The term virtual reality might seem ultra-modern in our technology-driven culture, but it’s not just about using computer software to create three-dimensional experiences that look, feel, and sound like the real thing. The roots of virtual reality, in fact, go back about 60 years to a team of “imagineers” who helped develop Disneyland.

When Disneyland opened in 1955, it transported visitors into a virtual world that they could see, feel, hear, touch, and taste. As the sign says at the entrance to the park, “Here You Leave Today, and Enter the World of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy.” The imagineers created something so distinctive that it transformed the theme park industry, and current imagineers continue to keep Disneyland on the cutting edge when it comes to creating value through virtual realities.

Cover via Amazon

The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland (Disney Editions, 2008) lists eight basic principles of imagineering, including what the imagineers call “plussing.” It was born from Walt Disney’s “penchant for always trying to make an idea better. Imagineers are continually trying to plus work, even after it’s ‘finished.’”

That’s exactly what we need to do with the value we create if we want to survive the storms that come our way and maintain the success we achieve. We have to continually innovate — improve our value — because status quo is a myth. Instead of settling for “best practice,” we have to strive for “next practices.” That includes the processes we use in our work and the distinctive value we create for the products and services we provide.

Value equals expectations plus education plus something extra, or V=E+E+SE. Disney creates value that’s filled with “something extras,” and its “best practices” are almost always ahead of those of its competition. It operates in the sphere of “next practices.”

When you look at your life — your work world and your personal world — as well as your organization, what is your something extra? What’s your distinctive?

This blog is based on content in my latest book, Up, Down, Or Sideways. It is available wherever you buy great books. Click here to learn more about the book or click here to order it from Amazon.com.

Truett Cathy, founder of Chick Fil A, tells of the trepidation the company felt in the early 1990′s from then new competitor Boston Market.

Image via Wikipedia

After raising $51.5 million in a 1993 IPO, Boston Market leadership announced plans to grow into a billion dollar company by 2000. That made Chick Fil A understandably nervous and leadership talked about ways to grow to fend off the looming threat.

Truett offered this winning strategy: “If we get better customers will demand we get bigger.”

After brainstorming product and service improvements, Chick Fil A aimed at earning increased growth rather than borrowing money to leverage expansion.

Fast forward to 2000: Boston Market (under a new name) was in bankruptcy and Chick Fil A hit $1 billion in sales.

Get better so customers will demand you get bigger. That’s a great way to grow.

“Ultimately motivation is an inside job, but there are many things we as leaders can do to help others become motivated.”

That’s Mark Sanborn’s take on motivation. He acknowledges that it is up to the individual to choose to be motivated but unlike some, he doesn’t think managers, leaders, parents and others are without influence when it comes to motivating others.

“In 24 years of professional speaking, I’ve never called myself a motivational speaker,” Sanborn explains. “Often my clients call me a motivational speaker because that is the single most used description of a keynote professional speaker like myself. Speaking 70 times each year to sales meetings, association and corporate events, well–many consider that motivational speaking.”

“My goal is to educate, first and foremost. I give audiences actionable ideas they can use to improve their businesses and lives. But here’s the key to increasing motivation: it isn’t enough for people to know what to to do and how to do it if they don’t have compelling reason why they should do it. The reasons why are the source of motivation.”

“One of the hardest jobs of leadership is getting to know employees and understand what motivates each individual. Generic lists aren’t very helpful when it comes to motivating specific people.”

“In customer service, service reps need to understand as much as they can about the needs and desires–the motivation–of those they’re assisting. Knowing what is important to each customer is key to empathizing with and serving them well.”

“Of course the implications for sales professionals are critically important. You can’t match features and benefits until you’ve uncovered buying motives.”

Sanborn’s work with over 2400 clients has given him a broad and often unorthodox perspective about what it takes to master motivation.

Mark is the president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea lab for leadership development.  Leadershipgurus.net lists Mark as one of the top 30 leadership experts in the world.

In addition to his experience leading at a local and national level, he has written or co-authored 8 books  and is the author of more than two dozen videos and audio training programs on leadership, change, teamwork and customer service. His book, You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader was a Wall Street Journal bestseller. In it, Mark explains how to create an army of lions where every employee knows two things: first, when is it appropriate to lead and second, how to do it.

He is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame (CPAE). Mark’s YouTube channel features videos recorded both live (in his keynote leadership presentations) and in studio that teach how to lead, or lead better. He also writes a leadership blog.

Mark’s book, The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary is an international bestseller and was on the New York Times, Business Week and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. His latest books include You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere Can Make a Positive Difference and The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do. His newest book, Up, Down or Sideways: How to Succeed When Times are Good, Bad or In Between was released in October 2011.

