I arrived in Amsterdam at 7:15 am (1:15 am EST), so since I am a “night owl” anyway, I did not sleep on the plane. Instead, I loved watching three movies! (One was “Secretariat” which gave me tears of happiness when he won…I have a soft heart for anything that is positive and encouraging.;-) They served dinner soon after takeoff and then sort of an egg mcmuffin with a banana just before we landed. I sat next to a darling young man from an island in Norway, who works on a cargo ship and was just coming home on leave for a month. He shared all kinds of things for me to do when I am in Scandinavia next month.

My client and new friend, Nicolette Wuhring, was dear to meet me at the airport so early in the morning. I had warned her to bring a big car because of all my luggage (anyone who has ever traveled with me knows I NEVER travel light! ;-), and we talked a mile a minute the whole hour to the hotel. On the way we passed darling small dutch cottages and field after field of hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips, rows of color like stripes in pinks, purples, reds, and yellows. What a lovely, simple lifestyle they lead, at least in the country. As we were leaving the highway, we looked up and saw a beautiful rainbow- I think a sign that this visit is going to be especially blessed.

The Grand Hotel Huis Ter Duin is located right on the beach, and my room has a lovely view. As I looked out this afternoon, there were people walking and several riding horses on the beach even though it is pretty cold and windy today. On the lawn outside my window is a giant chess set and chess board installed on the ground which people use to play when it is warmer. Sadly, while I was watching, three middle school aged boys began throwing the giant pieces at one another–I guess there is disrespect for property everywhere in the world. The lobby and hallways of the hotel have polished marble floors, beautiful carpets, and lovely chandeliers as well as huge curving staircases and dark oak bars–very elegant.

After Nicolette and I had coffee, I checked into my room about 11:15 am (6:15 am my time), unpacked, took a shower, and then took about a 4 hour nap. I got up, dressed, and went down to dinner where I met Lou and Jonellen Heckler, speaker friends from Gainesville, Florida. I ordered Plaice, a local fish that was just freshly caught, and it was wonderful. Food, however, is VERY expensive here — an American breakfast, for example is 30 EU or about $40! Tipping, though, is much less. Even a 10% tip is appreciated in the restaurants, and one does not tip housekeepers, taxi drivers, and others. It is always interesting to learn about the cultures of other countries. I brought my converter for my curling iron as well as the correct plugs to use for my computer and phone, and it is safe here to drink the water from the tap, so in the room, it feels almost like I am in America.

Tomorrow Nicolette is going to pick me up at 9:00 to go to the tulip fields, and then there are meetings for the Global Speakers Federation, a reception, and a dinner, so it will be a busy day. I am so very BLESSED to be able to be here in Holland. My life is full of joy, special friendships, and adventure, and I am grateful for each day, each person, and each experience.

This week my book group visited the Big Cat Habitat on the outskirts of Sarasota. We were discussing the book (which will soon be a movie), “Water for Elephants,” and decided this would be a great place to add to our repertoire of circus stories. Kay Rosaire, a member of a nine generation family of circus performers, started this awesome place. It is a non-profit sanctuary for retired, ill, or unwanted circus animals and other animals shelters will not take and is almost completely run by volunteers. They have tigers (including several white ones), lions, ligers (had never heard of this but it is the result of breeding a lion and a tiger), bears, leopard, monkeys, goats, birds, camels, and even a Clydesdale horse!

Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday they present some kind of animal show, and once a year they do a one ring circus, just to keep the animals active and connected to their past. Kay had a famous big cat act, and her sister, Pam, and father worked with horses. While we were there, we all enjoyed Kay and Pam’s stories and the antics of “Chance,” a two year old chimpanzee who acted just like a human in the “terrible two’s!”

