely remember his face, but there is another face I cannot forget. In my rear view mirror, I saw the face of a nine-year-old with freckles, dazzling green eyes, and a tear coming down each cheek because she’d just seen her daddy refuse to feed a hungry man. There was no refuting, denying, or wishing it away. She saw what she saw.

For a moment, let’s put aside our politics, our opinions on social programs, and our temptation to wonder whether the man would have taken the food. People have said to me, “Well, maybe he was a con man,” which honestly had never occurred to me. Even if that were true, it’s beside the point. What this moment in time represented was a daughter watching her daddy not stand on his stated values. Not live what he said he claimed to believe. Not follow his own teachings. Not demonstrate integrity. It was not an outstanding moment for me.

You see, at home, in a nice, warm kitchen full of food I had been throwing around words such as “sharing,” “giving,” “tithing,” and “helping those less fortunate.” But my actions in that moment were completely inconsistent with those words; I didn’t share, give, or help.

As unpleasant as that memory is, it helps me remember the big difference between my words and my actions. I realize I need to be vigilant if I want to live a life I’m proud of and be a good role model for those around me. I think poet, Edgar Guest, said it best:

Sermons We See

I’d rather see a sermon than to hear one any day.
I’d rather one should walk with me than just to show the way.

The eye is a better pupil and more willing than the ear;
Advice may be misleading but examples are always clear.

And the very best of teachers are the ones who live their creeds,
For to see good put into action is what everybody needs.

I can soon learn to do it if you’ll let me see it done.
I can watch your hand in motion, but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lectures you deliver may be very fine and true,
But I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do.

For I may misunderstand you and the fine advice you give,
But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live!

So let’s each remember to not ask, “Why don’t others walk their talk?” but rather The Question Behind the Question (QBQ), “How can I today practice the principles I espouse?”

Meanwhile, please enjoy our Be Outstanding! show titled “Integrity: An Idea That Works!”

John G. Miller
Author of …

QBQ! The Question Behind the Question®
Flipping the Switch … Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability
Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional

Twitter: QBQGUY
Facebook: The QBQ

QBQ! QuickNote®

Outstanding Happens in Moments

Our QuickNote story is from Antonio in Indiana, an Outstanding! reader.
—————————————-

John, I ordered Outstanding! the minute it was released, and have applied the principles to my personal and professional life. My staff has done the same—and we have seen our business move in an outstanding direction. So, I want to share an “outstanding” story with you that I experienced!

I phoned in a “carry out” lunch order to our local McAlister’s Deli for two grilled chicken salads. The gal on the phone told me they would be ready in five minutes. When I arrived ten minutes later the place was packed with a line of customers reaching the sidewalk.

Slipping up to the counter, I learned from the cashier my order had gotten lost. She apologized for the mistake and told me she’d resubmit it “priority” status. When I moved to the side to wait, the Be Outstanding! Moments began.

Be Outstanding! Moment #1:

As she continued to take orders, the cashier offered me a drink on the house. She had already addressed my problem, but rather than ignore me waiting in the wings, she made sure I did not feel forgotten.

Be Outstanding! Moment #2:

Not more than two minutes later the manager came by and apologized. I never even asked to see the manager about this issue. It just wasn’t that big of a deal!

Be Outstanding! Moment #3:

The manager gave me two complementary meal cards for my next visit, saying, “Please come back and see us again. Next time we’ll get it right.” He offered no excuses about being busy or some “trainee” making a mistake.

Be Outstanding! Moment #4:

The manager started walking up and down the line of patrons. I wondered what he was doing. When he got closer I was able to hear for myself: He was taking drink orders for people and apologizing for the wait. The manager himself was out with the customers. The most outstanding part was nobody was complaining! He was doing this, I assume, because he knows it’s the right way to treat his customers.

Be Outstanding! Moment #5:

My order was ready. After grabbing it and heading toward the door, I realized I had not paid. When I turned and asked the cashier for my total, she said, “Don’t worry about it; your lunch is on us today!”

John, every action I saw them take was designed to avoid what you write about in Outstanding! where you say, “People fire organizations.” Not wanting their customers to vote with their dollar and go somewhere else the next time they’re hungry, this organization went the extra mile at every turn.

Not only do I intend to continue giving McAlister’s Deli my business, I have told countless people about my positive experience. The fact they lost my order is the furthest thing from my mind. That stuff happens. It’s how an organization reacts to their mistakes that will determine if it is “Outstanding!”
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Antonio, you’ve said it well. Organizations do not become outstanding overnight. Nor do they fail in a day. Outstanding moments lead to outstanding experiences which lead to the building of outstanding organizations. Remember to make the moments exceptional.  

