What does ‘above and beyond’ really look like?

A few weeks ago, my friends Alan, Darren and I set out on our annual coaster-palooza-extravaganza! It was an epic exploration of Southern California with visits to Disney, Universal, Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain.  While many lessons were learned, and notes of guest service experiences were taken (and will be included in a subsequent post), one experience early in our trip inspired me to share some thoughts about the ever elusive “above and beyond”.

We all hear it, we all say it.  We all tell our employees that we want to “exceed our guests expectations by going ‘above and beyond'”.  Yet, when pressed for what this actually means, very few people can put their finger on it.

So, I thought I would share an experience we had at Disneyland that epitomized ‘above and beyond’.

First I should tell you that during our visit, SoCal was experiencing record high temps and unprecedented rainfall. The rain didn’t bother us much, and the heat, while unexpected, just reminded us of Florida. So, when we sat down at the Carnation Cafe in Disneyland for lunch, we were THIRSTY!

We were greeted by Masayo, and ordered three waters.  Our tone must have been a little desperate because she returned VERY quickly with our first glasses of water and never let our glasses get more than half empty.  I don’t even think our ice had a chance to melt!  At the end of the meal, she offered us more water in to-go cups.  To me, this one small gesture of continued hydration was outside of “normal” server duties.  But Masayo wasn’t finished.

At the end of the meal, we asked her to take our picture.  Masayo quickly cleared the table to make sure the picture looked good, then actually came back a few minutes later and asked if the picture came out okay.

How many after dinner pictures do you have with a table full of culinary carnage?  The act of clearing the table AND coming back to ask if the picture came out okay are, in my mind, behaviors that were not expected and went “above and beyond” the call of duty.  Combine this with very friendly service, great menu recommendations and bottomless water glasses on a hot day, and you’ve got a very special dining experience.

To recap, Masayo did all the normal stuff of taking our order and delivering food – the basics.  Where she took it to the next level was in her CARE about our experience.  Specifically the water, clearing the table and checking on the picture quality.  She didn’t HAVE to do any of that, which makes it, “above and beyond”.

To be honest though, Masayo’s behaviors may not have seemed SO above and beyond if it weren’t for many of the other cast members we encountered during our stay.  Surprisingly, we noticed a lack of smiles, cast members talking to each other rather than engaging guests and giving one word answers (or even just a head nod) when asked for directions. And unfortunately, it wasn’t an isolated incident. The lack of guest focus in multiple areas was palpable.

I shared the feedback both about Masayo and the other cast members with a colleague who works at the Disneyland Resort, and he acknowledged the challenge of keeping everyone focused on the right things.  “Especially for Disney” he said, “because we set the bar so high for ourselves.”

I think that’s a challenge for a lot of leaders, and a big part of that challenge is knowing what behaviors you are actually looking for.  Otherwise, how do you know when you have hit the mark, made the grade, or have gone above and beyond?

You probably have goals and measurements for revenue, capacity, sales, etc.  Those are easy to quantify because of they are based on numbers.  If you really want people to go “above and beyond”, you have to define specifically what those behaviors look like not only so they know what is expected, but also so YOU can identify them (and recognize them) when they happen.

That’s your challenge.  Better get to it!

Thanks for reading!

About the author: Matt provides professional coaching, leadership training and highly interactive keynote presentations to individuals and organizations who want to make the most of their potential.

 

I’m not lovin’ it

Here’s the good news.

McDonald’s currently has a great employee working for them at the John Wayne/Orange County airport. If anyone from McDonald’s is reading this, she was working at 11:45 am on Tuesday July 7. She is short in stature with dark hair. I apologize for not getting her name but quite frankly she was too busy for me to ask. She appeared to be wearing a lanyard, but I could not see a name.  She deserves a truckload of kudos and admiration for the way she treats your customers.

With a LONG line of customers in front of her, she was consistently helpful and friendly, displayed great product knowledge, and kept the line moving efficiently.

Here’s the bad news.

I said McDonald’s currently has a great employee because I don’t know how long she’ll stick around.  Here’s what makes me say that:

After I ordered and was waiting for my number to be called, a gentlemen walked up to the counter and asked the price of one of the advertised items. The employee calmly and politely explained that that price was incorrect on the menu boards and then quoted the correct price.

“So all prices are incorrect?”, he asked.

