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I met with some executives this week from other companies and they kept reiterating these words.
In today’s world it is too easy to get distracted and lose sight of what is important in your company. It really starts with accountability and action everyday.
Everyday, we need to make a difference, personally and professionally. My best days are those that I start putting my priorities in place regarding my relationships.
Faith is critical for me. With the pressures of this world, it is critical to begin the day with prayer and knowing each day that my life is nothing without the sacrifice of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. If you are unfamiliar with the Easter message, do yourself a favor and learn as much as you can about the ultimate sacrifice.
Next is my family. It is critical to stay involved and know what is happening with my wife and family. My wife is the organizer in our family and thankfully she keeps everything in perspective. Her job is much harder than any job I could do. I need to support her by listening to her and assisting where I can. In addition, I take the role fo father very seriously. I need to listen to my children’s needs and be a guiding force for them as they grow and mature.
Next are the employees at work. It is critical that the people I work with know I care about them and respect them. As a leader, you quickly realize how important these people are to your business and the contribution each person makes is special. Yes, employees have their share of issues too, but when a culture of care and understanding exists in a company, it is amazing to see how issues can be resolved. Also, it is important to challenge employees. When employees are not challenged or underapprectiated, their time quickly turns to other items like personal issues, gossip and other bad things.
Finally, clients. Each year that goes by, I realize how much work is needed to effectively keep those clients. Clients need to be recognized and informed. A simple acknowlegement or listening to feedback can really go a long way in building loyalty. Loyalty is an area that can always be improved.
It really comes down to relationship builiding. The only way to build an effective relationship is to spend time doing it. This is my focus. Everything I do is done with this thought in mind. When your focus is on relationships, you look at the work you do in a whole new manner.
If you begin to lose focus at your work, start by looking at your relationships and decide what is really important and ask yourself if the work you are doing at the present time is helping you to build relationships or tear apart relationships.
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