Be Outstanding! radio show with host John G. Miller coming March 29!

Dave Ramsey/FOX TV interview with John on Outstanding!

Purchase the new Outstanding! book here.

QBQ! (The Question Behind the Question) QuickNote®

Be Outstanding!: Make No Excuses

Daughter Tara, while a high school senior, came home one weeknight after I’d turned in and typed out a note on my laptop. This is exactly how it looked and read: “Dad, I’m sorry for not calling to let you know I wouldn’t be home by ten. I understand things like this can take away the trust you have in me. I won’t even make excuses, because I know I need to have Personal Accountability!”

I remember thinking, Wow, great note. She really gets it. What a good kid. Then I saw a P.S. that said: “Of course, there are always reasons if you want to hear them.”

Life teaches us all—whether we’re a child, a teen, or an adult—that we cannot control what other people say and do, or most events occurring around us. The only thing we really have control over is ourselves. And this is exactly why personal accountability is so critical, and why people and organizations who demonstrate accountability stand out.

In truth, there actually are reasons things go awry: people make mistakes, the ball gets dropped, stuff happens. Life can be complicated, confusing, and complex. Because of this, any one of us on any given day could go on and on with “reasons.” But when we attempt to exonerate ourselves with explanations, all they sound like are excuses—and, of course, that’s all they really are. What we need to do, instead, is look to ourselves and ask, “What can I do?” and get to work solving the problem. In other words, practice personal accountability.

Certainly there are situations in life where we pull out the swords of Facts and Logic and wield them mightily in our defense. But when we are tempted to do so in front of anyone we call “customer,” we might want to remember the country song that says, “Here’s a quarter, call someone who cares.” Never forget: The customer does not care to hear our reasons and excuses.

Just ask Alan Farnsworth, head of customer service worldwide for Bausch & Lomb. He’s been on the receiving end of the better approach and shares it in this story:

Connecting through the Paris airport, I was on a bus full of travelers heading out for a remote boarding on a distant tarmac. When we reached our plane, we weren’t allowed to get out. Instead, an Air France person came onto the bus to let us know the airplane cabin wasn’t ready. I wasn’t concerned about the delay since I was not in a hurry, but I could see other passengers getting increasingly annoyed as the minutes passed.

Once we were finally on the plane and settled in, forty minutes behind schedule, the captain came over the speaker. Honestly, I expected the standard, canned, insincere airline spin such as, “Sorry for the delay, but it’s due to the late arrival of the incoming aircraft” or some other routine excuse. Instead, here’s what the captain said: “I’d like to personally apologize for this delay. It was due to our failure to get the cabin ready on time, and as captain, I am responsible for that. I didn’t get the job done. This is inexcusable. Our practices will change to ensure this never happens again, at least not with any team for which I am responsible. This is not typical of Air France, and I hope you won’t hold this against us, because we can do better—and you deserve better. Now, please sit back and enjoy the flight. We may be late, but we’ll make it as pleasant as possible for you.”

I have never heard such honesty like this in circumstances like these. You should have seen the passengers’ response. It was fascinating to observe. Nodding heads, smiles, and faces that clearly said, OK, that’s pretty nice. I feel better now. People’s agitation and irritation seemed to be replaced by acceptance and relaxation. While observing all of this, it occurred to me that candor and accountability like this are exactly how every organization ought to deal with their customers. After experiencing it—after feeling it myself—I know it works!

Question: How complex is it for an airline to get a plane off the ground on time?

Answer: Extremely.

And more often than not, the crew is as frustrated as the passengers. They want to get going, too! But if this Air France pilot had shared “The Five Reasons You Can’t Blame Us” with his customers, what would that have accomplished? Nothing positive, that’s for sure. So he took the High Road of Personal Accountability and simply said, “No excuses.” Outstanding!

Alan’s tale is a terrific example of one individual taking responsibility for a problem in a surprising and inspiring way—but that’s probably not the whole story. Since individuals often act within the context of their organization and its culture, I can’t help but wonder what might have been in the captain’s training and the organizational environment that contributed to his behavior.

More important, what can each of us do to engage in the same behavior in our organization today?

(Excerpted from the new Outstanding! book)

John G. Miller
Author of …
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question®
Flipping the Switch … Unleash the Power of Personal Accountability
Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional