Dragons and tigers… oh my!
A small secret, only known to a few hundred people, is that I am a fan of tattoos. Which means I have several..well make that many. It started about 25+ years ago when I was looking for something to remind me each day of the challenge that I had taken on some time before that. That challenge was that I would MAKE A DIFFERENCE for someone, in some way, every day! That commitment to my focus manifested itself in the form of a very colorful dragon on my right calf. It seems that I was also born in the year of the dragon and that mystical beast represents a part of the circle of the balance of power within ourselves. Above that dragon are the bold and colorful words… MAKE A DIFFERENCE. This is meant to act as a reminder to me and to invoke dialog with others. In the YinYang balance of life, the dragon is seen to represent the spiritual part of things while its counterpart is the tiger that represents the earthly part. So as time has marched on I now have 3 dragons on my right leg and 3 tigers on my left leg. From that perspective I am balanced.
Way too much about me…. Just setting the picture. It’s MAKE A DIFFERENCE that we need to dig into. We have talked about this many times over the years and the obvious reality is that this critical element of human engagement is needed more now than ever, and appreciated more now than ever. The daily negative stress of the business engagement in today’s world is driving many to new levels of frustration and pullback from client engagement. Understandably as the outward styles deployed, knowingly or unknowingly, by many in the vice of “problems” are confrontational and threatening. The position that their own leadership team puts them in is at the root of this disfunction. And it’s hard to alter as those methods HAD been successful for a few decades. THEY ARE NOT NOW!
New times… new thoughts… new actions!
The thought that precedes the action needs to alter. While we are deep into the tactical part of a client engagement and things look bleak, we have to step back and ask the question behind the question. What can we do with this client to help them MAKE A DIFFERENCE for THEIR client! Step away from the delivery problem, technical issue, or price discussion, and put yourself in their personal shoes and ASK them…” beyond this issue that we will continue to work on, what can we do TOGETHER that will make a difference to the clients that you serve”. Now in reality these may be internal clients or external clients. BOTH are critical.
Think that thought, you ARE in control of your own mind! Then use those words and ask that question. Be bold, CARE to be different so that you will find a way to MAKE A DIFFERENCE with the person that you are working so deeply with.
An interesting side perspective of all this is that when you are helping others you will find that you feel better yourself. Doing good for others does good for everyone!
We MAKE A DIFFERENCE because we…
CARE greatly,
UNDERSTAND deeply,
SERVE endlessly, with
PURPOSE!
Take time each day, on every call, with every conversation, to look for that chance, that opening, that door that will help you help others. It is a very magical entryway.
OK, LET’S ROLL!
Mitch