“No, just for that one. All restaurants have the same menu boards, it’s easier for them to program them that way.  It’s up to us to tell you the right price.”

Frustrated, the guy walked away without placing an order, and the usually friendly and efficient employee was visibly frustrated as well.

So did I just hear that right? McDonald’s is knowingly putting up the wrong prices because it’s easier to program the menu boards all the same?  Easier for who? Certainly not the front line employees who have to tell your customers about this and then deal with the fall out.

I wonder how many times per day this happens?

Over time, these inconveniences can wear down even the most dedicated employees.

I can hear it now… “well, she shouldn’t have said that.  That’s not good customer service. She should be reprimanded for that!”

Nope, not even close. It’s not her fault you chose to cut corners at her expense. It’s not her fault you chose convenience over doing what’s right.  If she divulged a secret recipe, then yes, you could be upset. But, explaining the broken policy to a customer who is just trying to figure out how much he’s going to pay…  Nope. You don’t get to be mad about that. That’s your fault.

If you’ve read this blog for awhile, you know my stance on broken polices (like airlines checking your bags for free at the gate to save overhead space!).  I hate them.  Hate is a strong word, but I really do HATE when a policy is detrimental to the front line employee or the customer experience and yet it continues to be practiced.  Why does it continue?  Because it makes money? Because someone is too lazy to change it?  Not good enough.

Please do this RIGHT NOW! Go to your front line employees and ask them what policies are broken.  Ask them what they have to do on a daily basis that gets in their way of providing outstanding customer service.  Go ahead, ask.

Oh, before you do that, check your ego at the door. You may have suggested or implemented the broken policy.

If you are able to address their concerns and fix the broken policies, guess what will happen?  For starters, you’ll have a more efficient operation, better customer service, and an employee who believes in what they are doing and feels like management cares about them. Isn’t that what we all want?

I don’t know that anyone has done a study on this specifically, but I would imagine that turnover rates are at least somewhat proportional to the stupid and illogical things (broken policies) that employees have to endure on a daily basis.

Wouldn’t you find it difficult to keep coming to a job where current policies and/practices were actually making your job more difficult? Worse yet, if management knew about it and chose not to fix it?

There is enough competition for talented employees out there… don’t hamstring yourself by allowing broken policies to send your employees running for the door.

Thanks for reading.

About the author: In June of 2011, Matt hung out his shingle as Performance Optimist Consulting.  Now starting his 5th year with POC, Matt continues to help organizations grow through better leadership, more engaged employees and fewer broken policies. His book, The Myth of Employee Burnout, has received critical acclaim from leaders and employees alike. For more information, visit www.performanceoptimist.com.

 

 

 

3 Ways To Improve Company Culture

I now live in North Carolina.  Feels kind of weird to say that.  I honestly never imagined myself living here until a few years ago when my wife and I started talking about the possibility of moving away from Florida.  Now I that I am here, I really like it.

What I also like is the “culture” of the community that we moved into.  We are in a small mountain community about 20 minutes from downtown Hendersonville, and I quickly noticed that there was a shared behavior of everyone once you got inside the community walls (i.e. subdivision).

Everyone waves.

And it doesn’t matter if you know the person or not. If you pass them in a car, if you see them out getting the mail or taking out the trash, the neighborly thing to do is wave in an effort to greet and acknowledge. And I have to say, it’s kind of nice.

But where did this “wave culture” come from and more importantly for this post, how is it sustained?

Since I only moved here about a month ago, I can’t speak specifically about where it came from or who started it.  For this discussion, we’ll agree that it simply came from a group of nice people who wanted a friendly environment to live in.

Great… but what happens when new people (like us) move in?  Is there a meeting, an in-service, a memo or handbook that says we should wave?  No.  It just happened.

And as I was bringing in the garbage can today (after waving at a neighbor I have yet to meet officially), I realized the steps that were taken to indoctrinate us into this culture.

1. The culture was established.  Long before we got here, someone at some point had started waving.  Again, I don’t know the specific origins, but I do know it happened.  Many companies talk about “creating a culture of this or that”, as if they don’t HAVE a culture already.  The step they often miss is working to overcome the culture they DON’T want in order to achieve the culture that they do want.
2. The culture was communicated.  Again, not through a formal process, but through the actions of those already here.  The interesting thing about being the “newbie” is getting to observe my surroundings to see what sticks versus what is talked about.  Waving wasn’t talked about, it was done.
3. The acceptable and desired behaviors are reinforced. Everyone waves. Everyone buys into the notion that if we don’t have time to converse, we should at least acknowledge our neighbors with a friendly wave.  Sometimes they wave first, setting the example, other times I beat them to it but they return the favor with a wave of their own. It’s quite remarkable.

