At the beginning of each training day I ask participants what they want to walk away with at the end of the training – Their objectives. Often I get responses such as: "Key phrases on what to say in such a situation …", "Tips on what to do when these circumstances occurs…", or “Tricks to resolve a certain event …". They want a playbook of incantations and magic tricks.

The problem with key phrases, tricks and tips is that if you repeat them long enough, they will lose their meaning. They become robotic, preset responses on auto-pilot and not a genuine expression of how you actually feel. Key phrases, tricks and tips don’t ask you to think  - They are only words – and words rarely change things.

Effective trainings provide Tools – Tools are powerful because they require thinking, to be focused on what you do, and why you do it.  Tools ask the hard questions, they ask you to use your best judgment and to care about the impact. They ask you to take responsibility for your actions and are more effective in the long run, because they lead to the results we want.

Quitting slowly doesn't serve you well. At work or in anything else you do, people will remember how you ended things. Too often, we gradually back off by removing ourselves emotionally and organizationally, as if making ourselves unuseful for a while makes it easier for everyone.

Decide, give notice, make the transition work. Every time.

Although you may not be in a position to have control of a meeting, you can always have control of your own time. The next time you are asked to attend one of those disorganized, uncontrolled and never-ending meeting, let your superior/manager know that you’ll be there, but that you can only afford so much time. “I’ll be there Mike, but I’ll probably have to leave after a half an hour – I really need to work on that report/proposal/project if we want to respect the deadline. Anything I miss I can pick up from Sylvie later on.” Your superior/manager will need to choose between letting you leave the meeting early, or giving you permission to be late on your report/proposal/project.

If you treat yourself as a professional, you will see yourself as one. If you see yourself as a professional, it will be more natural for you to act like one. And if you act like a professional, others will see you as a professional.

« It’s not so much that we are afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear… It’s like being between two trapezes. […] There’s nothing to hold on to. »

Marilyn Ferguson

Are you always saying "yes" to everyone else’s priorities instead of focusing on yours? You can’t protect your time unless you know how to decline requests. When you can’t say "no", try giving a conditional "yes", such as " yes, but it will only be done by Friday" or a qualified "yes", such as "you can count on me as your Plan B.".

Customers who complain are actually giving you another opportunity to prove them that you really offer quality service despite a shortfall.

Be prepared to deal with complaints as seamlessly, professionally and graciously as possible. When you do, they share their new experience with others about the strong customer care they received from you... and this old-fashioned way of getting a good reputation never goes out of style.

Try spending a few minutes organizing your thoughts before you begin writing that email. Though it will take a few minutes longer to do this, it will help you avoid misunderstandings and will end up saving you time in the long run.

It’s not politically correct to judge a person by how they look, but we should give our appearance as much preparation time as we do our speech for that important presentation. Think about how you want to come across. What impression you want to give. What should you wear to reinforce this message?

When you write things down during a conversation, you put yourself in a proactive role. You send a message that not only you are listening (and not only hearing) what the other person is saying, but that you intend to do something about it. 

We believe that by providing a "WOW" customer experience, we ensure customer’s satisfaction. As a result, we tend to focus on big, new initiatives.

Research shows that focusing on the ‘Big’ things and overlooking the ‘Little’ things may be a really big mistake when it comes to customer service and how our brains work.

Most customers will be happy if things just work, first time, easily and all of the time.

Minimize their disappointments, fix the little things that often go wrong and avoid negative surprises; and it's pretty likely that you'll create happy customers.

There is surely a need for perfectionism in some situations. But most things in life are pass/fail situations. Demanding perfection of yourself all the time can be stressful. Try aiming for excellence instead.

A single person with a poor attitude – someone who is chronically negative – can destroy the morale of an entire team if left unchecked. If that person reports to you, deal with it at once. If it’s your teammate, ask him (her) to stop. If it’s you, think about how much your complaining is harming your team, your reputation and your future.

Sometimes it’s the fault of the person completing the assignment, but more frequently, it’s the fault of the person giving the assignment.  Clarity (or lack of) is often the culprit.

Clarity of objective – What exactly is it that needs to be done?  Is the assignment as clear as it ought to be? 

Clarity of responsibility – Whose assignment is it?  Who does what?

Clarity of time – How quick is quick?  Is it a day? A week? By a specific date? 

Clarity of communication – What is intended is not always what is understood by the other.  Delegations repeatedly fail due to faulty communication. 

While those executing an assignment have the responsibility to deliver a quality result, those making the delegation have the responsibility to ensure that the assignment is clear.

