StairMaster

StairMaster

How often do you have a point of view, a goal, a mission, or feel passionately about a topic or a decision/change that needs to be made…but your friends, boss, staff, Guests, customers, clients, partners, students, or teams don’t necessarily agree.  You probably have two or three scenarios in mind right now, as we speak.  I do too.

I believe life is a sales call (a blog post, speech, and/or book I’ll write at a later date and time).  No matter what our occupation or role in an organization, whether we’re leaders of people, teachers of students, coaches of teams, salespeople charged with moving products, or members of teams on the front lines…a “sale” is made with every conversation, interaction, and transaction. 

Something is sold…thoughts, concepts, a task that needs to be accomplished, an initiative that needs to be completed, or reasons for a desired action are laid out…whatever the case may be…more often than not, with every conversation, something is sold.  Whether others actually “buy” what is being “sold” is another story.

OneMoreStep thought for this week – When others don’t “buy-in” and agree with us, no matter what the context – at work, in a relationship, or with family and friends – meet them where they are…become a StairMaster. 

Here we go…here’s what I mean by StairMaster:

Think of those one or two scenarios you have in mind right now…the ones where you feel passionately about something, and others – your staff, your spouse, your boy/girlfriend, your teammates, your students, or your partners – simply do not agree with you.  Now picture a staircase…you are at the top, having bought in and believe with 100% conviction all the reasons why your way is absolutely the correct way, but they (whomever they are) are somewhere between the top of that staircase and all the way at the bottom step.  Your goal…somehow get them to the top of that staircase…become a StairMaster.

				Advocate
			Agree
		Curious, not Sold
	On the Fence
Disagree

I believe that in order to be a great leader, one must have a certain level of salesmanship…by the same token, in order to be a great salesperson; one must embody significant leadership traits.  In short, great leaders sell and great salespeople lead.

When faced with circumstances in which their teams or clients are not on the same page, or not on the same step in the “staircase”…mediocre and bad leaders and salespeople try to drag others up the steps.  They immediately go right to the pitch…they begin preaching rather than teaching…they push rather than pull…they don’t seek to understand before seeking to be understood.  They drag their teams, partners, clients, and/or students up the steps; not effective, nor is it productive.  More often than not, this results in pushing team members, clients, and Guests further and further away…making it virtually impossible to reach a mutually beneficial, desired outcome.

Don't drag them...meet them where they are & walk up TOGETHER

Great leaders and salespeople do the opposite…they meet people where they are on the steps, engage, ask questions, and seek to understand more about why they feel the way they do…once they’ve met others where they are, they steer the conversation in such a way that allows the two of them to walk back up the steps, one-by-one…TOGETHER, often times finding a mutually beneficial resolution to whatever issue, problem, or task is at hand.   

Partnership…this should be the goal of every relationship at work, at home, with friends, and/or with family.

Meeting people where they are builds respect, credibility, and trust in any given relationship…and leads to that desired level of true partnership for which we are all striving.  The reality is…many times in order to effectively sell teams, clients, students, or partners on certain ideas or directions “we” should go…it takes a perpetual, on going, consistent process of backing down the “steps”, meeting folks where they are, and then walking back up together.  They may buy-in part of the way, but in order to get them to the next step, we must go back down and meet them again on another topic or issue, to then bring them back up the steps…ultimately taking them from the bottom step – Disagree to the top step – Advocate.

The great ones go OneMoreStep…and back down the staircase, find common ground, and gradually, OneMoreStep by OneMoreStep walk back up the staircase together, having arrived at a mutually beneficial outcome – they’re StairMasters.

Next time you find yourself alone on the top step of the staircase, try taking a few steps back down…meet people where they are, ask them questions with OneMoreStep language such as “say more about that”…”interesting take, what makes you feel that way?”…”how would you feel if…”…”what can I do to make you more comfortable or willing to try XYZ approach…”

Pretty soon you’ll have stronger relationships, more sales, committed staff, trusting partners, and not to mention - people lined up to work with and for you…you’ll be a StairMaster.

