McDonald’s, Best Buy and LaserShip

Learning from other organizations how to survive and prosper

    "Change is a part of our business, to keep up with customer demands, and there have been a lot of changes.”  This could be a quote from any number of LaserShip people, but it is not.  It is a quote from a McDonald’s franchise owner in Georgia. 

   From LaserShip to McDonald’s, and to Best Buy and the federal government, the one common theme today is for organizations—and the people who inhabit them—must be flexible and able to adapt quickly to their changing environment.   

McDonald’s

   Though the name McDonald's is synonymous with burgers, the chain's ability to adapt to changing customer needs has helped make it the nation's best-performing restaurant company even through the recent economic downturn.

   Even though the company has had to make many changes menu-wise to stay relevant, McDonald’s—which is operated largely through franchises—has had to stay true to its core ingredients. "Our business is driven by keeping things simple and being able to deliver in a fast and efficient manner," said one McDonald's franchisee.  “The more complexity you bring into the system, the more challenges you'll have," he says.

   Change with stability seems to be the appropriate term to describe McDonald’s.  Franchisees want to keep things simple in order to keep labor costs down and profits up, yet the company needs to be constantly changing to stay in tune with their customers.  "I don't want it to feel burdensome to add new menu items, but we have to stay relevant,” said the President of McDonald’s USA. 

   "It's a delicate balance between being simple and not responding to what consumers want,” said a restaurant industry analyst.  If McDonald's sticks to just dong or offering one thing, consumers will go somewhere else.”

Best Buy

   Going somewhere else is exactly the lesson Best Buy learned.  The largest name in electronic sales heard from customers and had to change.  For years the retailer charged a 15% restocking fee on returns—annoying customers to the point that blog and Twitter comments about Best Buy impacted sales negatively.  Chastened by complaints Best Buy rescinded most restocking fees. 

  “What it really boiled down to is this: Our customers were telling us they wanted Best Buy to make it easier," said a Best Buy spokesperson.  "If we want to be the best technology destination we have to listen to our customers and that is what we did."

The National Transportation Safety Board

   While government agencies are not usually an example of forward-looking, customer-conscious, change-oriented organizations, is seeking a role in identifying aviation hazards before they can cause crashes. 

   “We need to change to remain relevant,” said the new head of the board.  “As the industry evolves, the safety board has to evolve, too," she said. "We can't be static."   Government agencies, in general, are not very good at being dynamic and nimble," she said last week. 

LaserShip

   The lessons for LaserShip from other organizations are that change is part of our business; to remain relevant we must listen to our customers and adapt to the needs of the marketplace.  If not, customers will go someplace else.  Being a dynamic and nimble company is not always easy—it requires a committed and connected family of people who listen to the customers and provide feedback throughout the organization on what our customers are thinking and needing. 

   It also requires a group of people who are willing to learn, to be flexible, to adapt to the changing business environment:  To take on the new challenges while remaining true to who we are as a company—change with stability.  Taking care of customers, improving our performance, demonstrating integrity to all and providing opportunities to those who are willing are some of the core values that we must carry forward at we and the business environment evolve. 

The Lessons of the Wolves

The attitude of the wolf can be summed up simply: it is a constant visualization of success; Focusing their energies toward the activities that will lead to the accomplishment of their goals

  One of the easiest things you can do to bring more success to your life in any area is to visualize it.  High performing athletes do it…and so do wolves.                                                                                                                                                      

   The attitude of the wolf can best be summed up simply: it is a constant visualization of success. The collective wisdom of wolves has been progressively programmed into their genetic makeup throughout the centuries. Wolves have mastered the technique of focusing their energies toward the activities that will lead to the accomplishment of their goals.

   Wolves do not aimlessly run around their intended victims, yipping and yapping. They have a strategic plan and execute it through constant communication. When the moment of truth arrives, each member of the wolf pack understands his role and understands exactly what the pack expects of him.

   Wolves are extremely efficient, persistent and skilled pursuers of goals, able to size up a challenge quickly and develop a realistic plan for achieving their goals.

   Because of training, preparation, planning, communication and a preference for action, the wolf's expectation is always to be victorious. While in actuality this is true only 10 percent of the time or less, the wolf's attitude is always that success will come-and it does.

   Wolves are seldom truly threatened by other animals. By constantly engaging their senses and skills, they are practically unassailable. They are masters of planning for the moment of opportunity to present itself, and when it does, they are ready to act.

