Untitled 1

Small business owners: Dawn McCarroll at adwh.com is a fabulous IT resource. She created the uncommoncourtesy.net shopping cart, has debugged problems on this site, created amazing add-ons like my UnCommon Christmas Tale, and created series of sister sites including bingoforchristmas.com. She is my IT department! Contact her at: dawn.mccarroll@adwh.com

And the Answer Is- Another Motivational Article from UnCommon Courtesy and Coaching!

Motivational Articles by Dr. Susan Rempel

And The Answer is . . . Yes! You Can Find Something Positive in Just About Every Situation!

If you are a long-time subscriber to the Pinnacle Perspective, you know that we had a bit of a problem while sending out our last newsletter. Although it was not a pleasant experience, I learned a very important lesson: there is a positive side to just about every situation. The following is my sad tale of woe, the lessons that I learned, and how you can find the positive side of your darkest moments:

E-gads! What a way to end a week. After muddling through strep throat, writer’s block, and several difficult cases in my private practice, I finished up the newsletter. It was now in the hands of a capable member of my staff. I could finally relax, or so I thought!

Then, I heard, a small voice say, “Uh, Susan. I think there’s a problem.” I won’t bore you with the details, but the newsletter was sent out incorrectly. It was sent in such a manner that was bound to upset some of our subscribers. My reaction was to immediately send out a second e-mail alerting subscribers to the problem and extending a heartfelt apology. Needless to say, everyone in the office felt awful! No one likes to make a mistake. No one enjoys upsetting other people. Most of all, no one in business wants to do something that will alienate clients.

Then, my secondary reaction began to set in. I suspect that this is a reaction that most business people have experienced at one time or another. Thoughts randomly floated through my head as I looked out the window. “Well, there goes that great business!” “How could that have happened?” “I’m sure that everyone will cancel.” Realizing that these thoughts were totally unrealistic and unproductive, I took myself through one of my favorite coaching exercises. I considered the extreme outcomes of the situation. Either everyone would cancel or no one would cancel. Of course, both notions were unrealistic. However, I find that you must consider the best possible outcome along with the worst one in order to clearly see that the worst result is unlikely to occur. My anxiety decreased as I began to look at the situation objectively. Yes, there would be fallout because of the error, but it would not be as drastic as I could imagine. Then, I began to look for the positive aspects of the situation. We had just completed an ad campaign and were receiving a large number of new subscribers everyday. Surely, we would not have a net loss after combining those who canceled with the new subscribers. I also knew that the staff member who made the mistake would never make such a mistake again. Further, it gave me solace to know that the mistake occurred when we had 1,000 subscribers rather than 10,000. As I sat in my chair, I was actually able to think of a long list of “positives” that could or would arise from this mistake.

The next day, after finding strength in the many positive things I had thought of, I gathered up enough nerve to check the e-mail. In that the newsletter is sent out through my address, I could look over the responses before forwarding them on to the person that disseminates the newsletter. For you Dr. Seuss enthusiasts, the experience that followed was like that of the Grinch hearing the townspeople of Who-ville singing on Christmas morning after he had stolen all of their presents and food. Yes, there were a number of cancellations, but only a small percentage of the number that I actually had anticipated. Yes, there were a handful of disrespectful messages that began with: “You people are idiots.” What I had not, nor could not, anticipate were the HUGE number of supportive e-mails that I and my staff member received. People told us about mistakes that they had made in their businesses. We were assured that everyone has setbacks now and then. Others jokingly told us that after we had a short “time out” in the corner, they would forgive us. The messages flooded my e-mailbox all day long.

In retrospect, it makes sense that people who subscribe to a motivational newsletter would not be the sort who would be highly critical and unforgiving of an isolated mistake. However, I like to think that there is a bit more to it than that. Let me again refer to you a passage from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas: “And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling: ‘How could it be so? It [Christmas] came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!’ And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! ‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more.’” In my case, the “little bit more” is the relationship that I have forged with many of my subscribers. It is the personalized message that I send to each new subscriber. It is spending just a little bit extra time on the telephone with a client. It is the personal attention to each company’s need. The goal of UnCommon Courtesy & Coaching is to help others lead full and rich and productive lives. While helping others to improve their interpersonal skills and broaden their focus to include the five key areas of life*, I have had the privilege of establishing relationships with many clients and subscribers. I firmly believe that the personal attention people receive when interacting with me and my staff members is the “little bit more” which will ensure the future success of UnCommon Courtesy & Coaching (www.uncommoncourtesy.com).

What can you learn from my experience? First of all, it is the relationships that you build with your clients, customers, or guests that will cause your business to succeed. No matter how fantastic your product is or sensational your marketing campaign, you will never maintain long term success in business unless you take the time to develop solid interpersonal business relationships. When something negative or unexpected occurs, remember to objectively examine the situation. Determine the likely range of outcomes and do what you can to ensure that a positive outcome occurs. In the moments when the positive glasses you wear** begin to turn dark, consider all of the positive ramifications that could arise from your situation. Most importantly, don’t take yourself too seriously. For each mistake you make there will be an unintended success. Few mistakes are fatal. They are often opportunities that will serve as springboards for your greatest successes in business and in life. As a great philosopher once said, “That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”

As always, thank you for subscribing to the Pinnacle Perspective!

Warmest regards,

Susan

* Please refer to my article: The Personal Pinnacle of Success: Defining and Climbing the Mountain on Your Own Terms” at http://www.uncommoncourtesy.com/personal1.htm.

** Please refer to my article: “Whose Glasses Will You Put on Tomorrow?” at http://www.uncommoncourtesy.com/whoseglasses.htm.

These articles (including the copyright notice) may be reprinted with the following the following attachment:

- begin attachment -

Bingo Games, Motivational Material and More at WWW.UnCommonCourtesy.com!

More than 200 holiday, religious, educational, and diversity bingo games and concentration sets available . Bingo games for adults and children to play at home, school, church, corporate meetings, and just about anywhere you can imagine. Games made to order for every occasion. Motivational articles and personal growth exercises too! Visit http://www.uncommoncourtesy.com today!

- end attachment -

Click here for a list of just about all the bingo games and concentration sets that I offer!

Copyright © 1997-2010 Susan C. Rempel, Ph.D.

All rights reserved.