Change is Hard

One of the oldest sayings in business is, “change is hard.” Certainly that can be true, but can I be so bold as to suggest that it is momentum and attitude that are really at the root of making change hard. Much like a large seagoing vessel, once business gets moving in one direction it becomes very hard, seemingly impossible, to slow that momentum and change direction.

Equally difficult is attempting to change attitude. Those who averse to change will utilize the rallying cry “that’s not the way we do things!” Momentum and attitude have swallowed many leaders whole in a wide array of business and industry. Could that be why there are literally shelves full of books offering up advice on change leadership.

Two new entries in the category offer up winning guidance on how to lead change and utilize storytelling to gain the buy in you need to truly make and impactful change and they achieve it without falling into the well-worn business book trap of offering up a parable about a new location for your favorite dairy product.

The Storyteller’s Secret – From TED Speakers to Business Leaders, Why Some Ideas Catch on and Others Don’t - Carmine Gallo (St. Martin’s Press)

What is it you want to do? Is your goal to; grow a business, make more sales, educate, inspire, evolve or change a culture, lead a group or organization? Ask yourself…can storytelling help you to have an impact and achieve the goal you are seeking? I think the simple and direct answer is yes.

Now the question becomes what makes storytelling work and how do you become the kind of storyteller that can have an impact and achieve the goal(s) you are seeking? That in a nutshell is what bestselling author and communication expert Carmine Gallo sets out to help you with, in his new book, The Storyteller’s Secret – From TED Speakers to Business Leaders, Why Some Ideas Catch on and Others Don’t.

 

Gallo breaks down not only how to craft an effective story, but also how the delivery can up the ante on the power of persuasion. I think the case can certainly be made that some folks have the inherent ability to weave a spellbinding tale and others maybe not so much. That’s where training and practice can help. I want to be clear; this is not a book on public speaking and there is a VAST difference between speaking and storytelling.

Gallo provides a range of storytelling/teller examples throughout the book. He also offers up a storyteller’s checklist in each of the chapters that will offers not only additional insight, but also a roadmap to storytelling success that you can put to use when you develop your story and how you tell it.

Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies and Symbols – Nancy Duarte and Patti Sanchez – (Portfolio)

Nancy Duarte, the bestselling author, communications guru and CEO of Silicon Valley design firm Duarte and her chief strategy officer Patti Sanchez offer up what I will call the third installment in Duarte’s effective communication series, Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies and Symbols.

Illuminate, as the title suggests moves beyond just telling stories by adding a visual element to the change communication process. Duarte and Sanchez drill down the process of transformation to a five stage process and illustrate how utilizing a series of tools can help leaders through the process.

The duo also walk you through the process by showing you how other successful leaders/businesses have used these five stages and the tools to successful negotiate buy in and navigate through change successfully. Like the other books in the series, there is a real hands on feel to the narrative and adaptable action steps that would provide a blueprint no matter what the business category.

NO surprise that leaders from the design realm would bring a visual element to help bring a sharper focus and illustrate the process steps. The thing I like about the books in this set are each stand on their own individually and will bring value to your role as a leader.

Inspiration Calling

How To Be Here: Creating a Life Worth Living – Rob Bell (Harper One)

Full disclosure up front: I was not familiar with Rob Bell as a pastor, spiritual leader, speaker or New York Times bestselling author. That being said, I didn’t know what to expect when a cracked open Bell’s latest effort, How To Be Here: Creating a Life Worth Living.

While some may be disappointed that Bell doesn’t spend a lot of effort preaching, I was intrigued by his narrative style and his approach to delivering the story he sought to tell with this book. Bell utilizes the computer cursor blinking at you as the starting place of what you want to go out and create; the cursor being a metaphor for whatever path you want to take, whatever endeavor you want to launch, your starting point.

While many of us sit gazing at the flashing cursor, waiting for “magic to happen” or lightening to strike and get us moving, Bell speaks directly to the choices we make and the choices we avoid. He offers inspiration to help us over, around or through the self-manifesting roadblocks we erect that prevent us from pursuing the life we want.

While there is a level of spirituality and a touch of self-helpy-ness to How To Be Here, it never leaks over into the syrupy or the trite; remaining firmly planted in the realm of inspiration. As with all of these kinds of books, I search for bits and useful tidbits that I can plug into my own life and my role as a leader and member of the community and Rob Bell delivers.