The Habitat is located at 7101 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34240. Many times as you drive up, you can hear the lions and tiger roar! When my grandchildren were visiting two years ago, I scheduled a private tour (which you can do for a donation), and that was one of the highlights of their visit. You can read the animal’s stories, see pictures of them or make a donation at www.bigcathabitat.org. If you are an animal lover, you will want to visit and support Kay’s mission to care for unwanted and unloved animals. At the Big Cat Habitat they have a home for life!

To learn more about Barbara and her work, go to www.barbaraglanz.com.

Barbara is thrilled to be one of thirty-four NSA members who have shared their expertise and knowledge in a new book from the National Speakers Association (NSA) entitled, Paid to Speak. Barbara’s contribution to the book, Chapter 23: “How to Write a Compelling Book Proposal,” is based on her experience of publishing eleven books with five different major publishers.

Covering every aspect of launching, building, and maintaining a successful speaking career, Paid to Speak is a must-read for professional speakers–whether keynote speaker, motivator, coach, trainer, facilitator, or consultant–as well as those aspiring to a speaking career. Thirty-four working NSA members who have built thriving speaking businesses weigh in with valuable insights and proven strategies on a gamut of topics, making Paid to Speak essential to any speaker’s list of reference materials.
Advance copies are now on sale at www.barbaraglanz.com or call us at 941-312-9169. Paid to Speak will also be available for purchase on Amazon and in bookstores starting June 1, 2011.

Looking for some new ideas? We have a number of Barbara’s great eBooks available for fantastic prices!
To order any of the eBook titles below via electronic download click here.

“Johnny the Bagger’s® Thoughts for the Day” eBook – Price $9.00
Now enjoy some of the thoughts that inspired Johnny, after hearing Barbara speak, to put his own “thought for the day” into every person’s groceries he bags. Along with the story of Johnny, you will find 20 pages of quotations that are funny, inspirational, and thought-provoking, all of which you can use in both your personal and professional lives. How will YOU be a Johnny today?

The Creative Communicator eBook – Price $3.00
How to Communicate your Commitment Creatively

Written Communication eBook – Price $5.00
How to Make your Written Communications Express your Commitment in a Creative and Customer Friendly Way

Electronic Communication eBook – Price $5.00
Using Technology to Creatively Communicate your Commitment

Face-To-Face Communication eBook – Price $5.00
Creatively Communicating your Organizational Commitment Through Personal Interaction

Day-to-Day Feedback eBook – Price $3.00
Creatively Communicating Your Appreciation on a Daily Basis

Enhancements and Reminders eBook – Price $5.00
Keeping your Commitment Alive Through Fun and Innovative Extras

Measurements eBook – Price $5.00
Creative Ways to Gather Information to Make your Organization’s Commitment Actionable and Effective

Rewards and Recognition eBook – Price $5.00
Creative Ways to Make Confirming the Commitment Matter to your Employees

Recoveries eBook – Price $3.00
Using Creative Recovery to Communicate Commitment

Personal Executive Actions eBook – Price $5.00
How to Communicate your Commitment Creatively

For more of Barbara’s books and products visit our online store here .

I have always been a reader, and I love sharing books that cause me to think or that I especially enjoy. As a result, several months ago I started a book discussion group with several friends, and it has been delightful to talk about favorite books with others. If you are not in some kind of book group, I strongly recommend starting one. Instead of an article in this month’s email newsletter, I decided to share what I have been reading lately. I always have at least three books going — a business book, a spiritual book, and a “fun” book. Here are some of my current favorites:

BUSINESS:

“Lead with LUV–A Different Way to Create Real Success” by Ken Blanchard and Colleen Barrett

This book by two of my special friends is about how it pays to put people first. Ken Blanchard, the author of the bestselling business book of all time, “The One Minute Manager,” interviews Colleen Barrett, the CEO Emeritus of Southwest Airlines, about her philosophy of loving people to success. In a “conversation” together, they reveal why leading with love is so powerful, how to make it work, and how it can make your organization even more successful. The book particularly resonated with me because this belief is foundational to all my work, and even for those who disagree, no one can argue with the success of Southwest. Ken told me that of all his many books, he thinks this book is his finest work!

