Does It Matter?

When you see your doctor, does it really matter to you what place he finished in his class or is it more important that he have compassion for you and be able to explain your situation clearly and with caring?

When you hire a lawyer, does it matter that he was fourteenth in his graduating class or is it more important that he be good at reading people, be willing to spend a an extra few minutes with you explaining your options and looking out for your best interests?

When you hire an accountant, does it matter which school she received her degree from or is it more important that she be well-versed in changing tax laws, understanding your business needs and be willing to help you set yourself up for maximum success?

When you hire a Realtor, does it really matter that he barely passed his licensing course or is it more important that he keep up to date on market changes, spends time getting to know the properties in your neighborhood and is willing to work hard for his commission?

When you hire a new employee, does it matter that they come to you with the highest marks or is it more important that the new employee is willing to learn, accept guidance, work well with the rest of the team, accept that he or she has a lot to learn and shows determination in helping develop better customer relations with your clients?

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: The truth is your education doesn’t really start until you leave school. It’s in the real world where you are forced to deal with the ever-changing economic realities. You are obliged to adapt to change, correct your course and handle adversity as it shows up daily – both personally and as an organization.

You rarely get the choice of who you work with. You are thrust into an environment of diverse people, genders, racial backgrounds and incredibly diverse opinions. Your marks aren’t going to help you here. It’s your “people skills” that will make or break your team. It’s the attitudes of your people towards “service leadership” that will separate the winners from the losers.

Every career, every position and every employee must understand that the job – regardless of what your title might be on your business card – is service. Everyone in every job in the world serves someone else. There isn’t a job that doesn’t serve someone else. Customer Service reps and salespeople serve the customers. HR serves the employees and senior management. Marketing serves the sales department. The CEO serves the employees and shareholders. Every employee serves every other employee by being able to get along, accept people’s foibles and idiosyncrasies and move forward toward the common good. Everyone serves someone else. That’s the definition of Service Leadership – taking the lead in serving others.

Those who can’t or refuse to comprehend Service Leadership will fail miserably. Service is an attitude. Customer service is a department. If you’ve hardly picked up a book on how to be a better, more compassionate, empathetic, genuine service to your community and clients since you left school, well then; you’re likely to wallow near the bottom of your success potential for years to come.

You want to work with people who have people-skills. You want to hire professionals with good people skills. You want to feel valued and respected in every interaction. It’s the people with excellent people-skills who will excel in life. Credentials on a wall don’t make you a decent human being. Your education has just begun. Yes, it matters.