How would you feel if each time you present a ‘Self’ cheque for Rs. 1,000 at your bank, the teller hands you Rs. 998? Unhappy! Anger or just despair and without a whimper accept the cash before walking away from the counter. Come on, how you can be so unfair in your demand of 100% Quality when you at your job are barely able to meet your contractual service levels?
Let’s look at another example: You have booked yourself in Island Express from Bangalore to Trichy. For those of you who may not be aware, in my good old college days in the late 70's, this train would get split in Erode Junction with one half getting attached to the train going to Trivandrum from Chennai and the other part proceeding to Trichy with another Link. What if you woke up in the morning and found yourself in Trivandrum instead of Trichy. The gangman who is responsible to split the carriages at Erode Junction obviously made a small mistake. How would you feel? I am sure this would be akin to a horror dream! The Indian Railways don’t talk about their record of transporting millions of passengers to their respective destination – not one mistake in their 150 year history, of the right train reaching the wrong destination.
One last example: You wake up in the morning (evening for our friends in the BPO industry) and before you finish brushing your teeth, your mom, wife or sister is ready with a hot cup of coffee or tea and a smile, perhaps. Remember, she is providing the service anticipating your need, while you haven’t even made a demand for it!! How would it feel if she does not do it?
These are a few ‘taken for granted’ examples of defects free service being provided and Wow – we don’t even appreciate it. This is exactly what each of your end customer is expecting out of you.
I am reminded of the following story doing the usual rounds in the internet. Believe me, this is a perfect example of how it is all within us to make this shift in our minds to deliver services, ‘defects free’:
One evening a scholar was addressing the participants on the concept of work culture. One of the participants asked the following question:
"I am a senior manager of Materials Department and I joined an organization 25 years ago as an Engineer Trainee and over the last 25 years I have gone through every experience in the organization.
During the initial part of my career, the job was very challenging and interesting.
However, all those exciting days are gone since I do not find my job any more interesting because there is nothing new in my job. I am now feeling bored because I am doing a routine job.
However, Sir, I am living in the same house for over forty years, I am the son for the same parents for over forty years, I am the father for the same children for the past ten years and the husband for the same lady for the past twenty years!
In these personal roles I do not feel bored. Please tell me why I am bored of the routine in the office and not in the house?"
The response from Scholar was very interesting and convincing. He asked the executive a question:
"Please tell me for whom does your Mother cook?"
The executive replied that obviously the mother cooks for others.
Then the Scholar said that the mother "Serves" others and because of this service mindedness, she is not feeling tired or bored. But in an office, we "Work" and not "Serve". Anything we consider, as service will not make us feel bored. That is difference between Serving and Working.
He asked the executive to consider his work as service and not merely a work!! This was a very interesting analysis!! Whenever you put a larger context around your work and see a broader meaning for your work, you will take interest in your work and it will make a very big difference in your internal energy.
Attitude Matters!!!
If you think you are working for the organization you will get frustrated. If you feel you are doing a service and getting some service charges you will feel happy.
After all - doing what you like is freedom but liking what you do is happiness!
It is just a paradigm shift that is required! Try this once – you will be amazed to discover your own potential.
Cheers and Best Wishes!!
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Thank you Sir for posting a nice article.
ReplyDeletePeter Drucker once observed that if we can shift our minds from habitually (and unconsciously) asking "What's in it for me?" to "What can I contribute?", there'd be a rise in productivity that would be amazing.
ReplyDeleteA spirit of service has a bad name because it smacks of being dominated, of being a lesser mortal, of having to be obsequious. No one can serve, on a lasting basis, if he/she feels obligated to do so. Our behaviour will break down at those times when challenges and difficulties come thick and fast. Above all, it will not survive the greatest test of all that faces every individual, team, organisation, society and civilisation: time.
Exceptional service flows into behaviour from the mind and the heart, not simply from outward behaviour. It is an internal disposition that, like all other habits, must be cultivated one day at a time, one deed at a time. And the best way of acquiring it is the example of others. I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that the behaviour of those around is has the greatest moulding effect on us.
Service as a concept is abstract. Only when it is personified in a determinate life can it inspire. Such lives are, sadly, few and far between.