Destination Inspiration

August 2008

Summerbreakitis

By Lisbeth Anne Marín

Motivational Speaker

Professional Development Consultant

No matter how hard I try, all bet’s are off during summertime.  Chores just don’t seem to get done, curfews are all but banished, internal clocks go haywire and extended evenings cause chronic sleeping-in.  It’s a predictable phenomenon I call Summerbreakitis!

It’s mighty comfy to ditch established routines and regimens for a more relaxed approach.  How easily we’re lured into habits that embrace a flawed reality.  Y’know … no shirt, no shoes, no service!  In the summertime, we stretch that rule with the flimsiest excuse for shoes… a toe ring might even qualify.  But try that flip flop claptrap in the winter and you’re outa’there. 

This same type of bizarro-world reverse reality can take place in your business attitude.  People begin a behavioral ‘summer vacation’ of sorts and before they know it, standards slip.  It begins by not greeting customers or colleagues and progresses to arriving late wearing clothes that are too casual or provocative.  Hey, what ever happened to work clothes and beach wear being separate wardrobe categories?  Oh yeah, it’s summertime.

In my career as a professional development consultant, I’m called to provide remediation in business protocol.  Training is a gift that wise employers regularly bestow upon their team to assure retention of the rules.

There is something to be said for courtesy and attention to good old fashioned customer service.  When a business slips into lackluster performance, a contagious bad attitude virus takes hold.  Be wary when the work becomes more important that the attitude surrounding its completion.  I submit for your deliberation that it matters if you do a good job but equally important…you must appear to enjoy it.  Frankly, if your work doesn’t instill some sense of satisfaction or you dread it…it’s no secret to anyone around you!  We’ve all visited a snooty shop or fancy eatery where the personnel treat you as an interruption to their cell phone conversation or worse, disregard your presence entirely.  My pet peeve is when the restaurant staff sweeps or mops the floor or runs a vacuum around my table.  It’s a meal/deal breaker and signifies the restaurant doesn’t consider my dining experience as part of the money for food exchange.  Once a business starts taking it’s customers for granted, you’ve got trouble up in there~

I challenge you to a workplace attitude throw-down.  Make it a requirement to sport a smile and greet people in a style that makes them feel comfortable, welcomed, understood and important.  Sure, it will take a concerted effort and some won’t notice…so why bother?  Bear in mind there is value in maintaining the traditional social graces when doing business.  

Without your customer, patron, patient, resident, client, taxpayer or student, there would be no need for you! …I know that’s cold but it’s still true.  

Perhaps it’s time for a remediation session in these fundamental courtesies.  The correct response to Thank you is not ‘no problem, got you covered, yup or uhuh’ and it definitely isn’t a nod or grunt.  Telling someone ‘you’re welcome’ is a wonderful courtesy that most enjoy receiving.  Saying please or yes ma’am might seem like a corny waste of time, but, every business can benefit from a refresher course or other staff development program to instill a morale-boosting dose of etiquette basics. 

Let’s show unashamed signs of friendliness to customers, coworkers, or the boss, whether or not you are ‘feeling them’.  After all, work is not about being friends it’s about being friendly…in other words,  be a better actor if that’s what it takes.  Win the game by demonstrating a deliberately positive persona as part of the basic accoutrements and you’ll protect your business from a stint of Summerbreakitis. 

Lisbeth Anne Marín is a Motivational Training Consultant and Public Speaker specializing in interpersonal and organizational development skills.  She presents a wide array of staff development training programs, motivational seminars and interactive human-resource training workshops.  To view the topics on which training programs or private consultation can be provided, please visit the website: www.lisbethanne.com or call Lisbeth at 910.867.3163 to discuss your staff development goals.  The website also features a gallery of award winning designs along with a schedule of classes and complimentary Business Seminars that are presented to the public through the Center for Business and Industry at FTCC.