   The wolf does not depend on luck. The cohesion, teamwork and training of the pack determines whether the pack lives or dies.

  Wolves, although they run in a pack, are actually one of nature's best examples of individual excellence contributing to team strength.  Successful "pack leaders” build strong groups around the strengths of the individual members; every wolf does not strive to be the leader in the pack. Some are consummate hunters or caregivers or even jokesters, but each seems to gravitate to the role he does best. This is not to say there are not challenges to authority, position and status - there are. But each wolf's role begins emerging from playtime as a pup and refines itself through the rest of its years. The wolf's attitude is always based upon the question, "What is best for the pack?"

   Wolves are renowned for their ability to stay on track, whether in search of food or shelter. Instinctively, they know that distractions could doom their survival.

   Wolves are actually one of nature's best examples of individual excellence contributing to team strength. By nature they are team oriented with a strong sense of pack loyalty and the ability to communicate through multiple modes.  Working together wolves focus all their energies toward the activities that will produce the results for both the individual and the group.

The Lessons of the Geese

Flying in perfect formation, cooperating as a team, unified behind experienced leadership, constantly encouraging and helping others

  If we share a common direction and a sense of unity, we can get where we are going more quickly and easily because we are traveling, so to speak, on the thrust of one another.  This is the first great lesson from geese.  As geese flap their wings, they create uplift for the bird following.  In addition to uplift, by flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if any bird were to fly alone.

 

   The uplift and forward formation momentum of the flock is reinforced among individual geese: Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.   If we can learn anything from geese, it is to stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go, and be willing to accept help from others as well as give ours to others.  Going it alone—being independent of the flock—leads to falling behind.

    When we take turns doing the hard tasks and encouraging everyone on the team we are also following the lead of the geese.  Whenever the lead goose in the V formation gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position. All the other geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. All of this creates a positive interdependence with the geese…as well as with our teams.  It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks. We should respect and protect each other's unique arrangement of skills, capabilities, talents and resources. In addition, we need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In teams where there is encouragement, productivity and results are much greater. Individual empowerment results from quality honking!

   When we display our team loyalty and stand by each other in difficult times, as well as when we are strong, we are once again following the example of the geese.  When a goose, for example, gets sick or wounded or is shot down, two geese always drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. They then launch out on their own, with another formation or catch up with the flock.   It is important for our team members to not just fly in formation but to also be award of how everyone else is performing:  Let us all try to fly in formation and remember to drop back to help those who might need it.

THE POWER OF TEAMWORK

   The greatest accomplishments in life are not achieved by individuals alone, but by proactive people pulling together for a common good. Look behind every winner and you will find a great coach or a positive role model. Look alongside every great achiever and you will find people offering encouragement, support and able assistance.

   Rising to the level of interdependent thinking can be challenging and difficult. Looking beyond one self, seeing your self as part of something larger, asking for and accepting help or giving help can feel risky. But people are not given life to simply take from one another. Our mission in life is to offer our gifts to benefit one another, to create mutual gain in the world. This is called teamwork, a win/win mindset stemming from a genuine commitment to the rules that allow it to happen.

  Everyone should take a moment to think of our organization and the teams in which they participate, and ask if those teams measure up to the lessons of the geese: Flying in perfect formation, cooperating as a team, unified behind experienced leadership, constantly encouraging and helping others

The Pittsburgh Steelers, Organizational Culture and LaserShip

Link between culture and performance is plain and proven

   The Steelers are the most successful franchise in professional football history with seven Super Bowl appearances.  With six Super Bowl trophies, the most of any team in the National Football League, the Pittsburgh Steelers have proven what it takes to win consistently and passionately as a widely admired, world class organization.

  The winning nature of the team has been attributed to the “Steeler Way” of doing things:  Play hard, play physical and play fair.    

  The culture of the Steelers organization trickles down from the owners, the Rooney family.  Yet, the Steelers culture used to be one of losers—and had to change.  40 years ago, Dan Rooney took over from his father Art, and started to change the team.  Even though the Steelers are the oldest club in their conference, started in 1933, their first Super Bowl appearance and win did not happen until 1974.  Prior to that it was all right to lose; it was all right to be the butt of jokes; it was all right to mail it on Sundays. That culture, Dan Rooney was determined to change—and it did.  Since then, the Steelers have been the NFL model for consistency on many different levels, the most important of which is coaching with only three head coaches in the last four decades.

