Familiarity in the relationship hurts; stay hungry
Respect for others is the foundation of strong relationships. We all know that. And yet, often we treat our coworkers and employees and our customers with a familiarity that negates respect and trust, negates recognition of the value they offer.
We dont do it on purpose, we just dont recognize the impact. Often, the longer our relationship, the deeper our relationship, the more we get into the rut of routine in our interactions, and often fall into the trap of taking others for granted.
How often have you arrived at a meeting with employees or a coworker late, or cancelled last minute and treated it as a minor inconvenience? And yet people prepared for that meeting, made time for that meeting. When we disrespect that, we are wasting people's time and signalling that they are not important. Impact versus intent.
I see this same lethargy in customer interactions. In the customer business, we have to treat our customers as if we are winning them over again every day. Intuitivelly we know that. And yet , all too often, with long customer relationships, that familiarity, that routine creeps in. Instead of the hungriness to serve the customer, the routine takes over and sooner or later your customer will start to feel like you are taking them for granted.
Don't fall into the familiarity trap. Whether with your customers, employees or coworkers, stay hungry. Stay engaged. Keep the relationship alive and kicking.
We dont do it on purpose, we just dont recognize the impact. Often, the longer our relationship, the deeper our relationship, the more we get into the rut of routine in our interactions, and often fall into the trap of taking others for granted.
How often have you arrived at a meeting with employees or a coworker late, or cancelled last minute and treated it as a minor inconvenience? And yet people prepared for that meeting, made time for that meeting. When we disrespect that, we are wasting people's time and signalling that they are not important. Impact versus intent.
I see this same lethargy in customer interactions. In the customer business, we have to treat our customers as if we are winning them over again every day. Intuitivelly we know that. And yet , all too often, with long customer relationships, that familiarity, that routine creeps in. Instead of the hungriness to serve the customer, the routine takes over and sooner or later your customer will start to feel like you are taking them for granted.
Don't fall into the familiarity trap. Whether with your customers, employees or coworkers, stay hungry. Stay engaged. Keep the relationship alive and kicking.
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