Value the Human Element

Good morning and Happy New Year to everyone!

I'm grateful I've reached the stage of my life where I'm not my worst enemy on New Year's Eve! Some might think I'm old and boring now but I think I finally got tired of missing the first day of every year and realized I had a lot more to do with my life....boring shmoring I say.

Yes, back to the reason I started this. People. Yes people. I want to make sure that business owners, managers, leaders and anyone else that is in a position to work with people understands that the most valuable part of their business is the PEOPLE that work for them or work with them. It amazes me how many times the focus turns to the product or service being produced and the people actually producing get treated as second class citizens.

Those that become extremely successful have learned how to teach, motivate, care, and mentor their people. It is just way too easy to tell the difference between a product that was created with care AND knowledge and one that was created only with knowledge. In the professional services arena, just ask the person that received the service. If they really had a really good experience the response will be something like "...is a great person and they seem to care....". What's the single largest reason businesses loose customers...PERCEIVED INDIFFERENCE. Well who do you think makes the difference...the PEOPLE they deal with.

Please please please, everyone that manages, mentors, teaches, educates or trains people, remember to treat those you work with farily, with dignity and respect. Take your time with them, let them know you care about them. Put your arm around them every once and awhile, give them a pat on the back and explain to them why they are to do what you ask of them. They are your biggest fans and supporters, just give them the chance to prove it to you and thank them when they do....your and their successes will explode.

Lou Holtz gave a great motivational speach yesterday to the football players of a bowl game that he wasn't even coaching. It's no wonder the man was a huge success....he definitely gets it, I only hope that through my daily actions and this blog more of us get it and that all of us live more enriched lives because of it...Happy New Year!