Page 24 - Perfect Phrases for Motivating and Rewarding

The Wise Motivator

occurred shortly before a thriving start-up restaurant closed. A waiter
did not show up, and the place was mobbed. As staff scrambled and
customers waited, the owner/maitre d’ maintained his role of wel-
coming guests and walking around, smiling and chatting. As one dis-
gruntled diner explained, “He didn’t carry out a meal or clear a table.
They were clearly shorthanded. The customers waited too long for
their dinners; the waiters were frazzled; and he just strolled around.”
By contrast, during an unusual rush at another restaurant, the man-
ager was taking orders before the next wave of customers hit. Diners
were impressed to see that they rated such care, and imagine how
grateful the staff were.
Think about crises in your own work environment and ways you
can pitch in and help. In a crunch, no one should be above typing,
collating, working a register, clearing a table, or finding a file.
Respect is another lead-by-example opportunity. You expect
every employee to treat every client or customer with respect. After
all, customers are your organization’s lifeblood. Don’t bad-mouth
the tough customers as they leave or quip about them in the pres-
ence of other clients. Treating customers the way you want your
employees to treat them should top your list, along with treating
employees the way you want them to treat customers. Like the failed
restaurant described earlier, no one was surprised when a local shop
quietly closed its doors. It was typical for customers browsing in the
aisles to hear the owner and sales staff complain about people who
wasted their time and didn’t buy anything or to snicker about one
customer in front of another. The store went out of business within
two months.
Always remember that your behavior sets a standard for the
behavior of others. If your department has to work closely with
another, prevent turf wars and interdepartmental friction by setting
the tone for diplomacy. Look in your internal mirror now and then.
Do you see a leader who communicates well, shows respect for oth-
ers, accepts responsibility for his or her actions, shares the limelight,
and demonstrates a strong work ethic? If so, these characteristics are

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