Experience is a Choice Every Leader Makes

We all have a choice. In fact, your choices will determine nearly all of your outcomes. I have written about it before. It was the first article I posted. The choices we make, the attitudes we define for ourselves go a long way in determining what those around us experience. This is a significant part of customer service and the feelings customers have about our business. Positive intent, positive attitude, and a choice to serve will equate to a happy customer.

A story was recently shared with me from someone that took notice of a sandwich shop owner and the difference he chose to make. It made me think — doesn't every leader have this same choice — every day?

Subject: Transforming a sandwich shop — we can do the same.

I walked into a sandwich shop late one afternoon this week and the manager greeted me and thanked me for coming in. He then showed me all of the breads they had baked in the morning, the cookies they had made, the different cheeses for the day, and the different meat preparations. The folks who had baked the bread came out and explained to me how they had made the bread and the person who baked the cookies described all of the ingredients. The manager then told me what he thought the best sandwiches were with different combinations of toppings. I happily bought extra of everything and went outside and ate. I came back in to thank him for creating such a nice break in my day, but he was busy welcoming another guest and inviting her to enjoy herself. He and his people had transformed that sandwich shop into an oasis in the middle of a pandemic. Every person left with a smile on their face. All things are possible when you enjoy what you do, when you enjoy the people you do it with, and you enjoy the people you serve.

“Enjoy” is a word full of profound meaning. It means to be “filled with joy” and it came from the Latin word for “rejoice.” Said differently, to enjoy something is “to rejoice in the activity.” The people in that sandwich shop rejoiced in their every activity and it was contagious. As I watched, it was clear it all began with the manager, and he filled others with that same joy, they all “enjoyed” their work, each other, and their customers.

Do we fill our stores with joy? Can we say that our people enjoy their work, that they enjoy the people they work with, and they enjoy serving their customers? If we can answer “yes” to these questions we will have created a place that will flourish regardless of what is happening in the world because everybody loves to come to an oasis.

Let’s start by welcoming everybody today and thinking about how we can help them enjoy their work. What makes any of us enjoy our work? When we are welcomed, when we are respected, when we are appreciated, when we are challenged, when we improve, when we reach our goals, when we are recognized, and when we are thanked. This is the culture that animates the human spirit to excel-to go as far as we can with all that we have!

Let’s make this a day that when it ends, we can all say, we enjoyed it! Have a great day!

I love the challenge presented by the person sharing this, “Do we fill our stores with joy?” Even in the midst of a global pandemic, there are examples of people choosing to do just that. They look past the broader landscape and concentrate on the piece they can control. Then, they do something about it. Whether it is explaining how the bread was made or the cookies' ingredients, we all have the opportunity to connect differently with those we serve. A smile that reaches the eyes, a little extra time providing additional details about a product, or some time to get to know someone can make a simple errand turn into an extraordinary experience.

This is not easy, otherwise, we would see it more often. That is what makes these examples stand out. But even that we have the ability to change. We can make what seems utopian today the norm and find new ways to raise the bar. Those that push the limits are the ones setting the pace for what is on the horizon. Companies that can move from single experiences to cultural expectations are the ones that will thrive in any situation. We all have a choice. The question remains, ‘what will you choose to do to create exceptional experiences for your customers?’

ENJOY your day!

What attitude do you choose for today? How will that translate to others around you?

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