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and opened a democratic little place where lobstermen and captains of industry, cops on the beat and paranoid schizophrenics, university professors and cab drivers rub shoulders at the counter.
All of her meals are backed by a no-strings-attached guarantee: If you don’ t like it, you don’ t pay. Better yet, every customer quickly becomes a regular and a treasured friend. Many folks in the area eat at Becky’ s daily. When regulars don’ t show, they call in beforehand. Otherwise, Becky or one of her staff is on the way with a bowl of homemade soup and a muffin straight from the oven.
Her outstanding service has inspired countless publicity offers, franchise opportunities, and more. But there is only one Becky, and she’ s motivated by one thing: love. She loves what she does, the staff she does it with, and the customers she does it for.
Love is serving others without expecting anything in return.
The Offspring of Love at Work
Ernest Dimnet, in The Art of Thinking, wrote“ Love, whether it be the attraction of Truth, or pure, simple, elemental love, always opens up the intellect and gives it freedom of genius.”
We all work. Whether we cook omelets, prepare taxes, sell cars, or lead corporations, we spend more than one-third of our lives in the workplace. We can choose to blend in, putting in our time with one eye on the clock, or we can take part in something bigger than ourselves. We can find satisfaction and meaning in our jobs every single day, but perhaps even that is aiming too low. Maybe we ought to be pursuing and living our genius.
When we deliver them with love, our products and services become more attractive, leading to better customer response, greater employee retention, and more.
When we add the irresistible ingredient of love into every element of our work, a job becomes an occupation, then becomes a career, and then becomes a successful career. We will build meaningful relationships with our colleagues. We will cultivate solid, trustworthy business relationships with our clients. And we will develop a very real, satisfying connection with the actual tasks at hand.
A positive cycle develops quickly, greatly impacting the effectiveness of our business. When we deliver them with love, our products and services become more attractive, leading to better customer response, greater employee retention and more. Best of all, the results will invariably lead to a sense of personal fulfillment and renewed motivation.
Anyone can add love to his or her work, but nobody has to. The imperative benefits as much the individual— the lover— as it does the object of its practice. Yet while the irresistible ingredient is there for the taking, not everyone partakes.
According to an article in USA Today, a Dutch psychologist investigated the differences between chess masters and grand chess masters. He found no difference in IQ, memory, or spatial reasoning. The only difference he could identify: the grand masters simply loved chess more. He concluded that they had more passion about and commitment to the game.
I’ ve observed that you don’ t have to love what you do to be very good at it. I know very competent and successful individuals who have developed the skills to succeed at their work. By their own admission, they see what they do as a means to an end. They don’ t love their work, nor are they passionate about it. They are, however, good at it.
But when it comes to greatness, I intuitively concur with the Dutch researcher. The inspired performers, the uber-achievers and the grand masters of love seem to share a common denominator.
Love is the difference. This four-letter word will make you and what your do quite irresistible.
About the author:
Mark Sandorn, CSP, CPAE, is the president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc. An internationally recognized speaker and best-selling author, he is widely known as an expert on leadership and customer service. For more information, visit: www. marksanborn. com
The Credit Professional 32 Spring 2018