Issue #126: Back to the Front
June 8, 2007
THRIVE! Talkin'!Don't just read the newsletter, live it!Jump into the THRIVE! forum and get set for success!  Back to the FrontMatthew Poepsel, LeftBrain/Co-FounderWhen I pulled into the drive-thru lane of the mega-coffee chain, it was very dark and very early. I slinked up to the oversized menu board, and I stared intently at the speaker. I needed caffeine, and I needed it soon. Because it was so early, I was surprised to hear an exuberant voice call out, "How may I help you?" The friendly and confident coffee lady carefully walked me through my order. She was thorough and professional. She even repeated my order back to me just to make sure she had it right. "Please pull forward." Well now. That was a refreshing change. I rounded the corner anxious to meet the enthusiastic "A" player behind the voice. I pulled up to the open window, and I waited quietly. That's when it happened. I heard the same voice, but this time it sounded very different. It was definitely more shriek-y than I had remembered it 30 seconds ago. Soon she was screaming: "Why are you giving me such a hard time when I'm just trying to do my job?" The voice that had been so competent and so elated was now frustrated and loud. As my friendly, scary coffee lady emerged in the window, she was harried. She seemed exasperated, and she didn't make any eye contact. She took the money I passed her, and she quietly handed me my coffee. I looked intently at her and said, "try to have a great day today". She managed a quiet "thank you". She seemed ready to cry. As I drove off, I thought about the dramatic difference in the exchanges. Whatever had happened in the time it took me to "please pull up", the coffee lady's demeanor had changed entirely. I had thought things were all right - better than alright - but this was clearly not the case. Sure, we can pretend we've got it together. We can fool some of the people some of the time by covering up the challenges we are facing. Still, the act can only last so long. Eventually, other people are certain to find out our secret. Something will happen and they will see through the charade - no matter how much we try to avoid it. Rather than impress those around us, our primary goal should be to fix the "back office" operations. If things are hunky dorey inside, the outside will follow suit and complete the puzzle. So, are you a great pretender? Ask yourself if you've ever pretended things were better than they actually seemed in the following areas:
Don't worry if you said "you betcha" to one of the above items. We've all been there. The problem is that it takes a lot of energy to cover up for things that aren't quite right in our lives. That's energy we're expending in exactly the wrong way. That same effort could be better applied to addressing the core problems in the first place. The drive-thru worker overcompensated on customer service when I was at the window. The problem is that I didn't need or expect such a level of service. The bigger problem is that her external attitude was clearly out of step with whatever was going on inside the shop. Whatever the problem, she was communicating far better with me - a thirsty guy she spent 30 seconds with - than the co-worker with whom she was spending 8 hours with every day. If she had truly reached an impasse and felt she was in the right, she would be better off finding a new job. If she truly had an "A" player attitude, this would be no problem. Before you worry too much about the outside world, take a few minutes to assess and address your inner world. If you can do that, the rest is likely to fall nicely into place. "Please pull forward." |
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Coaching Quickie: Back to the FrontWhere does your focus lie?Follow the link above to vote for your response. While you're there lend us your feedback, or share some goals with fellow readers. Check back next week for results! Last Week's ResultsCoaching Quickie: Easy Does It |
