Take Your Seat At The "Big" Table

This weekend marks Thanksgiving in Canada. Apparently, we Canadians say "Thank you" first ... just in case it's a competition.

I remember being a kid at Thanksgiving and sharing the fold-out card table with the other kids while the grown-ups sat at the big table for turkey dinner. I remember the first time I got my chance to take MY seat at the big table and what a great feeling it was to be recognized as a grown-up. But I had to ensure I conducted myself as an adult for fear of losing my place at the big table.

At your job, do you sit at the big table or the fold-out card table? Simple question. Profound answer. Are you in the big strategy meetings or just the social planning (play) meetings? I think it's incumbent upon every single employee to shoot for sitting at the big table. I think that by your employ, you are required to earn your place at the big table.

You are not just an employee. Likely, you are a customer as well, or your family members or neighbors are customers. You have a certain influence that they, outside of the company, do not have. This is especially true of people who work for phone companies, utilities, grocery stores, banks, government, oil companies or any company or organization whose products or services you purchase.

It could be argued that if you left the organization tomorrow, you would probably still be a customer - so technically you are a customer first and an employee second. So take your place at the big table and advocate on behalf of your fellow customers. Force those who have also seated themselves around the table to see that they too are customers first and employees second.

Stop the me-me-me mentality of cutting services to make bigger and more obscene profits at the expense of your revenue stream (your customers). Explain to your co-workers that when you focus on customer satisfaction levels first, your quarterly financial statements improve.

An Attitude of Service must prevail. An Instigational® Attitude will start the discussion. An Attitude of Gratitude will cause you to be thankful for not only your customers continuing to do business with you but your ability to take your seat at the table of influence and do something great on behalf of your customers.

You, by your employ, have an influence within your organization that those outside of the organization do not have. Don't squander your opportunity. Force your organization to rise above mediocrity and into greatness. Greatness, after all, is just one step beyond mediocrity. All it takes is one idea or suggestion to rise above the other ordinary, boring organizations who wallow in their mediocrity. You can do something great here.

--
Attitude w/ ATTITUDE

Subscribe to Kevin's Attitude with ATTITUDE Blog by Email
Follow Kevin on Twitter @attitudeburns
The Official Kevin Burns YouTube Channel