   The franchise’s approach to football emphasizes coaching stability, character, fundamentals, hard work, loyalty, sensible business practices and putting what’s best for the team ahead of the interests of individuals.  It is a very simple blueprint based on ethics, dedication, selflessness and an overwhelming desire to be the best.

   The Steeler Way seems so simple; one wonders why every team doesn't copy it: Practicing well means playing well. Be unselfish. No small, divisive cliques among teammates. Character—being counted on to do the right thing at the right time—counts.  

  Organizational Culture
   If you cannot define it, you recognize a company’s culture when we see it.  Organizational culture was first defined as “the way we do things around here.”  Later it was dressed up to mean the shared basic assumptions that during problem solving have worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems.

     As with the Steelers, the link between culture and performance is discernable and proven.  A healthy culture is a positive influence—absolutely necessary in preserving and growing a company.

   LaserShip

    Organizational culture exists in LaserShip.  Just looking around, anyone of us can see the “LaserWay;” there is evidence of it every day in the willingness of people to work together on a deadline, and the dogged commitment to provide the best overall solution to customers. 

    For 25 years we have emphasized stability in customers and employees and loyalty to those who made us who we are.  In addition, LaserShip has adhered to the fundamental premise that honesty and hard work will produce results, as well as the belief in the twin goals of growth and improvement.    

    As with the Steelers, it is a very simple blueprint based on values, consistency, commitment, teamwork, and an overwhelming desire to be the best.

  

Specialty Shippers Look to LaserShip: The "Peace of Mind" Shipping Co.

   Horse breeding—involving animals worth millions of dollars—is a serious and not too simple of a business that has a billion dollar impact on the economy of the United States alone.  

   LaserShip’s Global Critical Deliveries division not only provides same-day, cross-country shipping solutions for this industry, but also provides “peace of mind” (POM) technological support for horse breeding professionals. 

   LaserShip’s POM-Tech involves two small devices that can be placed inside shipping containers: The first device—LaserLocator—tracks and transmits shipment location updates every few minutes; the second device—an FDA approved temperature monitor—records and reports temperature data. 

   Location and temperature are especially critical to horse breeders; equine practitioners ship refrigerated stallion semen (worth millions!!) across the country or around the world for insemination into mares; this process, to be successful, must often occur within a few short hours. 

   LaserLocator, along with the temperature monitor, provides horse breeders with absolute verification and documentation of the location and condition—recorded and transmitted while the shipment is en route.

  POM-Tech was a “big hit,” says LaserShip Vice President Joe J., when it was displayed at the December convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).  “Many potential shippers in this industry found the solution offered of temperature controlled and tracked shipments especially attractive.” 

  The temperature data provided by LaserShip assures breeders that the viability of the high value shipments has been maintained.  The location updates solves two problems: 

1)     Tracking: No package can every truly be misplaced or lost in transit.  Tracked on the ground every 15 minutes (or less as needed), no package can every be misplaced or shunted to the side as can happen in large airline cargo operations—if so, the package can be quickly found and retrieved to continue its journey.

2)     Scheduling: Inseminating mares is a very time sensitive and elaborate procedure.  Knowing precisely where a shipment is located allows veterinarians to know exactly when a package will arrive and when to prep the mare. 

   The horses—both stallion donors and mare recipients—are very valuable animals: The stud fees for stallions can range into the millions of dollars, and the mares are so valuable that their embryos are often removed and implanted into another mare for gestation so as not to put to much stress on a priceless animal.  

   It is not just the animals under stress—the shippers are too.  “Stress relief,” reports Joe, “is what LaserShip is providing through POM-Tech to the breeders and veterinarians—the equine practitioners—that have so much at stake in these delicate matters.” 

What Inspires You to Greatness? Ask for greatness in yourself first

   A year ago this week the movie “Invictus” about Nelson Mandela was released.  In the movie, Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela asks “How do we inspire ourselves to greatness, when nothing less will do?” 

   Nelson Mandela is a very inspirational leader and the movie Invictus is a very inspirational dramatization of the 1995 Rugby World Cup victory by South Africa (buy on Amazon for $11.99).  However, inspiring others to greatness is not necessarily dependent on great leaders or great events.  Greatness can also be inspired by ordinary people doing the right things. 