Examples of great StairMasters for the road:

·        Bob Iger & Steve Jobs – within months of taking over for Michael Eisner as the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger came in and through what I’m sure were several trips back down the steps and right back up, was able to reach a mutually beneficial deal, which allowed Disney to buy Pixar for $7.4 Billion.  This was a deal that Michael Eisner and Pixar were unable to complete…I’d be willing to bet that Bob Iger was a better StairMaster and as a result, the company has Disney*Pixar films, merchandise, top line revenues, bottom line profits, new found value and synergy with attractions in theme parks, and of course millions of magical moments, smiles, and raving Disney fans.

·        Phil Jackson – As head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson dealt with two of the biggest superstars in the history of the NBA…and their egos. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were at odds with one another for most of their tenure together as Lakers.  Phil not only remained steadfast and focused on his strategy, he met both Kobe and Shaq where they were, and showed both of them how the Triangle Offense (made popular in earlier years with the Chicago Bulls as Michael Jordan lead them to six titles) would indeed lead to both of them sharing the glory, scoring points, making the highlight reels, and ultimately propelling the Lakers back to the top of the mountain. 

Phil led that Lakers team to three consecutive NBA Championships with Kobe and Shaq hating one another, yet finally respecting each other’s talents on the court.  Phil later led the Lakers to two more NBA titles, making him one of the most successful coaches in NBA history with 11 total championships (5 with the Lakers and 6 with the Bulls).

When you think you've done quite enough to appease your staff, your students, your team, or your clients...go OneMoreStep...think StairMaster and meet them where they are.  Then walk back up the steps with them.  You will win...They will win...and it will be because you went One...More...Step...

When StairMasters are at play, that's when Housekeeping finally gets along with Front Desk, Servers finally get along with Hosts & Hostesses, Purchasing finally gets along with Receiving, Principals finally gain respect of Teachers, Sales finally respects and understands Operations, and Finance finally gets along with Marketing...

Set egos aside...become a StairMASTER.

Have a great day.

Taylor

86,400 seconds in a day...

We have 86,400 seconds in each day…                       

What are you doing with yours?

Many books have been written…blog entries posted…and speeches delivered around the concept that we have 86,400 seconds in each day.  Add this one to the list.  It’s a concept that if taken to heart and acted upon, we will absolutely positively become more productive, make an impact, and begin to enjoy a more fulfilling life.

It’s approaching the early evening time here in the Vegas valley on a Monday night.  Back on the east coast they’re winding down, another day in the books.  Whenever it is…and wherever you are physically or mentally, as you’re reading this post, time is just passing right along…tick…tick…tick.  When you go to bed tonight, will you be satisfied with what you accomplished today? 

Will you feel good about yourself, what you contributed, what you learned, or what you did?  Did you inspire anybody today?  Did you motivate somebody to push him or herself to perform to their full potential?  How about magic?  Did you create magic for someone or something today? 

How about that special person or people in your life…the ones that you can’t go through an entire day without thinking about…the ones that without their love, support, or assistance you couldn’t pull it off…did you tell them how much you appreciate them?  Did you recognize them?  Did you encourage them?

You get the picture…we have 86,400 seconds per day.  Period.  That’s it.  No more.  How we use them and/or choose to spend these precious seconds, minutes, hours, and days is up to us.  It’s like a bank account of 86,400 seconds that gets wiped to zero each night.  What we don’t use, we lose.  Sure it starts over at 86,400 the next day, but yesterday is over.  We had one shot at it.  Now today is here…what will we do with it?

Strive to maximize each and every day.  Sure some days we feel the magic and other days we just don’t.  However, every day is a gift.  It may not seem like it sometimes, especially when we’re dealt unfortunate circumstances.  The choice is ours.  It’s up to us how we handle the difficult times and how we manage the peaks.

·      How smart would we be if we utilized some of those 86,400 seconds to read, write, and/or learn something new each day? 