“SWITCH — How to Change Things When Change is Hard” by Chip and Dan Heath

This “how-to,” delightful combination of research and stories ties perfectly into the model I use in all my work called the Human-Business model. The authors believe that our minds are ruled by two different systems–the rational mind (the Rider) and the emotional mind (the Elephant). Their premise is that the Rider can control the Elephant up to a point, but when the Elephant wants to go a different direction, guess who wins? Case in point: your rational mind wants to diet, but your emotional mind wants that Big Mac. They show us how we can help these two systems work together both in our personal and our work lives to effect lasting change.

“A Whole New Mind — Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future”–Daniel Pink

This book dovetails perfectly with the other two books above and again is foundational to my message. Pink says that the age of “left-brain” dominance is over, and the future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind. He describes the six fundamentally human abilities that are essential for success and how to master them: Design, Storytelling, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning. Each “sense” is fully described in a chapter with research and real life stories as well as an additional “Portfolio” of ideas to illustrate how we can each develop these abilities more fully in our own lives.

FUN:

“Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese, a well-respected physician and professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine

I could not put this beautifully written book down! It is set in Ethiopia during a revolutionary period in the 1950’s. It is the story of twin brothers raised in a hospital in Addis Ababa who share a preternatural connection and a fascination with medicine. The book is a saga of love and betrayal, compassion and wisdom, illuminating both the magic and the tragedy of our lives. I guarantee you will never forget it!

SPIRITUAL:

“Jesus Calling–Enjoying Peace in His Presence” by Sarah Young

This book was given to me as a gift from a friend, and it is the best devotional I have ever found. It feels as if Jesus is actually speaking to you each day of the year, and somehow, the words are exactly what I need to hear that day!

Please share with me what you are reading. For more updated information on my life and work, please join me on Facebook, Linked-In, Plaxo, and Twitter. (See sidebar of this blog.)

“A Little Something More” is an original song about “Johnny the Bagger®,” written and performed by my wonderful friend and musician, David Roth of MaytheLight Music.

Johnny is a young grocery bagger with Down syndrome who, after hearing me speak, puts a thought for the day in everyone’s groceries he bags. As a result, he has changed the culture of an entire store. The story is bringing hope to millions of people all over the world. You can hear an excerpt of this precious song on David’s album, “Irreconcilable Differences.” by clicking here.

I know this song will touch your heart and add a new spirit to your day. For more information about the “Johnny the Bagger®” movie, go to barbaraglanz.com/johnny.

THREE THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE
By Barbara A. Glanz

I have been working in customer service for most of my life. As a high school and college teacher, I was among the first to realize that I had customers. Later as Manager of Training and then Director of Quality in Training for Kaset International, an award winning Times Mirror company that focused solely on service quality, I designed customer service training, trained customer service trainers, and consulted regularly with senior managers who were initiating service cultures in their organizations. In the last four years I have written two books on customer service, and I am in demand as a speaker worldwide on the topic.

During that time I have come to three realizations about customer service:

1. You cannot mandate customer service. Management can threaten, punish, train, reward, cajole, and yet if an employee does not want to give good service, it simply will not happen. I have seen the very best skills training programs installed, performance reviews that reflect service attributes, reward and bonus programs that are extraordinary, and even threats of job loss, yet some employees simply choose NOT to give good service.

2. Customer service comes from the inside out. As I have watched people at all levels in organizations throughout the world, both public and private, it has become very clear that in order for employees to give good service, we must win their hearts and spirits to WANT to serve, not out of loyalty to the organization but simply because they want to make the world a little better place.

3. Giving good service involves creative, “out of the box” thinking. Those who give the best service do so by offering options, alternatives, and new ways of doing things. They bend the rules for their customers, and they ALWAYS meet the customer’s human need for kindness, respect, and understanding even if they cannot in some creative way meet his or her business need.