     Senior Transportation Consultant Chris H. provided an example of how anyone’s actions, even seemingly insignificant ones can inspire hundreds around the world.  Chris received a forwarded email from a friend whose son received the email from someone totally unknown.  The son of Chris’ friend had been the captain—a year ago—of a high school basketball team; the son in his role of captain took himself out of play because he thought it was best for the team.  Soon afterwards a Washington Post sport writer wrote about the situation.  This article went around the world...which brings us back to the email received yesterday:

   “The article from the Washington Post last year on you,” wrote the email writer, “the team captain who pulled himself from the starting lineup, was so inspirational.  I sent that article to everyone I work with, and I’m in an Army unit in Germany, a civilian.  We have about 50 soldiers in the organization in addition to about 150 civilians, like me.  We see articles almost every day about Iraq/Afghanistan and the incredible deeds done by soldiers in combat.  Ironically, however, at no time was I ever inspired enough to do what I did when I read about you.  Like I said, I sent that to everyone here, and many people I’ve served with previously who are now all over the country, and some overseas like me.  What you did is the kind of selfless act that leadership is all about, and the kind of act that we spend a lifetime trying to develop in soldiers, but you already had this trait as an 18 year old high school student.  I wish you the best with college.  No doubt you don’t need luck because you’re the kind of person already that successful colleges produce.”

 “Did what was best for the team”   

   The Washington Post article described how the high school basketball team started their season with wins but soon suffered a series of inexplicable losses.  The team captain approached the coach and asked to be pulled from the starting lineup.  After making the change the team won 8 of 9 games and became the Virginia AAA Northern Region champions.

   When asked about his decision to take himself out of the starting lineup, the 18 year old team captain explained how his presence was “clogging up the middle and drawing an extra defender” to the team’s 6’ 11” center.  “Being out of the starting line up (still with plenty of playing time) helped with spacing on the floor,” he said.  "I just did what was best for the team.”

   “He had been watching ESPN since he was age 4,” reports family friend Chris, “so he picked up on the problem before the coach figured it out which could have been too late to save the season.” 

  “It just goes to show you,” comments Chris, “that leadership sometimes comes from an unexpected source and what inspires others to greatness might just be a simple, unselfish act on behalf of the entire team.”

   To Answer Nelson Mandela's question (“How do we inspire ourselves to greatness, when nothing less will do?”):  Ask for greatness in yourself first…then you can ask for it in others.

Leaders Can Change the Weather

Sunny and Bright or Stormy and Cloudy

Every team, office, organization takes its cues from those who lead it.

    Can’t change the weather outside? 

   Perhaps you are in a position to change the “weather” inside.  Teams and extended organizations take their cues from those who provide leadership and reflect whatever the leaders are projecting.  If the leaders have a sunny and bright outlook, the organization is sunny and bright.  If the leaders’ outlook is stormy and cloudy, the weather in the office and amongst the team is pretty much the same.

While you may not have thought of the climate of your office it in terms of a weather forecast, still you’ve probably experienced this phenomenon from one end or the other. Most people who have been around teams and organizations for any amount of time have worked for a boss where the question on everyone’s mind was, “What kind of mood is he in today?” 

   It’s the same dynamic. Leaders control the weather.  So, if you’re a leader, it’s worth thinking about what kind of weather system you’re creating:  Warm front or cold front? Sunny and pleasant or stormy and blustery? 

   But more importantly, what kind of impacts do your weather systems have on the team’s results?
If you’re interested in becoming a more effective leadership meteorologist, here are a few things to pay attention to:

v     Your Energy Level:   What combination of factors do you need to radiate to create the environment for your team to create the results that are needed?

v     Your Choice of Words:  What kind of climate are you creating with your words?  Is that the kind of climate that will sustain long term results?

v     Your Visibility:  How visible you make yourself to the organization. Weather savvy leaders pay attention to their visibility.

v     Your Protective Cover:   What are you doing as a leader to let your team know that you’ve got their back?

Service Compliment Leads to Multi-Market Push

   “It is amazing how a billing problem resulted in a great opportunity for our customers and LaserShip,” wrote a Charlotte based healthcare provider.    

   LaserShip’s Charlotte office started performing just a few on-demand jobs for the customer; when the company was bought by a large national pharmacy a billing question prompted a meeting in which LaserShip Regional Sales Manager Jim V., who used the face-to-face opportunity to bring up the benefits of LaserShip’s overnight shipping program.  