·      How much better would we look and feel if we took advantage of some of those 86,400 seconds to workout, run, walk, and/or eat healthy foods.

·      What would it mean to those we love, respect, and appreciate if some of those 86,400 seconds were set aside to tell them and show them just how much we love, respect, and appreciate them?

·      How much of an impact would we make at work if we went in every morning focused, dedicated, and determined to be as productive as humanly possible today…everyday?

How are you using your 86,400 seconds?

Go OneMoreStep in everything you do…make all 86,400 seconds count…

“Make each day your masterpiece…” – John Wooden

Have a great day.

Taylor

FRED Friday...Meet Captain Melanie

FRED Friday…Meet Captain Melanie

Model...Leader...FRED...Captain Melanie

We recently ran a promotion at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas for which we hired promotional models.  Since my team at the Cosmopolitan leads and manages the execution of our casino and hotel promotions, the models joined our team for the week.   

So…I welcomed and worked with these 12 beautiful young ladies for seven straight days…there are worse things in life…I enjoyed working with all of them.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when all of them first arrived.  Would they be nice?  Would they be cool?  Would they be willing to go OneMoreStep if/when the opportunity presented itself?  Would guests like them?  Yes…on all counts.

On day one of the promotion, our partner at the modeling agency sent me an email with a list of the ladies that would be joining us, and in her email she mentioned that Melanie would be the “captain” among the group.  I liked that idea…so when I met the girls for the first time, of course I immediately coined a nickname for Melanie.  For the remainder of the week, I referred to her affectionately as Captain Melanie.  She lived up to her name…

Melanie established herself as a leader among the group right away.  She immediately took it up on herself to work out the breaks for the girls, making sure everyone got an equal amount of time off the floor.  She went OneMoreStep, created a break sheet with the times that each model would go on break, took a quick picture of the list, and then proceeded to text message the picture of the list to all of the girls…and me…so everyone would be on the same page.  I didn’t ask her to do this…she did it anyway.

As one may expect in the ever-changing, dynamic hospitality business, often decisions are made and things change on a dime…and the need for timely and clear communication among teams becomes paramount.  For this particular promotion, we had the models spread out, posted up in different locations across the property.  Sure enough, throughout the week we made adjustments and changes.  Every single time we made a change Melanie stepped up and took it upon herself to make sure each of her fellow promotional models knew and understood the new direction or change.  She made sure she had each of the ladies’ cell phone numbers so she could reach all of them quickly and efficiently.  I didn’t ask her to do this…she did it anyway.

We issued a Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas shirt and a pair of black shorts to each of the models that worked with us.  As the week progressed some girls were scheduled with us consistently each day while others were not.  So managing the uniforms became a bit unwieldy.  Melanie took it upon herself to make sure that all uniforms were clean for new models arriving the following day.  One night this week, despite working a 12-hour shift for us as a promotional model followed by working another event across town, she stayed up until 4am washing and drying multiple uniforms so that when new girls reported to work with us the following day, their uniform would be clean and fresh.  I didn’t ask her to do this…she did it anyway.

The next to last day of the promotion, Captain Melanie was unable to work with us because she was already booked for another engagement.  We experienced a few communication breakdowns that day…nobody’s fault…just some operational issues.  Things happen.  When Melanie spoke with her booking agency that evening she asked how “things at the Cosmopolitan went today.”  Upon finding out the challenges we encountered, she felt bad that she wasn’t there to help.  She sent me a text message, concerned about a couple of the breakdowns.  She had taken so much ownership in the program, her role as a leader among the group, and pride in making sure everything was taken care of that she felt compelled to apologize to me.  She cared.  I thought that was very, very cool. 

We hired Melanie to be one of the promotional models that would bring this week’s casino promotion to life with our Guests.  In reality, we were blessed with a conscientious, focused leader that went OneMoreStep on a regular basis.  

She created value for our Guests, her fellow promo models, our Identity Membership team, our hotel, and certainly for me. She took an ordinary modeling gig and turned it into an opportunity to truly be extraordinary.  She was interested in how she could do MORE, how she could help, and how she could be of service.  She was just one of those people that makes things better.  A LINCHPIN…A LEADER…A FRED.