How does this apply to you?  Looking at the three things above, how can you improve the culture of your team, department or company?

1. Establish your culture.  Don’t forget to figure out how to “un-establish” the old culture if it’s not what you want.  Then define in specific terms the behaviors of the culture you desire.  It’s got to start somewhere, at some point and with some one. It’s not going to develop by osmosis.
2. Communicate your culture. Yes, you can talk about it in training, but don’t let that be the only vehicle for letting people know what you value and what’s important.  Live your values and culture, and find people to surround yourself with that will live the values, too.  Communicate with actions, not just words.
3. Reinforce the acceptable and desired behaviors. Set the example, first and foremost. If someone on your team is living up to your standards, let them know you appreciate it. Recognize it, and it will keep happening. If they can’t or won’t display the behaviors that support your culture and values, let them know how they can improve.  If they choose to behave in a way that does not uphold your standards, they are not a good fit for your culture.  Might be time to thin the herd.

In business, there have to be consequences for those who are not fitting in with the culture you are trying to establish.  When less than the standard is tolerated, that level of performance will become your new culture.

In my neighborhood, I have yet to hear what the consequences might be for NOT waving at others.  Quite frankly, I am not too worried about it.  Waving at my neighbors has now become MY culture, something I WANT to do because it’s accepted, reinforced, and it’s the right thing to do.

Thanks for reading!

About the author:  Matt has lived in Ohio, Michigan, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Connecticut, Florida, and now North Carolina.  He has worked at an amusement park or attraction in four of the states, and has held a drivers license in five (soon to be 6 with NC). There is only one state where Matt didn’t have a drivers license AND didn’t work at an amusement park.  Can you guess it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

You sent my bag where?

NOTE: This is Part 3 of a series of posts inspired by 40 very active hours of travel on March 13-14, 2015.  There will be 1 more entry in this series.  For Part 1 “I don’t care about $2, click here.  For Part 2 “Maybe I didn’t exist”, click here.

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On March 14, I was flying from Baltimore to Chicago in the morning, spending about 12 hours in town, then flying back out of Chicago to Orlando in the evening. My morning flight was on United, the evening flight was American.

At the Baltimore airport, I checked my bag with the skycap outside the terminal (no $2 fee this time!).  He said, I see you are going to Orlando (which technically was true, but not for a long time).  I said, “Yes, but I will be in Chicago most of the day.”

It was 5:00 am, so very little additional conversation took place.  The sky cap handed me my boarding pass and claim ticket, and off I went to find my gate and a little nourishment.

When I landed in Chicago, I had a short window to grab my bag, pick up my rental car and drive the 40 minutes to my destination.

At baggage claim, I was greeted by an eerie calm.  I thought maybe I had just gotten down there faster than everyone else, but at the carousel where my bag was supposed to be, there were no bags and no people. Having danced this dance before, I figured it was just a waiting game, so I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

A few more people showed up, and a few random bags came out. But still no sign of mine. The eerie calm around me was turning into worry as the window was closing for an on-time arrival at my destination.

So at this point, I approached the attendant who was in the area, a very nice woman named Linda who I would learn later has worked for United for 42 years. She very graciously told me that the procedure at O’Hare had changed, and that now they deal with the bags making connections first, then bring the bags terminating in Chicago down to baggage claim. She said the process could take up to 45 minutes to an hour.

So I decided to wait a little longer, and did so nervously. Finally, at the 45 minute mark, I approached Linda and asked if she could at least find out the status of my bag.

I handed her my claim ticket, and immediately she told me the news that I did not want to hear.

My bag had been checked all the way through to Orlando. And no matter how long I waited in baggage claim at O’Hare, my bag would not be joining me.

Two things were packed in my suitcase that I felt I could really use during my time in Chicago. One was a jacket, and the other was my GPS.

Luckily, I had put on a light sweater when leaving Baltimore, and knew that I could count on my phone or I could rent a GPS along with my rental car.

