A blog about leadership: Be safe - be mad

Makes them mad

Make customers mad. Make colleagues mad. Make the boss mad. Or try the opposite. MAKE THEIR DAY.

It may immediately sound like a major project. Flowers, sweets, balloons, flags and decorations in the colleague's office on the birthday. But it does not have to be. It could also be holding a door for him who has his arms full. Remembering the name of the customer who comes regularly. Or remind the clerk that you are being charged too little. It could be telling a colleague how much you appreciate him.

So what's the difference between MAKING THEIR DAY and being polite? The difference is in doing something unexpected or different from the ordinary - taking the extra step you did not have to take. What is ordinary to one person may be extraordinary to another. It is up to you to know the difference. Observe or ask what makes them happy.

Small innocent plastic fish

When they least expect it or when they need it most - let it happen! When someone makes you happy, you want to reciprocate. Here's a little story about a group of over-stressed nurses who started handing out small plastic fish to colleagues who did something nice for them. Plastic fish may sound crazy, but they helped break the ice. The collaboration got better. The nurses also distributed fish to patients who were depressed or who gave it a skull during rehabilitation. Soon, patients began asking for fish that they could give to the nurses. Patients' relatives began sending small letters on fish-shaped postcards. Before you knew it, the employees in an entire department were 'playful' towards each other.

Make a positive impression

MAKE THEIR DAY is easier when you understand that in every moment lies the opportunity to make a positive impression on the person you meet. A police officer once told of a shoplifter who was moved to tears over the attention he received while being photographed and giving off his fingerprint. The shoplifter knew full well that he had done something wrong and did not try to avoid punishment. He told the police officer that he had never before experienced a similar level of attention in any restaurant or shop. So he was surprised to find it with the police. Get in MAKE THEIR DAY mode and the possibilities will emerge in the most unexpected situations.

Start by focusing on one

MAKE THEIR DAY starts by focusing on one person. This is how the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish do. They do not just sell fish. They make the world a better place to be - through one person at a time. They ARE world famous. It is natural to want to reciprocate when there is just someone who has made you happy. But what about those colleagues or customers who openly suck the energy out of a room when they enter? What if you try the principle of and conspire with a few colleagues? You may be surprised by the reaction. And maybe it's all coming back again. After all, everyone wants to be valued.

Written by Michael Meinhardt, LEADERS WAREHOUSE.