Are You Or Your Employees Aware

"Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have." - Doris Mortman, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach.

So just how are you conducting yourself in the workplace? Are you happy with who you are and your circumstances? Does this spill over into your job and the way you conduct yourself. There was a great article in USA Today called "Getting bad reception?" (Kim Painter. USA TODAY. McLean, Va.: Oct 3, 2005. pg. D.6) in which she speaks about customer dissatisfaction with people behind the desk.

A couple of things pointed out were one, receptionists who don't look at the patients standing before them. Basically ignoring them while they stay glued to the computer screen or talk amongst themselves behind the desk. Secondly staff personnel making off-hand remarks either about other patients or the workplace.

Both of the above can be very detrimental to your business and shows poorly of yourself if you are the one doing so. First and foremost...customers are there for a reason, to give you or your company their business. If you are an employee, this translates into a bottom-line view of, more business, the company makes money, you get to stay employed or as an employer you get to keep your business open.

If you have a staffer at your front desk failing to acknowledge a customer right away, you have problems. It is very true that if you provide good service to someone and they will tell one other person. But provide bad service to someone and they will tell ten other people. What you need to do (for yourself or that employee) is to find out first if it is happening. Then find out what the issue is behind it.

As the quote states, unless you are at peace with yourself, you'll never be content. Could be that the person is not satisfied with the job or simply isn't the right person for that position. But you could impact that person. Help them or yourself to change attitudes.

I see these types of folks in my own company and the thing I try to do is give encouragement to change. Talking about the positive things, offering alternatives to whatever condition exists and not getting drawn down into the depths with them. A quote by Dilbert that I modified states, "Never argue with an negative person. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience."

Be a lifting person, help them change their world.