What does this mean to you as a manager? Training, rewards, threats, and policies are not enough. First, you must hire wisely, and second, you must model the qualities you desire in your employees as you interact with them. How are you treating YOUR customers?

For free articles you can use in your company newsletters and an archive of dozens of immediately applicable “Ideas of the Month”, go to www.barbaraglanz.com.

Daniel Pink in his book, “A Whole New Mind- Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future,” writes about how we are moving from Left-directed thinking to Right-directed thinking and from the Information Age into the “Conceptual Age.” He says, “The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind – creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers- artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers. We are moving from an economy built on linear, logical, computerlike capabilities to an economy and a society built on the inventive, empathic, big picture capabilities.”

He describes three reasons why this is happening:

* Abundance — Because most of us today have much more than enough, we have moved from focusing on day-to-day survival to a broader context — the search for beauty and emotion, meaning and purpose. We are liberated by prosperity but not fulfilled by it, so the pursuit of self-actualization, beauty, purpose and meaning has become an integral part of our lives.
* Asia — Most standardized, left-brain work can be done for a much lower cost overseas and delivered to clients via fiber optics, so knowledge workers must master abilities that can’t be shipped overseas. Those abilities are “right-brain” aptitudes.
* Automation — Computer automation is requiring Left-directed professionals to develop aptitudes that computers can’t do better, faster, and cheaper, moving away from routine, analytical, and information-based work and toward Right-directed aptitudes like empathy, creativity, storytelling, counseling, and fashioning the big picture.

He discusses the six essential Right-directed aptitudes we all need to master to complement our Left-directed reasoning:

1. Not just function but DESIGN. It is critical today to create a product, service, experience or lifestyle that is not just functional. It must be beautiful, whimsical, or emotionally engaging. (Think of customer service in these terms. We need to DESIGN a unique and emotionally engaging experience.)

2. Not just argument but STORY. We are so bombarded with information and data that the essence of persuasion, communication, and self-understanding has become the ability to fashion a compelling narrative. (Think of the legendary customer service stories that have inspired loyalty to organizations and have brought hope to individuals throughout the world that anyone can make a difference. One example is my story of “Johnny the Bagger®” which can be previewed at www.barbaraglanz.com/johnny . This story has been watched by over 5 million people on YouTube. How much better is a story than a set of figures to engender loyalty and meaning!)

3. Not just focus but also SYMPHONY — What’s in greatest demand today isn’t analysis but synthesis–seeing the big picture, crossing boundaries, and being able to combine disparate pieces into an arresting new whole. (Consider the healthcare industry and the new emphasis on treating the WHOLE person and moving from “omniscient purveyor of solutions to empathic advisor on options.”)

4, Not just logic but also EMPATHY — Those who thrive will be the ones with an ability to understand what makes their fellow men and women tick, to forge relationships, and to care for others. (The difference between a “boss” and a “leader” resides in the difference of how they receive power. A boss (left-brain dominant) has “position power” and he or she keeps others in an inferior position through fear and retribution. A leader, however, (right-brain dominant) gets his or her power from the people they lead. They are “developers of people,” and others follow them because they demonstrate wisdom, empathy, respect, and caring.)

5, Not just seriousness but PLAY — Research has shown the huge health and professional benefits of laughter, lightheartedness, games, and humor. (It only makes sense that people who function in workplaces of joy, caring, creativity, and fun will not only be happier but will ultimately be more productive and provide better service. The way people are treated internally will be the way they treat people externally. This is true of families as well as organizations, so we need to stop taking ourselves so seriously.)

6. Not just accumulation but also MEANING — Our material abundance has freed us to pursue more significant desires: purpose, transcendence, and spiritual fulfillment. (Consider that Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose-Driven LIfe,” has become the best selling book of all time, suggesting powerfully the search for meaning in our lives today.)

