They Do Business with Heart at Phelps High in DC
Note from Jan: This is a beautiful story about a group of individuals who do their business with heart and the impact it has on the morale and productivity of those around them. Thank you, Josie, for sharing this story.
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I teach at a public high school in Washington, DC. I am convinced that our custodial staff consists of some of the warmest men in the city. They arrive before the rest of the staff, stay later, and brightly greet us all. Going above the call of their job description, they act as mentors and coaches for the students of our school. Throughout the day they can be found counseling students and checking up on them in class.
The “Saturday Scholars” committee held a meeting to discuss incentives to boost student attendance to this weekend tutorial program. Our custodial foreman was in attendance to discuss building issues. While we brainstormed, he chimed in that he would be happy to bring his grills and host a cookout when the weather warmed up. Read more
VIETRI Does Business with Heart
If you are Serious About Service then you probably already do business with heart. And you probably already know that one of the best ways to establish, grow and nurture such a culture is by reading and sharing stories about people inside and outside of your organization who do business with heart.
If you have seen their products in the stores or have spent any time on their website, you probably already have the feeling that VIETRI, wholesaler of handcrafted Italian home products, does business with heart. After having had the pleasure of spending some time with their management team, I can tell you that it’s more than just a feeling. Doing business with heart seems to be part of the VIETRI culture – running deep and wide throughout their organization. Here are two stories to demonstrate.
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One Friday after closing time, the last three employees were shutting off the last lights in the VIETRI reception area, when the phone rang.
It was a store owner in Georgia who said she had a top customer standing beside her who desperately needed four place settings of dinnerware shipped to her overnight. Her husband’s bosses were coming to dinner Saturday night(the very next day). Could they help her? She was desperate! Read more
Genuine Concern – A Lesson from Dean Smith (shared by Phil Ford)
Note: As you may know, we love to collect stories about people doing business with heart. In reading through some of them today, I saw many different traits demonstrated – like generosity, kindness and courage. Through all the stories was a running theme - genuine concern for those involved. That genuine concern reminded me of this great story about a strong leader, a strong coach, doing his business with heart.
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A few years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing former Carolina basketball player and coach, Phil Ford, on the topic of business and basketball.
Here is a 2-minute excerpt from the interview during which he shares some of the leadership traits of Coach Dean Smith.
I can’t agree with you calling yourself an “old man, Coach Ford, but I can see your point – that genuine interest in individual team members, their goals and their victories – is a powerful leadership quality.
And I believe it’s the foundation for doing business with heart.
copyright 2010 – Business Class Inc
Related Articles:
- Getting 2 Goal – A Lesson in Prep & Push from Dean Smith (shared by Phil Ford)
- Looking for Good: A Lesson in Leadership from Coach Bill Guthridge (shared by Phil Ford)
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Movie of the Week: Johnny the Bagger
When brainstorming what movie to feature in conjunction with our current theme of insignificance (feeling too small or too powerless to make a difference)…and with our running theme of doing business with heart…
well..
it was obvious that we should feature a movie we first mentioned back in December of 2008.
It’s called: Johnny the Bagger (about 3 minutes long).
So get the popcorn, Milk Duds and Raisinettes, gather everyone around and push PLAY and enjoy.
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Related materials for follow up and/or further discussion:
- Quote of the Week: Too small to make a difference?
- Have you lost power?
- Brainteaser of the Week #14
- www.doingbusinesswithheart.com
copyright 2010 – Business Class Inc
Ready-2-Go Meeting – On Customer Service
Title: Doing Business with Heart
If you are trying to establish, build or nurture a customer service culture, here’s a Ready-2-Go Meeting segment using the concept of “Doing Business with Heart”. While it’s seasonally appropriate to introduce during Valentine season, it’s also appropriate to introduce and pursue all year long. By sharing heart stories in meetings, you:
- set a positive mood for the meeting and beyond.
- encourage participants to watch others who do business with heart.
- encourage participants to do business with heart – with internal and external customers.
- nurture a caring customer culture.
All of that by just sharing stories!
Here is a suggested plan for making heart stories a 5-minute agenda item for your regular staff meeting. Read more
Don’t You Love It?
