Cooking Up Client Success
Dinner time, again? I can not be the only person that hates dinner time! If I am honest, it isn’t dinner time I hate. In fact, I love sitting down with my family and hearing about their days (even if I don’t get a word in amongst the chatter of my three children).
For me, the disgust for dinner time begins on Sunday afternoon when I start to think about our week. Do we have baseball practice? Maybe cheer? Are theater rehearsals every night? Is my husband traveling this week? And what night does he have meetings because it is almost guaranteed he will not be home at least one night during the week.
Once I have an outline of the week’s activities, I begin to look at the type of meals we will have. How many nights do I need to use the crockpot this week?
Those of you who watch “This is Us,” are cringing a little right now. And, I know there are some of you who swear by the Instapot, but I still use my almost 20-year standby at least once a week. The other nights more than likely consist of easy standbys like Spaghetti.
Speaking of “easy standbys”, we are a family that celebrates every Tuesday with tacos which at first I thought was a good idea. A fun family tradition. Something my children will tell their children, but do you know how tired of tacos I am? I have tried every variation of tacos available to man. Crispy tacos, fajita tacos, chicken tacos, taco salad, fish tacos, taco soup, enchilada taco surprise, taco skillet and the list goes on. I declare no more taco anything for a while! Well, at least a week because my oldest son asked why we weren’t having tacos this week. The struggle is real!
Every once and a while I pull out my dinner time secret weapon, Pinterest. I love Pinterest! If I am feeling adventurous or bored in my meal planning, Pinterest is my first stop. It makes me feel like a Rachel Ray. Type in a few words and abracadabra — a recipe for a healthy family dinner. I never know what I am going to get, but I love it when my family says “Put this on the ‘Do again list’.”
Notice I said healthy. It isn’t enough that I have to be aware of our weekly schedule, but it also falls on me to provide a healthy well-balanced meal that my family will eat. The healthy part is important not just because it is best for my children, but it is what I do for a living. I work for an organization that teaches others how to make healthy eating choices. I believe in the old saying “Practice what you preach”, but do you know how hard it is to provide healthy meals?
My husband grew up in a “meat and potatoes” kind of family, and although he has come a long way, he still would prefer meat and potatoes. And then there is my oldest son. I am not sure where I went wrong, maybe it is the fact that I did not let him have ketchup as a toddler (call me crazy, but I did not like the mess). He doesn’t like his foods to touch, and he would be perfectly happy eating chicken strips for every meal. Throw my other two children into the mix and planning a healthy meal that everyone will enjoy is almost impossible.
I am not going to lie. We eat pizza once a week, and I think we keep the fast food restaurants around us in business. But, the point is I try. I try to create healthy meals that everyone eats and meets the demands of a busy family of five. What a job!
Almost 21 years ago, I stood in my Granny’s kitchen surrounded by yellow and gold wallpaper listening to her share advice for a happy marriage. As a recent college graduate and a newlywed, she knew I had plans to work outside the home. I will always remember her saying “Do not iron his underwear”. Looking back, I only wish she had said: “Let him do the grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking!” Like it or not, the duties of the kitchen are in my basket.
Putting Client Success on the Menu
At work, client success is in my basket, and it can be a little like planning our family meals. Everyone has their own schedule and their own timeline, not to mention needs, wants and likes. As a client success professional, how do we manage the demands of those we serve? The same way we serve those who sit around our dinner table every night.
To begin with, we must listen. Let me rephrase that, not just listen, but actively listen. In our daily lives, we tend to skip to the next step. Once people share their thoughts, we are already thinking about what’s next. Take time to be present in the conversation. The minute your mind starts to make excuses or formulate your response, stop. In our minds, we think we know best — whether it is why we should not have Taco Tuesday (AGAIN) or that our website has been carefully designed to provide the best user experience. In either case, “Two heads are better than one.” Value the opinions of others, and you may just be surprised at the outcome.
Once you have a clear understanding of the needs, wants and desires. It is essential to prioritize. This seems like a simple step, but I guarantee we all get wrapped up in the business of our daily lives and we forget. We forget to look up from our computers. We forget to think about our budget. We forget to think about how others’ ideas fit into our plan.
To prioritize, simply start by determining if it is urgent or important. Everything is important. It becomes urgent if there are negative consequences. My 8-year-old son loves steak. He requests it every week. Steak is important to him. Are there negative consequences if we don’t have steak? Maybe a few tears, but I can handle that. However, there could be negative consequences to my budget if I served steak every week.
What about with your clients? Is there a deadline? Does the website have a bug? Remember, everyone’s needs and wants are important. It is your job to determine which to tackle first.
Finally, let’s sprinkle in a little love! If you haven’t been hit by cupid’s arrow and the word love is too gushy for you, use empathy or understanding. The point is love is an action. It is how we treat people — how we make people feel. Put yourself in the shoes of those you are serving whether it is your family or your clients and remember, the Beatles sang it best — all you need is love.