Those two problems averted, I got my rental car, turned up the heat and started driving to my final destination.

The question that still remains in my mind, and I would love to get your perspective on this as well, goes back to the actions of the skycap in Baltimore.

Did he provide good service by sending my bag directly to Orlando (and also, by the way, checking me in for my later flight on a different airline – which I didn’t know about until later), or was it bad service to assume that I wanted my bag checked all the way through to Orlando, not considering whether or not I would need it in Chicago?

On the one hand, he saved me from having to re-check the bag (and myself) in when I arrived for my evening flight. On the other, he also caused me undue stress and worry, caused me to be later to my destination that I wanted to be, and left me without some of the things I needed for the day.

So you have heard the story. What do you think? Good service, or bad service?

If you were the skycap in this situation, would you have done anything differently?

I look forward to your thoughts. Leave a comment below or email me.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

Have you been thinking about getting a copy of “The Myth of Employee Burnout“?  Here’s what a reader said about it (who isn’t the author or his Mom):

“I read your book and found it to be exactly what I was looking for to help fix things around here. To my surprise I was able to inspire the owner to read your book as well. He enjoyed it so much he ordered another 2 books so we can have management read it. The owner and management has taken full responsibility for the problems we currently face with the employees. I have begun to put better practices that I have learned from you into place and it is already making a huge impact.”

Robert Szymankiewicz – Everglades Safari Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unbelievably awesome response to a complaint on social media

I had the great pleasure of working with the fine folks at the Dallas Zoo last week, and I heard a story about how a complaint that came in via social media was handled. It reminded me of one of those “mind blown” headlines, only this one was all substance, and no fluff.

Laurie Holloway, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications for the zoo, told me how monitoring the zoo’s online presence had become a 24/7 endeavor, and that one day she happened to get an alert that someone was less than happy with a meal they just purchased.

Being a hands-on leader, Laurie was already out in the zoo when this happened, and was actually very close to the food venue the guest was referring to.  She looked up their profile picture and went to find them.

She approached the guest and asked if there was anything she could do to help, or possibly replace their meal.

When asked how the guest reacted, Laurie said, “she was very surprised, especially at first. But we had a nice conversation about it, and laughed, and she ended up thanking me.”

I gather she was surprised because deep down, she probably thought her post would just go to her friends and maybe she would get a “so sorry for your experience, here is a coupon” response from the zoo, but that’s about it.  I would imagine she didn’t expect such a quick and personal response.

And I think that’s one of the issues with social media… being able to complain, post and defame in relative anonymity – a pillar of modern day interwebs-warfare. But that’s another post for another time…

In this case, though, interaction on social media allowed a leadership team to be alerted to an issue very quickly, and to turn that into a positively memorable and personal experience for the guest.

So many people ask if and how they should respond to negative comments online.  My answer has always been yes, you should.  (Would you ignore a person who was complaining right in front of you?  I hope not).  Online or in person, the goal is to be respectful and solve the problem.

I think this example goes to show how important it is to respond, and to respond personally.  Especially if the guest is still at your park, zoo, aquarium, farm stand, bank, store, museum, waiting room, or restaurant, you have the opportunity to make an incredible impression on that guest, and solve a problem at the same time.

To do this, though, you have to monitor your online presence carefully, and have people like Laurie who love your guests so much that they are ready to run right out and see if they can help.

That just might be the new model for customer service and service recovery.  Something to think about.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

About the author: ICYMI, Matt appeared on Diane Helbig’s Blog Talk radio show earlier this week.  They talked about burnout and leadership and employee engagement.  Click below for the replay of the show.

 

 

CNC ’14 – days 6-7 of epicness

Note: somehow my post from Great Adventure and Coney Island was deleted. I will reconstruct that when I get home in case you missed it!

Days 6-7

A lovely drive through New Jersey brought us to the iconic Jersey shore and Morey’s Piers. Morey’s is a collection of three amusement piers that jet out from the boardwalk to the ocean. Even though they are attached to the boardwalk, it’s a much different (and better) world once you step on to one of the piers.

Since we drove all morning, our first stop was lunch with Dino Fazio, Director of Operations at Morey’s. While he had to work or something silly like that, George Rohman also stopped by. We had to pose for one of his famous selfies!

