Wise Words

For those readers who have worked in retail and the restaurant industry you are likely familiar with the "team huddle". You may know this by a different name but chances are you have either been a part of one, or even conducted one. They are mini-meetings usually at the beginning of a shift where management can communicate important (hopefully) information. I have mixed feelings about these meetings, mostly because of how poorly I have seen them conducted. I think in theory they can have a positive effect on morale, but they can also serve to demotivate your staff (keep checking in for tips on how to improve the former and avoid the latter).

Many huddles end with a quote. Using quotes in the right way can be an efficient way to get your point across. A great quote is easy to understand but can spark a dialogue amongst your peers. From time to time I will be posting quotes that I like (and maybe some I don't). I'll share what the quote says to me and encourage you to do the same in the comment section. This is the first in a series of posts about Wise Words.

"The way to gain a good reputation,

is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear."

Socrates

Most of the quotes I select will likely be a little less esoteric than Socrates', but I figure; "why not start with a bang?". Socrates is telling us that if you want to be known for doing something, you need to make sure that, you do that thing. Seems simple enough, but there is a lot of wisdom in this. Socrates tells us that our reputation is like a jewel, something we need to cherish. He also says that credit, is like fire. I love this metaphor. Once you start a fire it will continue to burn, all you need is a little kindling. Once you have a reputation in an industry as a provider of "quality customer service" for example, it is important to maintain this. You can't leave the fire unattended, you need to constantly provide the level of service your customers have come to expect or risk having your fire extinguished. Once a reputation has been tainted it takes a huge effort to get it back. To really stand out you need to constantly evaluate and reevaluate what success means for yourself or your organization and strive to achieve it. I think Socrates uses the word "endeavor" to illustrate that gaining a good reputation is something you have to work towards vigilantly to both achieve and maintain.