One of her texts to me in response to a favor I had asked read, “no problem, sir…your wish is my command…consider it done.”   What a FRED.

Thanks to Melanie and all of our new friends that joined us for this week’s promotion.  I certainly enjoyed working with you, and I appreciated your willingness to support and represent our beloved Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas brand.

Have a great day.

Taylor

(Wondering what I mean by a FRED?  My favorite book, The Fred Factor, written by Mark Sanborn, tells the story of how an ordinary man, in an ordinary job as a postman goes OneMoreStep after OneMoreStep to make magic for his customers.  See the explanation of what I mean when I say "a FRED" on the original FRED Friday post http://goonemorestep.blogspot.com/2011/03/fred-friday.html)  

Related posts...Meet other FREDS:

FRED Friday...meet Paul from U-Haul 

FRED Friday...Meet Van... 

FRED Friday...Meet Jennifer Le

FRED Friday...my Brighton experience 

FRED Friday...tech MAGIC 

FRED Friday...Lou saved the day

 

 

 

I wanted to be like him

I wanted to be like him

From the time I was a baby, I wanted to be like him

In more ways than one, I consider myself a very lucky young man…for many reasons.  God has and continues to bless me with wonderful family, friends, education, and career opportunities.   

The longer I live, the more people I meet, and the more places I go…I realize how lucky I am to have a loving father like my dad, Mr. W. Jeffrey Scott.

From the time I was a little redheaded fella running around the house, playgrounds, basketball courts, and Sunday School classrooms, I’ve wanted to be like my dad.

OneMoreStep topic for this week, in the spirit of Father’s Day – why I’ve always wanted to be like him…my dad.

He works hard…

Pops...dapper even as a little fella

My dad grew up on Malone Lane, in Grayson, KY, a small town of a few thousand people.  He loved the game of basketball (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree), baseball, and American History. 

Sports

Growing up I heard countless stories of how hard my dad worked at the game of basketball.  He practiced hard every single day.  He played hard in practice every single day in high school, but his Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior year he never saw much playing time.   

He didn’t quit. He didn’t give up.  He kept on keeping on, working on his shooting, passing, ball handling, and he even kept a basketball in the backseat of his car his Junior and Senior year…just in case he ran into somebody that wanted to play. 

Though he saw very little Varsity action the first three years of his high school career, by the time his Senior year rolled around, he was one of the best shooters in eastern Kentucky High School Basketball, averaging nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.  He even hit a game winning shot his Senior year against rival West Carter High School to propel the East Carter Raiders to victory in the District Tournament in 1973.  I never got tired of hearing about these stories.  They inspired me to work hard on my game growing up…I wanted to be like him.

Career

My dad knew he wanted to be a lawyer at a relatively young age.  So his college years, he admits, were just “in the way”, as he couldn’t wait to get to law school.  My dad, the son of a math teacher and a local barber, had so much passion for American History, world events, government, and for defending and protecting the American Dream…he worked hard to complete college in three years, to reach his goal of making it to law school.  

W. Jeffrey Scott, Attorney at Law - Headquarters

My dad not only made it to and graduated from Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase School of Law, he began his career as an attorney at the age of 23 with a law firm, a few years later became a partner in that firm, a few years after that he branched out on his own, creating a legal brand, if you will – W. Jeffrey Scott, Attorney at Law, P.S.C. 

He now has his own office, with his own logos, and staff (some of which have been with him for over 20 years and are as much a part of our family as my sister and I are).  The name W. Jeffrey Scott, in the legal community in the Commonwealth of Kentucky is synonymous with words like quality, class-act, professional, caring, service-oriented, and the best. 

Logo + Palm Trees...says it all

He has created his brand, his service, and his gift to thousands of folks in need of legal advice and services through old fashioned hard work.  Growing up, my dad would always be at the dinner table with us, eating as a family everyday after school.  On weekends he was on the sidelines of every soccer game and little league baseball game.   

