WordFood

WordFood - how we feed or starve our realtionships

- Julia Hubbel

Julia’s ability to get this group of type-A executives to engage in true networking was incredible. She is truly skilled at motivating the group to engage and interact with each other, and her openness and honesty really come through.

— Shelley Stewart, Jr.,
Senior Vice President of Operational Excellence and Chief Procurement Officer, Tyco

May 12, 2012

WordFood we need every day

Filed under: Uncategorized — Julia Hubbel @ 4:37 pm

It’s amazing how easy it is to get into the habit of catching people in the habit of doing things wrong. I was in Albuquerque working with leaders from BNSF a short while back and we were discussing how safety conscious this big railway company is. And for good reason. Safety is paramount. Every day people are playing with very big trains and lives are at risk: life and limb. A small mistake could mean huge impact down the line. Managers and leaders have to be on the watch all the time for violations big and small.
However this means constant vigilance for what is potentially wrong- and not enough catching people in the act of doing things perfectly. So we spent time talking and practicing the art of celebrating a job well done. Even in the small things. Doing a coupling job well, for example. An everyday job, but when it’s acknowledged, it makes a difference. People don’t expect that extra pat on the back. And boy, do we glow when we get it, especially if we’ve had a hard day.
At the end of our training, one senior manager commented about how the WordFood program made him think about how he treats his kids. “I’m always catching them out doing stuff wrong,” he said, sadness in his voice. “I don’t want to be that Dad.” We talked about ways to find the good in what they do every day and celebrate the small stuff.
Especially in our intimate relationships we need reminders that for the most part, we do get it right most of the time. Point that out to each other. Bask in each other’s goodness and value. Then when we have to make the inevitable course corrections, they’re much easier to take. Do this with yourself, too. These are the WordFood Energy Enhancers, or compliments, that we need to keep us engaged and happy.
Who do you need to feed today?

May 9, 2012

WordFood Thanks

Filed under: Uncategorized — Julia Hubbel @ 11:42 am

How do you or your staff say thank you to your customers? This is WordFood of a very special kind, and an opportunity to get folks to come back again soon. I saw an example of wonderful WordFood today at the Baltimore Convention Center at the end of a four day international supply chain conference.

BaltiMORE is the theme for a city that has undergone many renovations downtown and the city wants you back. With the harbor redone and the shops and restaurants glittering and gleaming, it’s a welcoming city. The big convention center is a study in good design, and the huge hall sits thousands, keeping its people very busy serving us for lunches and dinners. The Institute for Supply Management was fed excellent food by attentive staff day after day this week, people who took care not to interrupt the important presentations. But the real treat was today, at the end of the last brunch.
As we all walked out of the big dining hall after being regaled by a comedy team, we walked out the doors to be greeted by the servers themselves, lined up on either side of the doors. They applauded us, and thanked us for our business. Smiling broadly, they clapped, smiled and whistled as we walked out. We were movie stars!
Surprised and pleased, we all beamed at the attention. Many of us slowed down to enjoy this WordFood of acknowledgement. What a wonderful end to our convention, and what a terrific way to say thank you for your business! We all felt like heroes!
How can you feed your customers delicious WordFood to remind them of how important they are to your success? How can you delight and surprise them so that they can’t wait to come back for more?
I can’t wait to return to the Baltimore Convention Center for another walk down the red carpet!

May 5, 2012

Words of Acknowledgement

Filed under: Uncategorized — Julia Hubbel @ 7:54 am

At a regional meeting of BNSF Railways in Albuquerque last week, I was delivering leadership programs to managers and supervisors. These big tough men and seasoned women play with very large trains in a challenging environment, and many of them come from the military. The railroad isn’t a job, it’s lifestyle. For many of them it’s been handed down through many generations.
During the program their General Manager told the story about how there were some serious losses at one point in the company’s history, and BNSF had to take a careful look at why. When all was said and done, BNSF realized that the men in Winslow Arizona needed feedback, attention and interaction with supervisors. When that was taken care of, the problem went away.
Even the toughest, roughest of us need to know we are valued and recognized. These courageous, brave and smart people who take care of America’s railroads are some of the biggest men and strongest women you’ll ever meet. But they too will blush and become shy and appreciative with a genuine compliment and kind word from a boss or a coworker. They too need to hear that they’ve done a job well or that their long hard days are making a difference out there in America’s hinterlands.
Daryl Ness, the General Manager, said to his people not to ignore the employee who says, “leave me alone.” That’s often code for “pay attention to me.” He’s spot on. This is the red flag for “I need encouragement.” Provide WordFood of acknowledgement: a job well done, notice the small things, ask about their day. It will make all the difference.

May 1, 2012

Gracious WordFood

Filed under: Uncategorized — Julia Hubbel @ 3:14 pm

Sometimes the most important thing we can say is the simplest: please, thank you, or more importantly, I’m sorry. How often do our egos get in the way when an argument is spiraling, when a little humble pie would stop it in its tracks?
Yesterday morning I was the Phoenix airport on the phone with a service that had done my gutters a while back. I had written a check for $90 and put it under my front door mat. When they came to do the work, they said the check was gone. I later saw that the check had been cashed. There ensued an argument. They sent me collection notices and I in turn sent them the copies of the cancelled check. Finally I had them on the phone at the airport and we were both mad. Apparently someone had stolen my check and cashed it but I wasn’t happy about having to pay another $90 and they weren’t happy about not being paid. I could hear my anger spiraling, and hers. Then I said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get so angry.” And instantly the spiral ended. She apologized as well and she credited me the $90, and we agreed that I’d research the thief.
What fool is going to go to court over $90 to be right? Our parts get drunk on anger and get swept away. Hopefully another part stays sober enough to put the brakes on, eats a little humble pie and takes the first step. Insisting on being right often results in our ruining perfectly good relationships. Gracious WordFood will always raise the conversation to another level.

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