   “We are now providing service to three locations in my region,” comments Jim: “completing approximately 100 overnights per day with an additional market (Raleigh NC) soon to come on-line with about 75 more deliveries per day.” 

    “We are now in a multi-market push,” reports Jim.  In addition to the great service Charlotte has provided the company, a big break came when the local contact introduced Jim to their regional manager.  “Now our service and our relationships have developed within the entire organization to use LaserShip wherever we offer service.” 

   On Thanksgiving eve, the Charlotte customer sent a thank you to LaserShip: 

       “Thank you for helping us get packages to customers when THEY need it. LaserShip Charlotte just  delivered a record number of packages for us on Monday.  All packages made it to customers when needed with no complaints. Thanks for the great service which completes the final transaction with our customers each month.”

   The “they need it” comment, reports Jim “is related to the nature of the drugs we are delivering.  Most of patients are terminally ill or have very long term health issues that require very expensive and particular drugs.  So when he says ‘they need it’ he literally means they need these drugs to survive.” 

   “This is a wonderful compliment,” comments LaserShip’s V.P. of Sales and Marketing to the Charlotte team, “and just the kind of comment that enables us to grow the account into other markets.  Thank you for doing a great job for our customers!”

The Power of Gratitude

On this eve of the uniquely American holiday of Thanksgiving it is appropriate to not only be thankful for and appreciate all that we each have in our lives, but to also ask how we can be more thankful—be more appreciative and show more gratitude. 

  There is a “power of gratitude.”  It is similar to positive thinking: Once you start showing more gratitude on a regular basis, it multiples—not only within yourself—but among others. Its amazing how one simple, easy, positive action can change so much.

   The simple act of gratitude on a regular basis will change anyone’s life, positively and immediately. Simply showing gratitude by saying “thanks” can make you a more positive person, a better achiever, a better colleague, a more productive person and definitely a happier person. 

   Here are some suggestions on how you can incorporate gratitude into your life, and how it will change your life.

1. Have a morning gratitude session. Take one minute in the morning (make it a daily ritual) to think of the people who have done something nice for you, to think of all the things in your life you’re grateful for. You won’t get to everything in one minute, but it’s enough. And it will instantly make your day better, and help you start your day off right. Can you think of a better use of one minute?

2. When you’re having a hard day … make a gratitude list. We all have those bad days sometimes. We are stressed out from our work. We get yelled at by someone. We lose an account or perform poorly on a project. One of the things that can make a bad day much better is making a list of all the things you’re thankful for. There are always things to be thankful for — loved ones, health, having a job, having a roof over your head and clothes on your back, life itself.

3. Instead of getting mad at someone, show gratitude. That’s a major switching of attitudes — actually a complete flip. And so this isn’t always easy to do. But it’s a great thing to do. If you get mad at your co-worker, for example, because of something he or she did … bite your tongue and don’t react in anger.

   Instead, take a deep breath and try to think of reasons you’re grateful for that person. Has that person done anything nice for you? Has that person ever done a good job? Find something, anything, even if it’s difficult. Focus on those things that make you grateful. It will slowly change your mood. And if you get in a good enough mood, show your gratitude to that person. It will improve your mood, your relationship, and help make things better.

4. When you face a major challenge, be grateful for it. Many people will see something difficult as a bad thing. If something goes wrong, it’s a reason to complain, it’s a time of self-pity. That won’t get you anywhere. Instead, learn to be grateful for the challenge — it’s an opportunity to grow, to learn, to get better at something. This will transform you from a complainer into a positive person who only continues to improve. People will like you better and you’ll improve your career. Not too shabby.

5. Instead of looking at what you don’t have, look at what you do have. Have you ever looked around you and bemoaned where your life ended up or how little you have? How the job you have isn’t what you planned twenty years ago.  How the car you drive isn’t as nice as you’d like, or your friends have cooler gadgets? If so, that’s an opportunity to be grateful for what you already have. It’s easy to forget that there are billions of people worse off than you — who don’t have much in the way of shelter or clothes, who don’t own a car and never will, who don’t own a gadget or even know what one is, who don’t have a job at all.  Compare your life to these people’s lives, and be grateful for the life you have.

  And with the Power of Gratitude who knows what tomorrow might bring—the simple act of showing gratitude multiplies.

Who We Really Are: Customer service-focused team that works together

1^st A Story about the importance of pulling together as a team

   A man was lost while driving through a rural area. As he tried to reach for the map, he accidentally drove off the road into a ditch.  His car was stuck deep in the mud, so he walked to a nearby farm to ask for help. "Warwick can get you out of that ditch," said the farmer, pointing to an old mule standing in a field.