In this rough, tough, seemingly heartless, bottom-line oriented world of strategizing for survival through takeovers, layoffs and budget cuts, don’t you love it when people do business with heart?
They seem to love their work. They get the job done. They really care. They make you feel good. They warm your heart doing business with heart.
Below are a few classic stories about doing business with heart. I share them with 3 hopes.
Hope #1 is that you will read and share them with co-workers, family members and friends.
Hope #2 is that you will share some stories of your own - and encourage others to do the same.
By the way – if you hold a regular meetings of any kind - sharing heart stories can be a great addition to your agenda. It sets a positive mood for the meeting and beyond. Get details for Ready-2-Go Meeting segment.
Hope #3 is that you will join me in thanking people around you who do business with heart. You can do this verbally or with a handwritten note or with one of our Heart Cards.
Spreading the word and spreading appreciation for doing business with heart is so very important now more than ever. Because the more people do business with heart….the more people will do business with heart. And as more people do business with heart…even more people will do business with heart.
Warming hearts everywhere by doing business with heart.
Okay – it’s story time. Here are a few classic examples of people doing business with heart. Read more
Doing Business with Heart – Part 2
Don’t you just love it when you find people who do business with heart?
People like Antwon, C.H., Frances, Laurie and Tommie. People like Mr Rich at The Siena Hotel and Reggie at The Marriott and Kermit at Wellspring Grocery. And by others at Sun Trust and Harris Teeter. And at Kidzu and the Chapel Hill Museum and all who were involved in Art from the Heart. All whose stories were shared in Part 1. If you haven’t read their stories, I hope you will.
Today, I’d like to share one more story. A very special one Read more
People Doing Business with Heart
Don’t You Just Love It? is our feature article about Doing Business with Heart.
Below is a collection of stories about People Doing Business with Heart.
I hope you will read and enjoy them. Add stories of your own. Share them with your co-workers. Invite them to add stories at Don’t You Just Love It?
And I hope you will join me in thanking people around you who do business with heart. Spreading the word and spreading appreciation for doing business with heart. So very important now more than ever. Because the more people do business with heart….the more people will do business with heart. And as more people do business with heart…even more people will do business with heart. Warming hearts everywhere….doing business with heart.
Story #1 – About Frances, shared by Meghan, a very grateful mother
One Sunday afternoon, Meghan’s two year old decided to color one cushion of the new sofa with pink marker; the other with black.
Thank goodness, Meghan had purchased stain resistant treatment with a lifetime guarantee which meant that if “self-cleaning” didn’t work, the company would send out an upholstery cleaner. If that didn’t work, they would replace the sofa for FREE.
Meghan called the toll free number and was told, “The warranty doesn’t cover ink. Only food, beverage, human/pet stains, tears, rips and burns.”
Next Meghan called the store where she had made her purchase. Frances listened patiently as Meghan explained the situation, ending with “we haven’t even finished paying for it!”
“Marker isn’t ink,” Frances said, then hesitated. Maybe she wasn’t sure?
But then, “Don’t worry, Meghan. We will order new covers for your cushions. Your sofa will look as good as new very soon.”
Thank you, Frances for doing business with heart.
Story #2 – about Laurie in Phoenix, AZ
And our last story for today…
Dad realized he had left his hiking boots at The Pointe South Resort in Phoenix, a stop on the way to The Grand Canyon. Based on prior experience, he feared the boots were gone forever.
He called Pointe South and reached Laurie who said, “Mr. Bolick, in room 1216 – yes I have 1pair of hiking boots, 1 pair of dress shoes, 1pair of khakis and 1 very pretty blue checked shirt.”
He couldn’t believe his ears. The list was so long! And – she responded so quickly without even putting him on hold. Dad told her he would pick everything up when he returned to Phoenix for the flight back to North Carolina.
Laurie surprised him again by offering to send the clothes to his next destination. At no charge. True to her promise – Dad had a package waiting for him when he checked in to his hotel the next day.
Laurie did business with heart.
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More stories below.
Meanwhile - if you love doing business with heart, I think you will love hearing about these Heart Cards. Details here.
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