Mark is a past president of the National Speakers Association and winner of The Cavett, the highest honor bestowed by that organization. In 2007 Mark was awarded The Ambassador of Free Enterprise Award by Sales & Marketing Executives International. 

If you’re interested in taking your leadership to the next level, click here for a list of free resources.

Find more information about motivation, motivating others, leadership, customer service and remarkable performance at these websites:

www.youdontneedatitle.com

www.theencoreeffect.com

www.marksanborn.com/uds

“I don’t believe leadership makes a difference; I believe that leadership is the difference.”

Mark is the president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea lab for leadership development.  Leadershipgurus.net lists Mark as one of the top 30 leadership experts in the world.

In addition to his experience leading at a local and national level, he has written or co-authored 8 books  and is the author of more than two dozen videos and audio training programs on leadership, change, teamwork and customer service. His book, You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader was a Wall Street Journal bestseller. In it, Mark explains how to create an army of lions where every employee knows two things: first, when is it appropriate to lead and second, how to do it.

Mark believes all leaders, regardless of title, enrich and increase ROI: relationships, outcomes and improvements. He also believes that successful leadership doesn’t require the ability to predict what will happen in the future, but rather the clarify of what should be done now to ensure future success.

He has presented over 2400 speeches and seminars in every state and a dozen countries. Mark is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame (CPAE). Mark’s YouTube channel features videos recorded both live (in his keynote leadership presentations) and in studio that teach how to lead, or lead better. He also writes a leadership blog.

Mark’s book, The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary is an international bestseller and was on the New York Times, Business Week and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. His latest books include You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere Can Make a Positive Difference and The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do. His newest book, Up, Down or Sideways: How to Succeed When Times are Good, Bad or In Between was released in October 2011.

Mark is a past president of the National Speakers Association and winner of The Cavett, the highest honor bestowed by that organization. In 2007 Mark was awarded The Ambassador of Free Enterprise Award by Sales & Marketing Executives International. 

If you’re interested in taking your leadership to the next level, click here for a list of free resources.

Yesterday my new friend and fascination expert Sally Hogshead called me at precisely 11 a.m. for a scheduled conversation. I was impressed. More often than not, someone says they’ll call at 11 and the phone rings 5 or 10 minutes later. I was impressed by Sally’s professionalism.

“It makes me crazy,” I shared, “when I ask someone to call me back in literally 2 minutes knowing that I can take the call on a different line or phone then, and they call back 10 or 15 minutes later and I’m no longer available.”

Sally suggested that the meaning of literally seems to have morphed into something like “approximately” or “close to”. “We need a new word,” she said.

I suggested “literally squared.” (Yes, that appears to be two words, but there is no “squared” little 2 symbol on the iMac.)

To some of my more mellow readers, literally squared might seem like a case of being wound too tightly. While that might sometimes be the case, there is a serious aspect to this idea. We live in a world where precision often matters. From medicine to flying an airplane to engineering a structure, you don’t want to work in loose terms.

In a competitive environment for selling and serving customers, clients and shareholders, precision also matters. When we invest time and money, we don’t want vague promises like “I’ll get back to you” (when?), “we are focused on improving earnings” (what are you doing?) or “this will grow your business” (how much?). The more precise the promise and the performance, the more powerful the value proposition.

Whether or not we need a new concept like “literally squared” is debatable. I’m convinced, however, that we need to employ the power of precision.

Dave Marr is a Director at t2 Management Training. t2 offers advanced leadership training to managers of all types, from team leader to Director and CEO level. Dave and his team have worked with some of the biggest brands and household names in the UK, including the NHS (National Health Service), Lloyds Bank and the London Eye. In the following blog he shares a very simple but effective technique that will make you a better manager and leader.

How a Manager or Leader can Develop Effective Listening Skills – One Simple Technique that Always Improves Team Morale

When it comes to 360 appraisals, the most common complaint by staff is the feeling that their managers have not listened to them properly. 360 appraisals are an important factor in maintaining good staff morale and are especially significant when you are growing a business and want to keep it running smoothly. To perform effective appraisals, managers need to master the ability to listen. Here is a simple way to do so, to enhance the morale in any de-motivated teams.

Often, managers do not know how to effectively listen to staff members. Whilst a manager may believe that they are listening to their staff, the individual team members may not agree and will amplify the issue in their mind, convinced that the management is not interested in them. This of course leads to low morale and feelings of neglect within the workforce.

My team find this to be one of the most common issues in the workplace. Managers that come to us for advice often label their staff as troublemakers or negative individuals and then refuse to listen to those staff members, either by interrupting them when speaking of not concentrating during conversations and appraisals.

