"You Are So Much More Than..."

Your position, your role, your title, your name badge, your business card

You especially are not a “just” anything.

I met someone the other day at a business that told me they were “just an assistant”, they don’t have much ability to influence results.
WRONG; X – first buzzer

“I’m not the owner of this lodge, I’m just one of the managers”- I just check people in.
WRONG: X – second buzzer

On a pre-event survey, another person said, “I’m essentially just a janitor for the dining hall.” “I clean up after everyone else.”
WRONG; X – third buzzer

YOU are SO MUCH MORE THAN… your position, your role, your title, your business card.

• The “just an assistant”, when prompted further, realized that they were the entry point for phone calls coming into the sales office. She had the ability to make the callers feel welcomed and appreciated by being cheerful, efficient, and courtesy. Instead of an automated system, she realized that she could listen to the tone of the callers to identify how they wanted to be “interacted with”. If they were in a hurry, she would forward them appropriately. If they wanted to talk, she would gather more information from them and build rapport. Warm welcome greeter setting the tone, making people feel appreciated for their inquiry > “just an assistant”
• The “just one of the managers” ended up sharing her background and how she loved earning the trust and responsibility of being essentially the person in charge. At this lovely lodge with 29 rooms, not only was she helping her team with operations, housekeeping, and maintenance, she also greeted each and every guest in person as they arrived. As travelers approached, she immediately stood up, walked around the front desk, opened the door, smiled, and instantly made guests feel special. An orchestrator of fun, the instigator of vacation, kayaking, dining, fire pit enjoying, hammock swinging, playing with rubber ducks in the stream, good time creator - “just a manager”
• The “essentially just a janitor”, during our discussion, came to the realization that he was able to interact with students as he moved from station to station in the public eye. He was not always behind the scenes in the kitchen,… he was often among their customers (these students). He would offer friendly smiles to those that needed one. He gave directions and shared where things were located, how to return dirty dishes, where to find the ice cream, etc.
  
  A friendly face for new freshman, a guide, an instructor, a listening ear > “essentially just a janitor”

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure to share SERVICE EXCELLENCE and KINDNESS TACTICS with PENN STATE’S CAMPUS DINING TEAMS. Together we realized that ALL OF THEIR POSITIONS/ROLES were SO MUCH MORE than what might appear on their name badges. We went from:

• Providing students with access to burgers and French fries TO “offering comforting food to my customers to make them feel nourished and at home”
• Working in the market TO “offering convenience for students that don’t have time for a full meal. I want them to focus on their studies and not be hungry.”
• Serving as a cashier TO “being a friend that they can talk to and I’m happy to listen”

One employee shared this story with me. A student had special dietary needs, so this employee decided to take ownership and help him every time and anytime he needed assistance. The student didn’t need to re-explain any restrictions, because this employee knew his story. They would see each other every day and built a friendship to the point when, at the end of the school year, the student wanted to return the kindness favor. He invited this employee to his home with his parents and siblings and insisted on cooking for this employee and her family. It was his turn to show kindness, service, and appreciation back to her.

“Just a food server” turned into a “LIFELONG FRIEND”