These six senses have already begun to guide our lives and shape our world. As I reflect on the messages I have been sharing since I started my business in 1995, these high-concept, high-touch abilities have been foundational. I have long shared the importance of encouragement, caring, empathy, appreciation, service, and finding how one’s work is making other’s lives better. It is reassuring to see that Pink truly feels that this kind of Right-directed thinking will reinvent our businesses, our lives, and our world:

Today, the defining skills of the previous era – the “left brain” capabilities that powered the Information Age–are necessary but no longer sufficient. And the capabilities we once disdained or thought frivolous –the “right brain” qualities of inventiveness, empathy, joyfulness, and meaning –increasingly will determine who flourishes and who flounders. For individuals, families, and organizations, professional and personal fulfillment now require a whole new mind.
Daniel Pink, “A Whole New Mind-Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future”

To learn more about Barbara’s messages and work, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/programs

What is the “lifetime value” of a customer and is it important for my whole organization to understand this concept? (Barbara Glanz)

Barbara Answers
www.barbaraglanz.com/iquestions/iq09.html
Click on the link above to see Barbara’s answer to this question.

For more questions and answers with Barbara, visit www.barbaraglanz.com/iquestions.

There are more great ideas in Barbara’s newly revised book,
“Building Customer Loyalty – How YOU Can Help Keep Customers Returning.”
To order this book at the special price of $11.00 until February 28th, go to
www.barbaraglanz.com/products/books//building-customer-loyalty.html

It is proven that we as human beings have a predilection for the negative. When I ask my audiences to share something good that has happened to them in the last week, there is almost always dead silence. However, when I ask for something bad, they can respond right away. Look at our media. How often is the focus on the awful things that have happened instead of the good things people have done?

I have been reading Chip and Dan Heath’s new book, “Switch – How to Change Things When Change Is Hard”, and they share the following research:

Here are the first 24 alphabetically listed most common emotion words from “Learn English at Home”:

ANGRY
ANNOYED
APPALLED
APPREHENSIVE
ASHAMED
BEWILDERED
BETRAYED
CONFUSED
CONFIDENT
CHEATED
CROSS
DEPRESSED
DELIGHTED
DISAPPOINTED
ECSTATIC
EXCITED
EMOTIONAL
ENVIOUS
EMBARRASSED
FURIOUS
FRIGHTENED
GREAT
HAPPY
HORRIFIED

These are 24 of the most common “emotion” words in English and yet only 6 of them are positive! In a more exhaustive study, a psychologist anaylzed 558 emotion words found that 62% of them were negative and only 38% positive.

A group of psychologists reviewed over 200 articles and concluded that, for a wide range of human behavior and perception, a general principle holds true: “Bad is stronger than good!”

Exhibit A: People who were shown photos of bad and good events spent longer viewing the bad ones.
Exhibit B: When people learn bad stuff about someone else, it’s stickier than good stuff.
Exhibit C: In situations when people interpret and explain events in their lives, they were more likely to spontaneously bring up (and attempt to explain) negative events than positive ones.

The study’s authors said, “We were unable to locate any significant spheres in which good was consistently stronger than bad.”

Now, think about you and your life and work. What do you focus most on–what is going RIGHT or what is going WRONG? If your child comes home with a report card with all A’s and B’s and one D, what do you focus on?

I challenge you to CHANGE YOUR FOCUS and make GOOD STRONGER THAN BAD in your life. One of the ways I do this is to keep a blessings journal. It is just a simple spiral notebook, but every night before I go to bed, I write down one or two blessings that occurred that day. I find that even on the worst of days, I can always find a blessing or two. I also love a quotation by William Winter, “As much of Heaven is visible as we have eyes to see.” Try to always look with your “heavenly” eyes, and you will see goodness all around you.

I wish for you a new year in which you live your life to prove that Good really is stronger than Bad!

Blessings,
Barbara

To learn more about Barbara’s work in helping organizations better serve their customers and one another and create workplaces of passion, purpose, and productivity, visit her website at www.barbaraglanz.com.