What's really important?

One of the most peaceful places for me is to be at the beach.  I become very introverted and introspective and it is where I can truly clear my head of all the stresses in life.

Living in Texas, there is so much to do, however, due to my fears of jellyfish, rattlesnakes (yes at the beach I have seen warnings for them), sharks, etc. I tend to stay out of the water.  Up until 3 weeks ago, I had never been to Galveston Island.  Over the last three weeks, I have been there twice. 

The first time it was with the family for a baseball tournament that my son's were playing in.  The games were OK, they both played well, but the important piece was the bonding time we had.  My oldest son is a Senior in high school this year, while my youngest son is a Sophomore.  They are the best of friends, period.  After the tournament we went over to the sea wall and the boys decided they wanted to feel the water.  It was really cool to see them really spend some bonding time with each other aside from being at home or on the ball field.  Next year will be hard on both of them.

 

 

My second trip to Galveston was for a work conference.  Like I said earlier, I get very introspective at the beach and spent some time on one of the jetty's.  The picture at the top of this post is one that really focused me on our first visit.  The statue is a family holding on to one other, looking for guidance from a higher power.  WOW! 

 

It is easy to get so focused on the hustle and bustle of daily life, but all of us really need to take that me time to remember what is truly important in our lives. Take the time to seek guidance, but hold on to those values and beliefs that are most important.

 

Hope this isn't too deep a post.  Usually I draw inspiration for my posts from reading others posts or based upon what is happening in my daily hustle and bustle.  Unfortunately, I have been away from reading and writing for a couple of weeks, but while these thoughts were in my head, I felt it best to share them.

 

Regardless of your situation, you should never get too busy to get back to the basics.  The basics will vary for each of us, but when you do, you will feel so much better.

 

Hope you all have a great weekend!  Let me know what getting back to the basics looks like to you.

K.I.S.S.

Keep It Simple Stupid!  K.I.S.S.

Those who know me, know that I always have a sports analogy.  I will refer to the movie Bull Durham, again....

"Baseball is a simple game.  You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball.  Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains."  Those are the basics of the game.

As leaders we are always looking to increase productivity, heighten performance, and get the most with limited resources.  As a result, we tend to move away from the basics that have earned successes.  By using the KISS methodology, we typically will improve performance and productivity that is usually a sustained, not a band-aid improvement.

In my contact center, we have basic rules for the center that cover minimum expectations of employee conduct.  Aside from that, the expectations are simple, we answer the phone, or launch a call, we assist the customer to the best of our ability, and we provide resources for the customer.  It is simple.  The staff understands what the expectations are, as well as what the expectations are of our external customers.  K.I.S.S.

The focus of K.I.S.S. is not just on keeping things basic, but also focuses on culture.  In order for K.I.S.S to be successful, the culture of the organization needs to be focused on making things simpler, not more complex.  This starts from the initial interview and making sure that people that are hired into the organization, division, department, etc., share the same cultural beliefs. 

The culture of the organization needs to be customer focused.  At the end of the day, it is the customer experience that leads to organizational success, not if the organization is always adding bells and whistles that are not need.  If the organization loses touch with what the customer values, then the organization will lose customers.  Invest in keeping things simple for the front line staff, and everyone wins.  K.I.S.S.

Over the next month, take a look at the process and procedures within your organization.  Do they meet the K.I.S.S test?  If not, invest project time in simplifying them.  Your staff will be happier which will lead to improved customer satisfaction.

Remember - Keep It Simple Stupid!