   The man looked at the decrepit old mule and looked at the farmer who just stood there repeating, "Yep, old Warwick can do the job." The man figured he had nothing to lose. The two men and the mule made their way back to the ditch. The farmer hitched the mule to the car. With a snap of the reins, he shouted, "Pull, Frank! Pull, Jack! Pull, Ted! Pull, Warwick!"

   And the mule pulled that car right out of the ditch.

   The man was amazed. He thanked the farmer, patted the mule, and asked, "Why did you call out all of those names before you called Warwick?"

   The farmer grinned and said, "Old Warwick is just about blind. As long as he believes he's part of a team, he doesn't mind pulling."

2^nd: A True Story about what teams can achieve

   The all-hands-on-deck alert went out at 11:35 a.m. last Thursday.  “We need an answer on this now,” emailed Carrier P., Manager of _____ (A to Z) Customer Service.  “This is going to be a very escalated issue. This customer is threatening to get legal council because she believes that the driver stole the package.  She wants me to give her the driver number and she wants to call the police.  Please respond with an action plan.  She has given me 1 hour before she calls the police.” 

    The Boston team quickly responded and sent the driver to the location. 

    Whatever the driver did and said, it worked miracles; the driver, Manny, turned a very negative situation into a positive one.  Before the customer had been raving, cursing and threatening, but after the “Manny treatment” the customer was a raving fan. 

   The customer sent an email expressing her appreciation:

   “I just wanted to let you know that Manny, one of your LaserShip drivers personally dropped off my package for my recent order, and I truly appreciate his efforts to retrieve my box.
   “Honest mistakes happen and I don't feel right that this should reflect on him in any way.
   “He seemed like a very kind individual who has went beyond the call of duty to satisfy a customer, and in complete honesty I find that an admirable quality in this day in age. LaserShip should be very lucky to have a man so committed to his work.
   “If anything, I would like him commended on his due diligence to rectify my situation promptly.
   “I hope this message will clear up any earlier situation that transpired during my recent conversation. I will use your service now based on the fact that there are people out there who will go well and beyond the call of duty.
  “I personally thanked him and hope that LaserShip does the same.

    “This situation,” commented a LaserShip V.P., “is truly a representation of the results achieved by a customer service-focused team who works together.  Well done Boston and CCS.  You have succeeded in showing this customer who we really are.”

    Teamwork is what it took to coordinate the outcome that resulted:  From customer service to Boston ops to our IC driver, everyone made the effort to appease and please the customer.  It goes to prove that as long as we are part of a team, we don’t mind pulling. 

Find Out What Your Customers Think

1^st a Customer Service Parable     

   A young boy named Johnny walked into the corner drug store and placed four $1 bills on the counter, asking the pharmacist to give him dimes so he could make phone calls (this happened within most of our lifetimes, but seems ancient now).

    Johnny sat down in the phone booth in the back of the store and started to make calls. With each call, he told the person that he cuts grass for a summer job, and for a very cheap price, would like to cut their lawn.

   The pharmacist watched Johnny as he made each of the 40 phone calls. And in hearing one side of the phone conversation, the pharmacist could tell that none of the 40 phone calls resulted in a sale as Johnny closed with, "Thank you anyway. Goodbye."

   As Johnny walked back through the pharmacy he had a big smile on his face. The pharmacist of course was curious and asked how Johnny could be so cheerful when he had failed to make a single sale. The explanation by Johnny was, "I already cut each of their lawns. I just wanted to call to see if a cheap price could buy their business away from me. I must be doing pretty well."

2^nd a Customer Service True Story

   In Charlotte last week, Regional Sales Manager Jim V. and General Manager Dave N. did the modern day equivalent of calling on a pay phone: They met with the Charlotte based  supervisors and specialists of a large payroll processing company—a group of around 35 people.

   As soon as Jim and Dave were introduced, the meeting room broke out in applause.  “The next 20 minutes were filled with individual testimonies about how they and their clients love our service,” reports Jim.  One payroll specialist reported on a client that had moved locations and were now receiving service from UPS; according to the specialist, “they called me and requested to go back to LaserShip as soon as possible”. 