As my sister and I grew older, he was at every…single…literally…every…single basketball game (and trust me there were plenty).  Yet he would always go to the office late at night, after dinner was over…after the ball games were over…he would go back down to the office and put in extra hours researching, preparing, writing, and working.  Hard work.  No shortcuts.  I wanted to be like him.

He plays harder…

Last summer...little hot tub time with dad

As hard as my dad has worked, and as many hours as he still puts into making legal services magic for thousands of people in eastern Kentucky, he finds time to play.  Nobody loves vacation, summertime, baseball games, basketball games, concerts, pool parties, and a nice cocktail more than my dad.  Growing up he found the money and time (I’m pretty sure that many times he didn’t have either, but he did it anyway) to take all of us to Walt Disney World every year. 

He found the time to take us to Cincinnati for long weekends, where we took in Cincinnati Reds baseball games, staying in what used to be my favorite, the “corner room at the Westin”, in downtown Cincinnati.  

CaliFlorida...in the heart of eastern Kentucky

He found time and money to not only build a pool in our backyard, but to make it into what felt like…and still feels like a tropical paradise – I call it CaliFlorida, as the motif is literally a cross between California and Florida.  In the summer, most evenings, my dad can be found out by his pool, reading the paper with a cold beverage in an adirondack chair.   

On the weekends, when he’s not visiting me in Las Vegas, in Orlando at Walt Disney World, or taking my mom to see a show and to a nice dinner, he is usually out by the pool entertaining Guests; making them concoctions, grilling steaks, and being the life of the party.  He plays hard.  He always has.  I’d watch him growing up…listen to his stories…take notes of all of the things he gave us – from vacations, to bikes, to cars, to our own basketball court, to learning opportunities, to just old fashioned great times which make for magical memories to this day.  I wanted to be like him.

Passions...at arms length from my couch

This past week, I found myself coming home from a long…very long…day’s work at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.  I sat on my bed and looked around my apartment.  I had a little moment to myself.  With a bookshelf full of leadership books, a coffee table with more leadership books on it as well as Conde Nast magazines, Hotelie magazines, and a hotel school degree on the wall…

I thought about my passions – hotels, leadership, and making a positive impact on people’s lives.  I thought about not only how hard I’m working, but also all of the fun and exciting things I get to do in Las Vegas when my buddies and family come into town. 

I tried to be like him

I thought about my dad…his passion is to make a positive impact in the lives of people who need it, and he does that every single day as their lawyer.  He also loves Las Vegas, a nice dinner, a great live band, and/or a fun night out on the town.  Here I am, blessed to be able to work in a world class hotel, in a city with the greatest hotels in the world, with a platform to inspire, lead, motivate, and create magic for people as my job…while squeezing in a few hours this week to enjoy Las Vegas with some of my best friends that will be visiting. 

I’m working hard…I’m playing hard…I strive to make a positive impact in people’s lives everyday.  I’M JUST LIKE MY DAD.

Great day at the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby with Dad

I love you, Dad.  Happy Father’s Day.

See you real soon…

Have a great day.

Taylor






Related Post:

Lessons From Mom...

D-Day...Reflection & Perspective

D-Day…Reflection & Perspective

General Dwight D. Eisenhower

June 6^th, 1944…

Normandy coast of France…Operation Overlord…Dwight D. Eisenhower…D-Day. 

I’ve been thinking about what happened on D-Day...67 years ago today; Dwight D. Eisenhower lead 195,700 soldiers, sailors, and airmen in the Allied Expeditionary Force in one of the largest invasions in world history.  We can infer, from historical accounts of this epic event, OneMoreStep concepts, and we can also gain some interesting perspective as well.

Courage

No doubt it took tremendous courage for the tens of thousands who fought for the Allied Expeditionary Force to take on the mighty military forces of Nazi Germany.   What a sacrifice…risking their own lives so that millions could live in a free world.  The task at hand undoubtedly seemed insurmountable, impossible, and down right scary.  Allied troops dug in, reached deep down, and were courageous in their efforts. 

