Me, Myself, or I?

Participants often ask us about 'I' vs. 'We' when speaking with customers over the phone or via email.

Here's the rule of thumb:

1. If it's positive, use WE, which sounds collaborative. WE creates an image of fancy scientists standing around in lab coats with clipboards waiting to solve customer problems.

2. If it's negative, use I to demonstrate that YOU are taking responsibility.

For example:

• “I apologize for that. Here's what we can do.”

• “Let me look into this, so that we can get you better service quickly.”

• “We take pride in our response time. I will look into the situation right away.”

Smile, Breathe, and Rock on. We got this!

Happy Monday

Don’t think those two words go together? Sometimes with all the emails, meetings, and calls, the first day of the week can be overwhelming and certainly not happy.

Today, take a minute for yourself. Check out this smiling zebra, or look at some cute baby animals.

Did we help you smile, too?

Rock on, you got this!

Check your posture

Quick, check your shoulders! Are they crumpled and down? Is your back curled in?

Now straighten your back, sit up tall, and breathe.
Which feels more powerful?

Standing tall will make you feel more powerful and will help you look more confident, which will encourage your co-workers to treat you with more respect.

It’s a win–win. 

Strike a victory pose and have an awesome day!

Multigenerational Mix

We know now that Millennials make up the majority of the workforce. But what about the upcoming generation?

Your coworkers, team members, and employees are likely to be a part of Generation Z very soon. In their own words, those born between 1995-2000 are more diverse than any previous generation- and they are pushing the limits of identity.

Why do we care?

It’s important to learn about the other generations in the workplace. After all, lack of inter-generational cohesion is one of the leading business risk factors, according to the participants of this study.

What do we do?

Understand each other and adapt to our unique styles. If you’ve been in the workforce for a while, take a look at these tips. If you’re younger, you have to flex too! Check out these things you can learn from older generations.

Some of these lists might seem silly or simple, but they remind us to do something important: Respect each other.

What have you learned from a coworker in another generation?

April showers bring May... bookings?

Let's say a customer calls and wants to book an appointment. You check and discover the first appointment available is in May. Do you say:

1. “Yikes, there is nothing until May, you should have called earlier!”

2. “I've checked and there is nothing until May.”

3. “Good news! I've got openings in May, do you prefer mornings or afternoons?”

Sometimes in our effort to be realistic, we come across as negative.  Aim for positive!

How? Do something to get in the right frame of mind before picking up the phone. Write a pump up post-it for yourself, have a picture of your dog on your desk, or just smile big. You got this!

The Platinum Rule

We’ve all heard of the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

But following the Bucket mindset, there is a new rule that’s even better for supporting others. Here’s the platinum rule:

Treat others the way they want to be treated.

Some prefer detailed feedback, a daily check in, or public recognition to feel respected and valued as a part of the team. Reframing this common mindset allows us to figure out our team’s preferences and flex for them.

Put the right drop in their bucket today!

Wait! There's One More Bucket

The last Bucket you need to keep full is Family. 

Maybe it’s…

• A call to your parents (Hey Hunter, call your mom!)

• Dinner with Dad

• Shopping with your sister

• Board games with Grammy

• Or like Angela, maybe it’s a Zoom virtual meeting every Sunday night with your family across the country

Filling your family, spiritual, health, and intellectual buckets feels good and will help you do good.

What is it for you?  Identify it and make it happen.  

Fill ‘em up!