One way to deal with criticism and complaints is to not insist on proving your clients that you are right and they are wrong.

It's tempting to challenge criticism, to explain your procedures, to justify the choices. When you do that, it makes it more difficult for the client to share his truth, to feel heard, and the back and forth it generates inevitably escalates the tension.

Instead... Accept the feedback. Don't judge. Sit on the same side of the table and search the best path forward.

When thoughts and worries feel utterly overwhelming, psychologists’ recommend a hidden logic for how to handle them.

"If you are hurtling down a slope and resist, you tumble. But if you submit to gravity, you learn to ski."

Our minds are among the most complicated entities in the universe. Although it may feel contradictory at first, if you ski, you'll know what they mean - now try it in the work place.

During a negotiation, we must establish a genuine dialogue with the interlocutor. This requires to explain the purpose of the questions and answers, and to demonstrate an interest in understanding and a willingness to listen to all opinions. 

Blaming is often a natural response when things go wrong. The biggest disappointment is that it doesn’t work. Nothing is as professional as the ability to get to the heart of a problem and fix it – without bothering to place blame.

It’s essential that you satisfy your customers, but not every customer knows the value to your service or understands what it is that you do.

If 1% of your clientele doesn't appreciate your service, doesn't approve of what you are saying … You know what?  it's quite okay.

If you insist on getting every single customer to be satisfied by overcompensating, making exceptions, and overwhelming people with fine print, you've just signed up to disregard and alienate 99% of your customers.

Stop focusing on the 1%  at the expense of everyone else.

There is no quicker way to lose credibility than to make declarations or promises that you cannot deliver, or do not plan on delivering. 

We tend to believe that achievements (diplomas, promotions, high incomes, ...) make us happy and successful, while failures, such as not getting that job, or losing your job, will keep us miserable forever. But you can be successful in your current job and miserable in your future job. Mind-set has the power to turn around even the worst circumstances. Worrying about what life should look like can make us unaware of what we already have. Socrate’s said it well when he said: "He who is not contented with what he has would not be contented with what he would like to have."

Change is continuous, inevitable and essential.

It's hard to go out of our comfort zone, it's hard to think outside the box and it's hard to see things differently. Change is hard work. And changing our own minds is the most difficult place to start... but it's also the only place to start.

Deal with an overly-talkative person by asking a question that signals that the conversation is coming to a close. Such as "Can I answer any other questions before I get back to work?"Or saying something that psychologically prepares your caller to the end of the conversation:

• "Before hanging up, I wanted to tell you that ..."

• "One last thing before hanging up ..."

We often get locked into arguments that hook our ego into trying to triumph over the other person (client, colleague, superior ...).  It is not a Poker game and engaging in these battles will limit your options at work.

We're often appalled; puzzled or irritated when we see people behaving differently, because it's easy to expect that any group of people would behave in a homogeneous way. But they're not. Treat different people differently. Not because they're born this way, but because they choose to be this way. 

We often measure ourselves by looking at our checklist, and ask ourselves "How much have I done?".

But to have a sense of progression we can’t just look at what we have done, we also really need to look at the difficult questions that still remain unanswered and even more important, all the things that aren't on your list, but could and should be.

I believe that the customer has the right to quality service.

I am proactive. I am confident. I am empathetic.

I’m convinced I am part of the solution, not the problem.

I am reliable. I am available. I am obliging.

I am surprised by everything I’m able to do.

I give my best to every customer and I create a positive atmosphere.

I promise less… and I give more!

I am patient. I am calm. I am courteous.

I am a service professional. 

The Einstellung effect is the brain’s tendency to stick with solutions it already knows rather than look for potentially better ones. 

It’s really like a handicap, because after learning to solve a problem one way, we’re blind to more efficient methods. Our attention is locked onto familiar features and prevents us from really starting to think outside the box. It can greatly stump creative ideas and takes away any possibility of real ingenuity.

To avoid falling in this repetitive pattern, you need to inject some new perspectives in your routine, your organisation or your team... especially if it hasn’t changed in a long time. 

The spread of open-plan offices and encouraged down-time is not just about keeping staff happy. It is about getting the best out of each other. If you know the informal network in your workplace it is easier to share vital knowledge and helps you calibrate your approach.

We all know that too much stress isn’t good for your health, but too little stress isn’t ideal either- you become bored and unmotivated.

In small doses, stress is actually healthy. Short –term stress triggers the body’s defenses, as a result, your brain and body get a boost.

The key is balance, pay attention to your stress thermometer ... Keep the pressure on, but stay below the boiling point.