Dale Carnegie Redux

The Art of People – 11 Simple People Skills That Will Get You Everything You Want – Dave Kerpen

80 years ago a poor farm boy from Missouri released one of the bestselling books of all time, one that remains a perennial bestseller to this day; Dale Carnegie, How To Win Friends and Influence People. Millions of people seeking self-improvement, sales and improved interpersonal skills folk to Carnegie’s books for advice, which still stands the test of time.

Now, New York Times bestselling author Dave Kerpen offers up what some have dubbed as a book similar to the Carnegie classic, only “better suited for today’s world” with, The Art of People – 11 Simple People Skills That Will Get You Everything You Want.

 

Kerpen offers up over fifty puzzle pieces, short chapter length essays that fit nicely in the eleven categories the title describes. Those eleven include things like Understanding Yourself and Understanding People, Reading People, Leading People and Inspiring People among others.

Kerpen makes good on the titles promise of keeping things simple as he offers up personal anecdotes and advice for putting this guidance into play. He also adds a personal exercise, FAST – First Action Steps, a few simple steps/questions/exercises that you can quickly put into action to put what he is teaching into play.

Anyone who has spent any time working to improve themselves or their work/personal life, including Mr. Carnegies work, will find a lot of familiar themes here. While Kerpen isn’t really plowing a lot of new ground here, he has pulled together a very useful, very workable collection of things that will contribute to the positive outcome you are seeking.  

Don’t Overlook This Piece of Your Marketing Plan

So you’ve developed your marketing plan, fully funded your budget, launched your campaigns, optimized your website, held your event, aligned your content, your ads are flawless; you are ready to go and grow. Then when your customers come through your door the wheels come off because they have a terrible experience.

While you can design a brilliant creative campaign, have all of the pieces in place, but if your team isn’t ready to deliver the best possible customer service/experience, then all of the money you put into marketing will have been wasted. It behooves you to make sure that you don’t lose focus on what can be the most critical piece in your marketing plan; customer service.

A pair of new books offer up some great advice that truly spans the business spectrum that you can put in place with your team to either improve or begin your approach to customer service/experience.

Hello! And Every Little Thing That Matters – Impactful Ideas for Treating Your Customers Right – Kate Edwards

Could it really be as simple as saying Hello, when your customer enters your business? The answer from customer service consultant Kate Edwards is YES. Edwards who consults with some of the finest dining establishments in the world is out with a step by step guide, Hello! And Every Little Thing That Matters – Impactful Ideas for Treating Your Customers Right that businesses can plug into to help improve their customer experience.

Think about the last time you visited a retail establishment, restaurant, medical office or any place of business; did the staff make you feel welcome? If they did, what did they do to make that happen? And if they didn’t, what was missing? Did it seem like your being there was a bother that the staff didn’t really want to deal with? Was the greeting your received mechanical and without feeling?

Edwards make the case that the little things, like a greeting can make a difference and set the tone for your customers experience. But it’s more than just tossing off a “Hello and welcome to XYZ widgets” it’s about how you deliver the greeting and what follows; are you making what could be a simple visit a memorable experience.

If you deliver that personalized experience, it sets you apart from your competition and gets people’s attention in a busy, overloaded world. Edwards serves up plenty of ideas that you can put in place today.

501 Ways to Roll Out the Red Carpet for Your Customers: Easy-to-Implements Ideas to Inspire Loyalty, Get New Customers and make a Lasting Impression – Donna Cutting (Career Press)

Speaking of plenty of ideas, how about 501 of them? Donna Cutting, author, keynote speaker, founder of Red-Carpet Learning Systems and customer service expert services up plug and play ideas that cut a broad swath through a variety of industries in her new book 501 Ways to Roll Out the Red Carpet for Your Customers: Easy-to-Implements Ideas to Inspire Loyalty, Get New Customers and make a Lasting Impression.

Cutting takes things a step further by offering leaders insight into how to not only develop and improve customer service plans, but how to make the transition from the white board to actual execution of these strategies. While some of the bold customer service ideas Cutting serves up are fairly industry specific. It is easy to see how many can be adapted and adopted in other industries as well.

While that first impression matters, Cutting also preaches consistency, consistency, consistency, so that your customer service is ongoing and not a one off approach. This is what will not only keep your customers coming back, but also get them advocating on your behalf; while money can’t buy word of mouth, customer service, good and bad, certainly can.