Each time this situation appears, we use the following exercise to overcome it.  Whilst this simple exercise originates in the world of stand up comedy, it transfers perfectly to the workplace.

When appraising staff, we challenge managers to begin their response with the last letter of the last word the employee says to them. This forces the manager to listen to everything that is said to them.

If the employee says something like “I am falling really far behind on this project. The information is impossible to find and the marketing department are not passing over the figures I am asking for. I cannot complete this project on time for the annual board meeting.”

Then the manager could respond with “Great. Let me start off by thanking you for bringing these issues to my attention. What do you need me to do to help you meet the project deadline?”

There are two very positive outcomes to this exercise:

1. As the manager is listening for the end of the statement, they are not cutting the employee off mid-sentence, so the entire message is heard.
2. The manager has to pause to think of a response that begins with the right letter. This tells the member of staff that the information is being processed and that what they have said is being respected and considered.

At t2 Management Training we frequently use this technique, having seen hundreds of managers achieve much stronger results and improve staff morale. It is very easy to remember, can be implemented into working practices immediately and means that communication in the workplace is greatly improved.

This morning I spent an inordinately long time in the drive through of my local quick service (often an oxymoron) restaurant. I was in a hurry. Aren’t most people who use the drive through? I don’t know if the SUV two ahead of me ordered breakfast for the 5th grade but I was trapped with cars behind me.

When I finally got to the window, I inquired: what was up with the delay?

The guy at the window mumbled something incomprehensible and responded with a tone of voice that suggested I had wished him a happy morning.

As I waited for my food I noticed the sign in the window–How are we doing?–with several ways to communicate that information to management. I considered whether or not to do so.

My frustration could have been greatly diminished with a simple phrase: “Sorry for the wait today.” It would have pre-empted my comment and instantly let me know the service providers were aware. It would have also suggested that long waits are an exception and not the rule.

Even if it had been given after I expressed concern, it would have been helpful.

So simple yet so often overlooked. Elton John was right: sorry seems the hardest word. And it is sad, so sad that service providers don’t use it appropriately more often.

What will you do differently today?

Will you replicate yesterday (not such a bad thing if you had a good day before) or will you do something differently?

To do the same things the same way every day time suggests two things:

First, it suggests we’re so good at what we do there is no way we could get better. You and I both know that isn’t true. No matter how good anyone becomes, there is always room for improvement. Nobody has to improve, but the opportunity to pursue improvement is one of life’s greatest adventures.

Secondly, it suggests we simply don’t want to change or get better. I accept that not everyone wants to improve in every or even any area of his or her life. That is a personal choice. But the happiest people I know are always looking for ways to improve their lot in life and to help others get more out of life as well.

Any program of improvement or change begins with the same simple question: what will you do differently today?

WWYDDT?

For years I’ve talked about an old client that reinvigorated their business by giving their electricians hand-held vacuum cleaners. The idea was simple: when you’re done with the job, clean up after yourself.

Clients called in thanking them not for getting the electrical done right–that was expected–but for not leaving a mess. It is a simple but powerful illustration of how little things make a big difference.

I finally got the shades installed in our new offices. A few are crooked and we’re asking the vendor to come back and straighten them out.

The crazy maker? Metal shavings and debris everywhere. I spent 20 minutes cleaning up after the installers.

So I’m not going to be calling the provider with any positive feedback or to express my appreciation. I’m just going to remember how important it is to pay attention to the details.

Don’t just do what is expected. Do the little extras that make the customer or client remember you in a positive way.

I don’t have the data to answer that question but I have two anecdotes that make me wonder:

A breakfast restaurant near my office opens at 7:00 a.m. The Panera Bread Company next door opens earlier and is always busy. When I tried the “later opening” restaurant recently, there were a dozen people milling around outside at 7:05. I knew with their late start and crowd of people the chances of getting in and out quickly were diminished so went elsewhere.

Is business so good there that they can afford to make customers wait?

A major hotel chain down the street from my office has a restaurant. I dropped by for a quick breakfast. There were two diners in the place when I was seated. I saw one waitperson wander slowly to a table, ask a question, then wander away. After reading the first section of my newspaper I decided the chances of getting coffee much less getting food were slim so I left. Interestingly, this was a hotel where we had planned to put up clients when they were in town.

My friend Robert Tucker recently told me he’s not seeing the  hustle that we both agree make individuals and companies successful. One thing about a recession: it certainly focuses your attention. Hustle, or initiative, must increase for survival.

Now that the economy seems to be improving, the hustle–at least in the service examples I experienced–seems to be decreasing.

What do you think?