Sometimes we’re asked to do things that seem impossible.  Fear often holds us back – fear of failure; fear of rejection; fear of getting hurt.  If we do what we’ve always done, we’ll get what we’ve always gotten.  So if we want to make a difference, make an impact, or make magic for someone or something – we should be courageous.  We should reach inside…dig deep…be fearful, but let our courage be the driving force that allows us to do it anyway. 

Devotion to Duty

Nazi Germany…the Third Reich, represented all that was evil in the modern world.  During those times, Hitler persecuted and killed millions, showing no signs of mercy.  When General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the Allied Forces to duty; all 195,700 of them called upon to execute Operation Overlord, in what would eventually become known as the largest amphibious invasion in world history, many soldiers probably questioned the decision. 

Whether they did it publicly, privately, or to themselves; statistically speaking, with that many people involved, several individuals likely doubted the decision and questioned its effectiveness. 

The OneMoreStep takeaway here – though they had doubts, they remained devoted to their duty to follow orders, serve, and lead each other into battle…mainly because the General made a decision, gave direction, and set clear expectations.  Their job was to execute on the general’s plan.

So when we doubt a decision that has been made, or when we question the direction our senior leadership has decided to take the organization…we should stay devoted to our duty.  Sure, if we feel strongly about something, we can voice our concerns.  We can make our suggestions, as long as we do it in a professional, constructive, and respectful manner.  However, if the final decision or direction goes against how we feel about the situation, we should go OneMoreStep…mentally…and stay devoted to the cause.   Sometimes part of being a great leader is the ability to follow…respectfully.

We should stay devoted to our leaders and organizations.  Until we’re the boss; until we’re the Directors, Vice Presidents, CEOs, or Generals it’s our duty to follow direction and support our leaders’ decisions with OneMoreStep after OneMoreStep…doing our best to execute on their plan.  When we’re the bosses, it will be our job to make the decisions.  Until then, we support, serve, and execute.

D-Day puts things in PERSPECTIVE

When we think about what tens of thousands of people in the Allied Forces went through, the lives that were lost, and the magnitude of what was at stake…it puts things in perspective for us.  We often find ourselves in the “heat of battle”, with what seems like D-Day upon us in our daily routines at work or in our own lives.  We have the big project, the unrealistic expectations from our bosses, and the crucial conversations with teammates, staff, leaders, guests, and customers…all of which stress us out, keep us up at night, and cause anxiety to the Nth degree.  But is it worth it?  Is it really necessary to take it that seriously?

Put it in perspective…look at the big picture.  Are we saving babies?  Are we saving lives?  Have any women or children been killed?  Are we taking on the mighty Axis Powers of Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan?  Unless you’re in the armed forces, on the front lines of freedom like my college buddy, Rick Frank (stationed in South Korea)…put it in perspective.  We can be passionate about our work, our performance, and the experience we ultimately create for others without making it into a life and death situation.    

We should do our best, performing our roles, executing on our deliverables to the absolute best of our abilities.  We should do what we can to influence, lead, and inspire others to reach their full potential.  We should serve others with love as often and as much as we possibly can. 

Even if we do all of this…even when we know we’ve done our absolute best and desired results are still not achieved, chances are - good things will have happened anyway.  When we consistently focus on doing our best, rather than being perfect we usually make a difference that matters to organizations and the people in them.  We make a real impact on the bottom line, we inspire individuals, and we make lasting working and personal relationships that ultimately become the true spice of life.

One for the road…

Great leaders are courageous enough to take chances, and when they do, they make important decisions…the OneMoreStep – they take full responsibility for their decisions.   When Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his speech to the members of the Allied Expeditionary Force prior to battle, in his pocket was a statement to be used if his plan to invade the beaches of Normandy failed.  He was prepared to take full responsibility for the outcome of his decision…good or bad.  He may have been fearful, but he was courageous in his ability to lead, inspire, and ultimately become victorious. 

