As a former business owner, I recognize and appreciate good customer service. On our recent vacation to the Southwest, being free from the normal distractions of work, I was even more in tune with the good and bad of customer service we received. Perhaps it was because I was looking more closely than normal, but I honestly believe we saw extremes.
I was inspired while visiting the small town of Jerome, Arizona on our recent vacation to the Southwest. While Cheryl enjoyed some local shopping, I enjoyed perusing the streets discovering nuggets of the city’s rich history. Jerome began as a mining town. People came hoping to get rich off the minerals in the area, especially copper. When the mines dried up, the city nearly died. Jerome’s population went from a height of 15,000 in 1920’s to 50 people in the late 1950’s.
Martha was our concierge at the Sedona Real Hotel in Sedona, Arizona during our recent vacation. She helped us pick a restaurant and gave us some quick travel tips, in between helping dozens of other people in person and on the phone, all within thirty minutes before her quitting time for the day. It was obvious it had been a busy day, she was surely tired, but you couldn’t tell it from her disposition. Everyone she helped received the same excellent service.
Here are a few more vacation pictures. As you can tell, we saw lots of different environments and we (mostly Cheryl) took lots of pictures…almost 1,000 of them, so this is a random
Could you make a list of dreams, or things you’ve tried at and failed at before? What has been impossible for you?
Go ahead and make the list, then give it to God.
We have had a great week. We are hitting four states in 8 days, starting in New Mexico at the annual Balloon Festival (see these pictures) then heading to Colorado, then Utah, and now Arizona. We’ll be home Saturday in time for church on Sunday. I’ll try to post more pictures later.
Thanks for all the Twitter/Facebook suggestions of places to visit. I had numerous invites from other pastors to meet for coffee or visit, but this trip was packed with Cheryl time. Hopefully we can connect at a conference soon. (I’m going to Story later this month)
Do you think perception matters in the field of leadership and the people a leader attempts to lead? Which makes me think of another question, is a person a leader if he or she “attempts” to lead? To be a leader must one have people who follow?
Part 3 results of the leadership perception survey I conducted last month. Check this blog for more information about this survey.
Part 2 of the results of my recent Leadership Perception Survey.
Over the next few days I will share some of the results of the Leadership Perception Survey I posted recently on my blog. Just so you know, there is no hidden agenda here. Several have asked. I simply believe perception of a situation matters, sometimes as much as reality. In leadership, we must always be aware of another person’s perception and realize that not everyone thinks as we do. That doesn’t mean perception has to alter what we do, certainly not if we are doing the right thing, but perception can play a factor in success and may alter the strategy we use to accomplish our vision.