Lunch at the Stubborn Brothers cafe was amazing… Great company, stupendous breeze off the ocean and very tasty food! Then it was off to explore the piers. It’s incredible what they have been able to achieve, especially in terms of space management. There is very little unused space, yet it didn’t seem crowded.

Of course we have to mention that all of the restrooms we visited, on all three piers throughout the day, were impeccably kept and spotless. Some of the cleanest restrooms in the industry. No pics of that, though. That would be creepy.

Much of the day was spent observing all the cool things the piers had to offer. How should we document all that, with a triple selfie, of course!

Of course the boardwalk and pier really come alive at night, and it’s literally a different world.

We got on (our third) Ferris wheel ride just as the fireworks over the beach were starting. Made for a great viewing spot.

Video of Fireworks from the Ferris wheel

One last walk to the beach, breakfast at local favorite (peanut butter pancakes at Uncle Bills Pancake House), then it was off to Six Flags America!

Six Flags America turned out to be a fitting end to the trip. They have a coaster (Superman, Ride of Steel) that is a mirror image of one of the first coasters we rode at Darien Lake. It was great to bookend the trip with two great airtime coasters.

Also great seeing SFA peeps Joe Pudlick and Alex Reszitnyk (unfortunately no pics). But we did get a pic with Linda Gerson, who drove out to spend the day with us! So fun!

Another hit at SFA was Roar, a fun wooden coaster that is “fun rough “… Just rough enough to be fun and exhilarating without beating us up! As I expected I would, I preferred the back seat.

As the sun set on another EPIC trip, I can’t help but wonder about where we’ll go next year. I think no matter where we go, with Alan and Darren as the other nerds along for the “ride”, it will be beyond epic… And I’ll be ready to go!!!

#thatdidnotsuck

Thanks for following along!

Matt

CNC ’14 – oh, the epicness!

Our first stop (on the day we arrived) was at Darien Lake. Had a great time exploring the park, and even a better time experiencing the airtime on Ride of Steel!

A first for me was the MotoCoaster – only wish it was a little longer! 🙂

Then it was off to Canada!

We made it across the border with little fanfare, although Alan was a little nervous about the boarder patrol asking to see in the back of the car. Not because we had anything to hide, but because it is a rental car and he wasn’t sure how to open the hatch from the drivers seat. Luckily, he didn’t ask.

Had a fantastic day at Canada’s Wonderland! The park was clean, the staff was friendly and the rides, landscaping and grounds were incredibly well maintained. If you haven’t been to CW, it’s worth the trip!!

For the coaster nerds, Leviathan was AMAZING!! Fast, great airtime and smmooooth! It will be hard for another coaster to top that one on this trip, but we’ll keep an open mind. 🙂

We did find one odd thing… A Dollywood monkey plush must have wanted to see what CW was all about…

Before we left Toronto, we had to stop by the Parliament Building. Not for a civics lesson, but because this was the backdrop of the cover of one of my favorite albums of all time – Moving Pictures by Rush.

That’s me right where the dudes in the red jumpsuits were literally moving pictures.

After a looong day of driving, we ended up at Dorney Park with only two hours of operation left for the day. That was enough for us to get in 8 coaster rides, 4 of which were on one of our airtime favorites, Steel Force.

Another hour-and-a-half of driving landed us at our hotel in New Jersey. We are now getting ready to tackle Six Flags Great Adventure. The trip has already been quite an adventure… Uber excited to see what today brings.

Stay tuned!

Matt

Less is more

The other day, Linda and I had a hankering for breakfast. Of course, it was 2:30 in the afternoon, but still, omelets and bacon were on our minds. So off to a local all-day breakfast joint we went.

Our server could not have been better, I think her name was Carol. She was friendly, efficient, and was amazing at anticipating what we wanted and needed. The food was hot, fresh and tasty.

Where’s the controversy? The drama? The ranting and raving about less is more?

It happened during a “table visit” by one of the managers. I really shouldn’t call it a visit, it was more like a drive-by, meaning it was brief (at best) and the manager’s stride was never broken. I knew it was some sort of interaction, because he said “hello”, and may have even (quickly) said, “how are you?”

Even though the restaurant was far from busy, this attempt at a visit didn’t bother me. I am sure there are restaurant aficionados who would say this is unacceptable, but it was a pleasant enough interaction and everything else with that visit had been great.

So far.

As he passed us, I responded to his question by saying, “how are you?” And this is when it happened.