   Information: Prompt and accurate.  That is specifically what the payroll company likes about LaserShip's services.   “Inquires are handled promptly by LaserShip team members Chase and Matt and the information is always accurate” said one payroll specialist.    

   “What can we do to improve our service?”   The answer from the group was a resounding, “Expand your service territory” so more of our customers can experience LaserShip.

   Asking our customers what they think of us—what they like, what they would like—is the single best way(other than calling them on a pay phone to lure them away with a cheap price) to ensure customer loyalty and longevity. 

Honoring Our Fallen Veterans

There were more than 8,000 U.S. military personnel missing in action from the Korean War (1950-53).  One of them came home this week.  His remains were met by an Honor Guard from Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, CO.  The U.S. Army Honor Guard includes Tim Jones, son of Baltimore’s Paul Jones.

Remembering the Sacrifice

   There were 6.8 million Americans who served during the Korean War; 54,200 died in service during the period of hostilities—of those, 33,700 were actual battle deaths; there were 7,140 POW’s during the Korean War.  Of those, 4,418 returned to the United States, 2,701 died.  The remains of Corporal Floyd E. Hooper returned this week. 

    Corporal Hooper was 27 when he was captured in February 1951 and held captive in North Korea.  Other Prisoners of War told officials of how he died of dysentery and malnutrition. He had been in captivity only a few months. His remains were only recently identified through a DNA sample submitted in 2004 by the last of his three brothers, who has since died. 

   Hooper was born on February 24, 1924. He grew up in a small town on the eastern plains of Colorado and about 30 miles west of the Kansas border. He attended high school in his hometown, attended Anderson College in Indiana, and joined the Army.  Hooper and his unit were sweeping an area south of the Han River when they encountered Chinese Communist forces that were supported by artillery. Surviving POWs told about how he had been held in a POW camp in what is now North Korea before he died.

    60 years later there is no one left to remember or mourn Corporal Hooper; all of Corporal Hooper’s relatives are now deceased.  Corporal Hooper was one of 6.8 million called to duty and one of those who gave the supreme sacrifice in a war long over and now little remembered.  But, for the Army which never forgets. 

   Tim Jones is part of that honorable tradition.  Tim is stationed at Ft. Carson and is currently assigned to the honor guard in his unit. He assists in the funeral duties of our fallen soldiers that live in that area, no matter when they may have passed. “I am very proud of him,” said dad, Paul Jones.

Turning Adversity into Possibility: Inspiration, courage and perseverance in the face of the impossible

Whenever we can extract valuable life and work lessons from non-business sources—especially those that are life threatening—the lessons in developing strength, enduring difficulties, triumphing over adversity and surviving challenges are more powerful and effective; the Chilean miners comes to mind as a recent source of inspiration, courage and perseverance in the face of the seemingly impossible.

   While the miners and their rescuers teach us many lessons about teamwork, another extraordinary example, soon to gain wider spread exposure due to the release of a new movie, is of an individual finding his own deep inner strength and courage, ability to endure and desire to survive in an extreme situation. 

   Aron Ralston is one of life’s true survivors. When faced with his own torturous, impending death, Ralston made a choice. Despite the pain, he chose to endure the unimaginable in order to survive. And because of that decision, he lived to tell his story. In 2003, deep in an isolated and narrow Utah canyon, all alone with his hand trapped by an 800 pound fallen rock, the outdoor adventurer endured for 127 hours before finding the inspiration and courage to save himself by first breaking his own arm bone, amputating his forearm with a small pocketknife, and then climbing out of the canyon and hiking 8 miles until rescued.      

   Aron made huge mistakes—going off alone, not telling anyone of his plans and taking a huge risk descending the narrow canyon walls—leading to a painful and regretful plight.  Yet, as distressing as his situation and solution were, there are many lessons to be learned from the outcome. 

   Aron learned, and writes in his book, about not letting fear and panic interfere with decision making; not letting those reactions to situations skew decisions for the worse.  “Instead,” writes Aron, “no matter the severity of the situation, it is necessary to maintain a calm and rational thought processes, all the more so when the consequences are greatest. 

   “Fear and panic are always the overriding thoughts and emotional responses when your life is on the line, and it is something I have learned to respect, avoid, and manage.  When fear and panic rear up, the most vital response is to take action and implement strategies to manage the situation in a calm and deliberate manner. This is the major similarity between the close calls I have had: I was successful in moving through the paralyzing effects of panic to take action for the better.

   “When my life was on the line I was able to make the right decisions at the right time and maximize the resources available at that time. 