That is leading.  That epitomizes -  when you think you’ve done enough…go OneMoreStep.

God bless the soldiers, sailors, and airmen that stormed the coast of France 67 years ago.  Some are still with us.  Some have passed on.  Thanks to their courage and devotion to duty, you and I enjoy our freedom.

Click here to hear Dwight D. Eisnenhower’s message sent just prior to invasion - http://www.army.mil/d-day/message.html

Have a great day.

Taylor

FRED Friday...Lou saved the day

FRED Friday…Lou saved the day

Thanks Lou...you saved the day

Last week I had an unforeseen mishap involving my car on the way to work.  The Black Pearl, as I’ve called her for nearly 10 years, is a 2002 Toyota Camry – black in color.   

God Bless her…she’s taken me from A to B in Orlando, Ithaca, Las Vegas, Miami, back to Orlando, and now back in Las Vegas once again.  She’s solid…however last week, when I stopped at 7-Eleven to get gas on the way into work, THE CAR BATTERY DIED.

I was fired up to get into work.  It was one of those days for which I was very prepared…I had my list already made in my notebook.  I had it all planned out.  I knew exactly what I needed to accomplish.  I knew exactly who I needed to meet with one on one.  I was ready to discuss some specific topics with the appropriate Vice Presidents in a few meetings.  It was just one of those days…I couldn’t wait to get into work and highlight things off my list one…by…one.

And then…after filling up my tank with gas at 7-Eleven…the Black Pearl would not start.  Totally dead…nada…zip…dunzo.  The battery was totally dead.

I had a minor freak out moment for about a minute and a half, but quickly got into problem solving mode.  Remembering that I had jumper cables in my trunk, I walked across the gas station parking lot in search of someone I could talk into giving me a jump…I actually thought to myself, “hopefully I find a FRED…”

Found one…I met Lou

A very down to business and seemingly focused gentleman in a uniform was walking with purpose toward what appeared to be a bar/restaurant adjacent to the gas station.  I said hello, introduced myself, told him my predicament, and asked him if he would give me a jump.  He was hesitant at first, but loosened up quickly as I explained my situation.  I said, “my name’s Taylor…by the way…what’s your name?”

With a thoughtful look on his face he kindly responded, “I’m Lou…I do have a meeting right at 8:00am with the owner of this place, but let’s make sure they aren’t waiting on me first, and then I’ll see if I can give you a jump.”

Lou works for Gaming Technology Group, an organization that happened to be assisting with the installation of brand new slot machines at the bar/restaurant adjacent to the 7-Eleven.  We walked inside together, took a quick look around…nobody was waiting.  So I was in luck; Lou to the rescue.

Lou quickly pulled his truck over near my car at the gas pump, popped my hood for me as if his occupation was “Personal Auto Mechanic” to Taylor Scott rather than a Slot Machine Technician for Gaming Technology Group.  He lead me through the entire process...”here…let me have the cables…I’ll do it for you,” he said.  Within 30 seconds Lou had my car connected to his truck with the jumper cables and told me to give the ignition a try.  I turned the key, and she fired right up…the Black Pearl was BACK in ACTION!

Unhooking the jumper cables, shutting my hood for me, Lou pulled me over to the side of his truck as if we’d been friends for years.  He asked me how long I’d been in Las Vegas, and when I told him just over seven months he gave me a quick lesson.  He spent the next five minutes telling me that car batteries really don’t last very long out here because it’s so dry. 

I asked him more about his job and his company.  He asked me more about where I work and what I do at the Cosmopolitan.  When we realized that we both dealt with loyalty marketing programs in the gaming industry we chatted for another five minutes.  The whole time I’m thinking to myself, “I wonder what I would have done if Lou hadn’t been going to a meeting here.”

Lou didn’t know me from Adam.  He had business of his own to take care of, and he had things to check off of his own list…yet he took time out of his morning to help me resolve my predicament.  As a result, I was still able to get to work early…like I had planned.  I was able to accomplish several ToDo’s prior to my morning meeting…like I had planned.  I was able to crush through my day, highlighting items off of my list…just like I had planned. 

