Putting “The Fred Factor” Into Practice;

For those who may have missed yesterday’s post, I reviewed The Fred Factor. In short, check the book out. There are few books that contain so many good ideas in so few pages. I especially appreciated how actionable the book is, and today I spent my day bettering myself with a little help from Fred.

We all work in customer service of some sort. No matter what you do, there’s someone you need to make happy in order to earn money. Identify that person, and start to brainstorm ways to make that person’s experience better. For me, that person is a resident of the township I work for. For you they could be a customer, they could be a project manager, they could be your boss. The next time you are dealing with that person, try your hardest to treat them as if they were your closest friend.

You have a wealth of knowledge in you. You know the way to get things done in your world; imagine how remarkable you can be if you use all that knowledge to help the people you want to help. Where there is bureaucracy, show them the easiest way to cut through it. Where there is uncertainty, be a guide towards  the right course of action. If there is misinformation, correct it. If there is a wait, think of a way to speed up the process.

Fred would genuinely appreciate the 20 idea method espoused by Earl Nightingale when directed at this problem. Take 15 minutes today, and choose a problem that you see your customer’s dealing with on a regular basis. Write out the numbers one through twenty on a sheet of paper, and write out the problem in a concise statement at the top of the page. Now sit there and come up with twenty real solutions to that problem.

When you finished, determine which of those solutions are actionable now and take action. You will be glad you did. Remember that we all make a difference in the world. Some of us like to pretend that we aren’t making a difference, but really that means we are not making a positive difference in the world. If you are jaded, burnt out, or frustrated at work, remember the job you do matters and find ways that you can make the lives of others better. You will be glad you did.