   “I hope people will understand from my story that we each have it within ourselves, through courage, faith, and perseverance, to turn adversity into possibility.”

  Ultimately, survival in any adverse situation depends on how strong is the individual’s determination to endure and see it through.  The instinct to overcome adversity is within us all.  It is often hidden—even from ourselves—from a lack of truly extreme situations in our lives. 

   The question is, with role models such as Aron and the Chilean miners, are you the sort of person who, when it mattered, can just do whatever it takes to endure extreme difficulties and survive extraordinary situations.  Learning that you can survive no matter what the situation can end up being the greatest lesson in learning how to live.   As Aron has said: “It’s not about what you do; it’s about who you are.”

   What did Aron do when caught between a rock and a hard place?  He dug deep to find the strength to last a little longer, to make decisions that would lead to better days, and to understand that the struggle was worth it.  In enduring, Aron discovered that it wasn't just himself, that one of the main things that gave him the strength to get out was his connection to the outside world.  It was a chance, Aron has said, “to examine what is life about. And for me, it was about relationships, how they sustained me while I was there, how they motivated me to get out of there, and how they built me back.”  No one knows what is in him till he tries. 

   “I could not have survived without the lessons learned from other experiences,” Aron has related:  “The saying goes, ‘Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.’”

    

Hockey, Einstein and LaserShip: Doing things differently

   A Different Way in Hockey

  Our LaserShip hockey fans should not feel slighted with today’s LaserDay about how the hockey team from Tampa—The Tampa Bay Lightening—are shaking up the game—and winning!

   Hockey is a conservative sport—“this is how we do it, this is how it is done.”  But, by turning this upside down—“this is how we will win against the competition”—Tampa has won four of their first five games and scored an impressive 17 goals in its four wins. 

   What are they doing differently?  Tampa calls the changes they have made to the traditional form of play “the hurry-up offense.” The key ingredients are two changes: Faster skaters on the ice and a different approach to play. Tampa wants to dictate play and shoot the puck 40 times a game—twice the number of traditional play—while limiting opponents to the lesser number of 20 shots.  Boiling it down, Tampa’s slogan is simple:  “Shoot. The. Puck.” 

   The result is a fast-skating brand of hockey that often looks like an all-out blitz.  In their first game, the Lightning raced to a 4-0 lead in 25 minutes. Monday of this week, against Dallas, which had been undefeated, the Lightning outshot the Stars 44-19.

   "The main idea of it is just being aggressive,” says the team’s center, “five guys on the puck all the time, don't even let the other guys get a chance to set up.  When you see it work you wonder, 'Why hasn't anyone done it before?' "

A Different Way at LaserShip

   Sometimes, to win, it takes faster players and a change in tactics.  Our DC office, for example, had to examine its performance when a key on-demand client left for a “faster, more reliable” competitor.  To win back the law firm, keep others and gain additional clients, the office shifted personnel and responsibilities, added additional car and bike contractors, and shifted to a high communication approach. The approach has shown promise—getting the client who left to give LaserShip the “try” it needs to prove itself. 

   “Despite losing the client 3 months ago,” says Senior Shipping Consultant Chris Harney, “we kept in touch and made sure they knew they were missed by us a company and as friends.  By demonstrating that we were willing to shake things up—not just play the same old game—they were persuaded to give our team a trial run.”

A Different Way in the Sciences

   The great scientist Albert Einstein once said, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them," Einstein's point was that anyone's knowledge and understanding is limited to his or her own experience, training and information sources.  To solve problems that we ourselves have created all of us must first be open to new ideas and reach out for new perspectives.  In the case of DC’s On-Demand team, this involved reaching out to see their people, processes and performance from a uniquely customer perspective.  Thus DC is solving problems using a different kind of thinking than was used when they were created.

  Einstein’s genius was his ability to break out of the traditional, conservative approaches that existed in math and physics:  Thinking that while seemingly logically defined was a box that trapped the advancement of the sciences.   Einstein was the first “out of the box” thinker; he used his imagination to "leap out of the box" to see what results would look like using various scenarios.

  Winners Don’t Do Different Things, They Just Do Things Differently. Winners have a tendency to look for differing perspectives, to seek the bigger picture. If they are handling a project, they do not just look only at how things were done yesterday or what needs to be done by the day; while doing what needs to be done today they are also analyzing and planning how it could be done better tomorrow.