Reflections on a Career (9)

Reflections on a Career (9)

This is my first Monday since retiring from D&F. It feels a bit strange. Last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday could have been just taking a few days off, but today is for real - it’s a Monday and I’m staying home.

Below is a photo from the luncheon my team gave me, most of the folks were able to make it - I have been blessed to work with them.

I read in the news today that Sears Holdings is closing more Sears and KMart stores. I don’t think they realize that it is about the people - just ask customers. I don’t mean this harshly, but my experience with Sears and KMart the past fews years has been poor to the point that I don’t shop there; I’ve talked to others with the same experience. For years I patronized Sears, but then the service went downhill - it wasn’t like the old Sears. This is not the fault of the store employees, this is a failure of leadership.

If leadership doesn’t care why should the store employees care? And if they do care but do not receive encouragement...what is the effect likely to be?

A friend of mine recently shopped at a grocery store in Richmond and had a poor experience. Within days of her sending a letter corporate leadership had trainers on location, working with the store employees. This particular grocery chain has recently entered the Richmond market and they are known for customer service, my friend has patronized them in another state so she knows their level of service and she knew that her local experience was atypical.

This is not rocket science, as they say, treat people like you’re glad to see them and make them want to come back and see you. In the apartment business people chose a particular community because they trust the people in the office; and they remain in the community for the same reason. Sure there can be economic and other considerations, but when those are accounted for - people decide where they are going to rent an apartment because they trust the staff.

Customers want attention, employees want attention, students want attention, parishioners want attention - plants need water and people need the water of care and attention and recognition. You don’t have to be a biologist or arborist to care for plants, you just need some common sense and learn to give them appropriate attention.

Leadership requires paying attention to people and helping those people pay attention to other people and so forth. I think we see this attention to people in Jesus, and we see it in the core group that followed Him. We see it in the Apostle Paul - just read his letters...he had people around him and he paid attention to those people...and in turn they paid attention to people.

If I interact with employees of a business who don’t pay attention to customers I am pretty safe in thinking that their managers and leaders don’t pay attention to them. Care is contagious - just try it; when it infects a group of people it is exciting and fun and the potential is limitless.

I had fun at the luncheon. And yes, I just about cried...sure came close to it!