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Part 3 - Relationships and service

Written by: Andrew Campbell-Watt

Article Overview: It is absolutely essential for any manager to communicate with and to understand what motivates each individual staff member. This brings relationships to the fore as the most important factor for any manager in any business. We are not just caged canaries or a selection of laboratory rats. We are thinking, feeling human beings, trying to be just that – human beings - not just human doers. We live to express ourselves creatively and to grow and develop each in our own unique way.

Part 3 - Relationships and service

Take the following ‘sentence’ – “Timefliessaidthemonkeyashethrewtheclockoutthewindow.” It makes no sense until spaces and punctuation are introduced. The spaces give the words meaning and some sense – “Time flies, said the monkey, as he threw the clock out the window.”

This trivia may be extrapolated to explain a human condition, that it is necessary for us all to have some private space; some time to reflect on and assimilate the activities of the day. Each one of us will have a different view on a day at work; what is pressure for one may stimulate another. We are all different and a ‘space’ (our own time) will help give meaning to our day. Every person has their own time and manner of unwinding and relaxing.

It is absolutely essential for any manager to communicate with and to understand what motivates each individual staff member. This brings relationships to the fore as the most important factor for any manager in any business. We are not just caged canaries or a selection of laboratory rats. We are thinking, feeling human beings, trying to be just that – human beings - not just human doers. We live to express ourselves creatively and to grow and develop each in our own unique way. Anything which is a barrier to this creativity, growth and development will cause stress and may affect long term mental health of those caught up in the requirement to conform in ways that are not necessarily of their own choosing. In very broad terms there are three areas of life which have the potential to cause us great distress and drive us to despair.

Firstly – Our material possessions. Many engage in frenetic and unmeasured activities geared to acquiring possessions. These of activities often damage our bodies and may also weaken any sense of relationship with family and friends. We protect our possessions as best we can; we lock them up; we insure them. Any loss or damage causes us great sorrow. Possessions are such an important aspect that many identify themselves by their possessions. Lose something and many believe they are diminished as human beings.

Then, of course, there is money. If we lose any of this, we are devastated.

Secondly – Our family and relations. Good relationships are the basis for harmony in life. We are defined by our relationships. Strong relationships give us the emotional support we need when we are troubled and a loving relationship gives us a strength that will defy unbelievable odds.
Break a relationship and the emotional pain caused can be catastrophic in that the pain is seldom limited to the immediate parties concerned but has wider ramifications for family and friends, particularly when children are involved.

Thirdly – Our self-esteem – our ego. The ego is who we think we are, our self image. While a necessary ingredient of our individuality an excess of ego and a paucity of humility can be a recipe for great unhappiness (as with the reverse situation). The strength of our ego affects our desire for possessions, our relationships and our general demeanour. If we consider our ego is damaged in any way and that we have lost ‘face’ we seek to redress the situation in any way possible

As a manager, if any of these apply to your employees their work may well be sub-standard, their relationships at work and in their domestic arrangements may suffer, which will all conspire to upset work-life harmony and balance.

Before any CEO or manager claims that no company can be run efficiently and effectively by pussy-footing around and treating staff with kid gloves, it is suggested they take a long hard look at the current state of the world – full of sick canaries. Ethically there is no alternative. Managers must treat people ethically - the way they would like to be treated – no matter in what country the work is being conducted.

We need a paradigm shift in the way we do things, in the way we operate businesses and in the way we think. What we did before has not worked. This is the lesson that business leaders must learn and learn quickly.

In a democracy we are free individuals; free to grow and develop as human beings and free to engage “in the pursuit of happiness”. Yet most industrial and commercial enterprises provide goods and services made and devised by people who are not happy and not really interested in the work they are doing. This opens avenues for corruption and unethical conduct, both very prevalent today.
The emphasis in most organizations is not on the quality of the goods and services they provide but on money and the level of returns to the shareholders. Thus both the product and service provided may be inferior and diminished no matter how many systems and controls are put in place. This is a sad commentary on our society and is unnecessary.

Reflect for a moment on what an entrepreneur sets out to do with his new company? It should be and somewhere in the back of his (or her) mind most probably is, to provide a service. A simple example is that you have decided you need a ‘widget’. You cannot make a ‘widget’ so you approach someone who either can make one or is already making them. That manufacturer is providing a service to you for which you are prepared to pay.

The primary and only concern of any business should be to provide a service, the best and most excellent service they can, to help others on our common journey through life. If they do this there is a guarantee that people will queue to buy or avail themselves of the ‘service’ provided and most will be prepared pay premium prices for that excellence.

Everyone has had the unfortunate experience of bad or sloppy service and the standard reaction would be along the lines, “Stuff them. I am not going there again!”

The paradigm shift that industry leaders and managers must get their heads around is that service must come first, not as something codified in a manual, but something from the heart. Not because of the money they can make but because of the help they can offer fellow wayfarers on the journey of life – on the service they provide. This is the ethical way; this is the only way forward.

There must be a genuine willingness to HELP people with their lives and this has to come from the top. It will never grow from the bottom up. Being a rarity today, if an excellent service is provided the money will flow. Word of mouth has a powerful effect.

This needs a huge paradigm shift and a lot of soul searching but what is the alternative? More of the same?

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Article Tags: canaries, corruption, doers, ego, entrepreneur, ethics, human beings, laboratory rats, loss of face, relationships, self esteem, service, staff member, unethical conduct, work life harmony



Related Forum Posts
Patent information - I'm also interested in Part 2. Thanks.
Patent Process - Interesting to hear your experiences with the patent process - what's Part 2?
Re: Should bad tippers be exposed on Social Media? - I agree with you GT and Evan, A tip as far as I understand it is given according to the service received and if a customer is unhappy with the service they should be entitled to not leave a tip. If it was really bad then a complaint should be made to management. If the server is unhappy that there is no tip, maybe they should consider the kind of service they are giving to customers but under no circumstances should these things ever be broadcast on a social service or any public format for that matter. MichelleJ
Re: Service Or Product? - I am just now opting for the 'service' model. While you cannot 'set and forget', I think that in itself is a good thing. Less competition - there are just not too many people who want to stop working for their boss, so they can start working for another (even if that 'other' is themselves). Hopefully, the service brings in enough money so you can then move on to developing products or hiring your own staff to carry out the services for you. However, as has already been pointed out by so many of you, there has to be a demand for the service and figuring that out is going to need some research. And of course, if there is competition for it, then you just have to make sure you offer a better service.
Re: Usable Service? - It sounds like a good service. Marketing it would be the kicker. Getting the word out about what you do and adequately relaying the value of such a service could be a challenge. You have to be sure they know, without a doubt, why you are qualified to offer such a service. I would lead with the cost savings. Showing a return on investment gets attention. Just a thought.


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