“I’m tired,” the manager stated. “I’m ready to go home. I opened today and now it looks like they are going make me close.”

If his words and sentiment weren’t bad enough, he said it as he continued to walk away from us, I guess expecting us to turn around to respond in some way. We didn’t.

So now you probably know what I mean by “less is more”. I would have been totally fine with his drive-by visit if he had left out the part about not wanting to be there. I think that’s something I learned early on in my customer service career – if you, as an employee, don’t want to be there, why should your guests want to be there?

As strange as it sounds, though, I can almost guess where these comments came from. I would imagine it was his way of relating to us in a “work sucks” kind of way. Everyone hates their job, right? No one would want to stay longer than needed, would they? Yep, buddy, work sucks.

And in fact his work may suck, but I CHOSE to come to his workplace for a pleasant experience, and the LAST thing I want to hear about is that he doesn’t like his job.

What also struck me was the way he said, “THEY are going to make me close.” They… as in management above him. As in someone he doesn’t identify with. As in the boss, the enemy, the Man.

And maybe this is the root of the problem, and ultimately where the “work sucks” attempt at camaraderie-building came from. There was a palpable “us vs. them” attitude coming from this guy, and it was directed at this establishments’ management team, of which he is a part!

We talk a lot about front line employees and their impact on the customer experience, but what about you and your leadership teams? If you have leaders working for you who feel like this guy does, they could be really weighing down your service efforts.

How do you know if your leaders are are “on board”?

• Listen to them. When they talk about management do they say “we” or “they”. We means “I belong”. They means “I don’t”.
• Watch them. Their behavior is a reflection of their feelings. Are they setting the desired example for your employees?
• Ask them. When talking to other managers, don’t just talk about tasks and budgets and deadlines, get to know them as a person. Develop some common ground that they can buy into.

One area where less is not more is in the area of personal and professional development for your leaders. The more they feel a part of the leadership team, the fewer blog posts like this will be needed… Oh, and the better your business will run.

Thanks for reading.

About the author: While this post is about ‘less is more’, Matt quickly acknowledges that less can occasionally be less, and sometimes less just isn’t as much.

Why did you say that?

I was out for a walk the other day when I saw an older dude jogging toward me. As he got closer, he said:

“in case you were wondering, I hate this.”

Well, I wasn’t wondering, but I am now.  Specifically, here is what I’d like to know:

If you really hate running, why are you doing it, and of you don’t hate running, why did you say it?

I would guess that he really doesn’t hate running, or at least he likes the health benefits of running, so he endures the process.  There are things we all do that we might not like doing, but we like or desire the result, so we do it. So I don’t think that’s it.

I am much more intrigued by why he said this. Why did he choose to tell me he hates running, rather than just saying hello or good morning, or nothing at all?

It reminded me of a leader I once worked with who told me in confidence that, “it sounds silly, but I love my job.”

Both of these statements are telling in their own right. I get the impression that my jogging buddy feels that running is a necessary evil and that complaining about it reaps more rewards and attention that being positive about it. My leader friend was in a similar boat. In his environment, it wasn’t cool to like your job, so even if you did, you would still complain about it because that’s what gives you positive attention.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “misery loves company”.  We’ve also heard that “smiles are contagious”. So, if people are conduits for both positivity and negativity, don’t we have a choice of which one we pass along to someone else?

Of course we do, but that doesn’t always make it easy.  Going along with the crowd and their negativity can actually be comforting.  You fit in, you belong.  As much as people want positive attention, they REALLY want to belong.

What’s more prevalent in your work areas?  Commiserating misery or contagious smiles? Don’t you, as a leader, have the power, opportunity, and responsibility to set the right course?

Which one are you choosing?

Thanks for reading!

Bonus quote for today’s post comes from Matt’s favorite band, Rush.  They wrote a song called Freewill, and part of the lyrics state: “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”  Thought that went nicely with our topic today. Kind of like the cherry on an ice cream sundae!

Hard Work and Trial and Error

My first video post.  Please be gentle.

Side note: You’ll notice that I am wearing the same shirt in the video on the Myth of Mid Season Burnout page.  That’s the video that seemed to be going so horribly wrong and inspired me to do this one. Luckily, I was able to find some salvageable clips.  Whew!

Thanks for reading… I mean WATCHING!!!