I knew Lou was a Fred from the word go…so I was waiting for the right opportunity to take his picture.  When I asked him if I could take a quick pic, he said, “ah…are you sure, I don’t really look too good.”  I beg to differ, Lou.  You’re a beautiful human being that cares about people, and I certainly appreciate what you did.  You truly saved the day for me.

In The Fred Factor, Mark Sanborn shares what he found out when he asked Fred Shea…the actual Fred the Postman, what motivates him to be a Fred.  The first thing on Fred’s list is:

·      Do good and feel good: “I have to feel good about myself each day, and the satisfaction of taking care of people helps me do that.” – Fred Shea…THE real Fred.

Feeling overwhelmed?  Work killing you?  In a slump?  Think about who needs help and who’s dealing with a predicament of their own.  Find ways to “take care of people”…and who knows, you just might save the day like Lou saved mine.

Have a great day.

Taylor

What is FRED Friday?  See what it's all about on the original - click here - FRED Friday 

If you have a FRED story that you would like to share with the OneMoreStepRevolution community, email me and/or share it on the OneMoreStepRevolution Facebook page.

Let 'em know you were there

Let ‘em know you were there

My good friend, Brady Sadler (we interned together at the Mothership several years ago), coined this phrase in the context of leaving a nice tip for a bartender, server, housekeeper, bellman, or valet attendant.   

We always used to say, “let’s let em know we were here” when it came time to pay the bill and leave the tip…we still do.

We can apply the same concept in our daily routines at work, at home, our social life, and anytime we interact with others.  OneMoreStep thought for this week: Let ‘em know you were there…in a good way.

What will they say about us when we’re gone?  How will we be remembered?  When we walk out of the room, will people be relieved or will they be left wanting more of whatever we have to offer?  Will they smile or frown?  Will they be in a better mood or annoyed?

Leave ‘em feeling great

When we’re talking to people…a friend, coworker, student, or a boss…rather than merely going through the motions to just get through the conversation, we should go OneMoreStep, and actively aim to make them feel great.  What if we actively sought out ways to genuinely make the other person feel great about him or herself, an opportunity for growth, or maybe just life in general?  Think of the impact.  What a great way to touch people and let ‘em know you were there.

Leave ‘em with a smile

Work gets to be a grind.  Life gets tedious.  Relationship ups and downs take their toll on people.  Finances get stressful.  Everybody deals with burdens…so everybody could use a smile here and there.  I’ve never heard anyone say that they wish they could smile less.  Have you?  So in our everyday routines, why not take ordinary interactions and turn them into genuine connections.  We should find ways to truly connect with others…give them a compliment, ask them about their children, tell them how much you value them…simple gestures...easily woven into conversations...leaves ‘em with a smile.

Leave ‘em feeling motivated

People love to talk about how much is on their plate, how much work they have to do, and just how overwhelmed they are.  We have two choices…we can join in the complaining session OR we can help shed light on the positives in the situation.  How cool would it be to be known as the one teammate, friend, or family member that people always turned to for motivation?  We should think about ways in which we can leave people feeling motivated.  Not everyone will do this; so very seldom will people feel this.  When we do it...when we go OneMoreStep to leave others feeling motivated, they will most certainly remember it and definitely appreciate it.  

Let ‘em know you were there this week…not because you want to leave a great impression, but instead because you can truly make a positive impact on people’s lives.  How can you serve somebody?  How can you lead somebody?  How can you brighten a day, a week, or a situation for somebody?  

People have thousands of interactions and conversations each day.  The conversations that make them feel great about themselves or a situation, make them smile, and leave them feeling motivated will be the very conversations that turn bad days into good ones.  Why can’t we be the ones that make the difference?  Why can’t we be the ones to make the impact?  We can…and we will…we'll let ‘em know we were there…

Have a great day.

Taylor