Dear Friends,
What a crazy time – we thought we were “home free” after getting vaccinated, yet now, with the Delta variant, we are back to worrying about Covid again. I was recently at a convention with about 400 people in Las Vegas. Of that group, fourteen people (that we know of) got Covid and ALL were completely vaccinated….. so sadly, once more we are back to foregoing travel, staying away from crowds, outdoor dining, and other safety measures.
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Thank goodness we had a couple of months of calm! After not seeing my family for many months, first I was able to travel in April to Grand Junction, CO, where my sister and one brother live, to be with my other brother who was there from Chiangmai, Thailand. He has a gorgeous retreat center in the mountains and has lived there for many years. Since he has not been in the US for a long time, it was the first time in 20 years that we had all been together. I went snowshoeing for the first time ever! The memories, stories and laughs were rampant!
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Then in May I was able to travel to Portland, OR, to see my two daughters, son-in-love, and grandchildren. I took my two girls on a special “girls only” long weekend. One day was spent with a company that took us to three different vineyards for a wine tasting. The highlight of the trip, however, was going to Simon’s 8th grade graduation and treating everyone to Benihana, his choice for dinner. We got caught up on many things and so enjoyed the blessing of being together after 18 months.
In July, my son in Redmond, WA, invited all of us to come to his new vacation home on an island outside of Seattle for the 4th of July. We dined on fresh oysters, kayaked, paddle boarded, played games, and put out crab traps with his new boat.
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Later that month, I traveled to my hometown of Harlan, Iowa (population 4500) for a dear friend’s memorial service. Though the reason for being there was sad, it was a joy to reconnect with high school friends, share memories, and see my old home and many familiar places from my “growing up” years.
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From there, I went on to San Diego, CA, to be with my 97 year old aunt and to see my three cousins for the first time in over two years. Joan is my role model – she does water aerobics, dances, plays bridge and has a delightful sense of humor. I just could not convince her to stop waiting on me!
Now, I feel back to “square one” again – no more travel until this surge quiets down. Conferences where I was scheduled to speak or attend have been cancelled, and most meetings are now virtual again. WHEN will we return to some sort of “normal?” In the meantime, I am focusing on finding the GIFTS in all this change which is the theme of my new book. I pray that you and your families are all safe and well.
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“Never judge a person’s story by the chapter you find them in.”
Blessings,
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“Barbara Glanz is like ‘the gift that keeps giving’. One hour with Barbara is the best investment you can make in inspiring people to think differently and make a change. Barbara challenges people to make a a positive choice, for themselves, their co-workers, and yes, also the customers they serve. She shares how they can make a positive difference even for the people they encounter in their private lives every day. A choice from your heart is a choice to genuinely care.”
Nicolette Wuring
Managing Director, Stichting Havensteder, The Netherlands
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NEW BOOK – $13.99 with Free shipping!
I am excited to share with you the publication of my newest book, #14:
“Exhausted, Confused and Ticked Off! HOPE for a New Beginning When Change Has Done You In”
You can order either the print or ebook now:
Change is hard, whether forced or chosen, in your business or in your personal life. Yet we all have to deal with it for the rest of our lives. This book shares a simple model of Change to understand where you are in the process plus many easy coping tools to use as you navigate each transition. Most importantly, it contains a CONTROL INVENTORY™ to apply as a strategic, concrete tool. It asks you three questions that clarify the entire process of change, and it will give you a new sense of understanding and control over all the changes you will face throughout your life. You will leave with the very powerful understanding that even though it is hard, all change really does come bearing gifts!
“I am a raving fan of Barbara Glanz. She is a lifetime learner who is willing to share her learnings and vulnerability with anyone who wants to improve their life. Her latest book, EXHAUSTED, CONFUSED AND TICKED OFF! Hope for a New Beginning When Change Has Done You In, is one of her very best. After this Covid 19 pandemic, if change hasn’t ‘done you in’ in one way or another, you probably fib about other things, too. Read Barbara’s wonderful book about CHANGE and CHOICE to move on and find the gifts in every change.”
Ken Blanchard, Hall of Fame Speaker and Author of 65 Books
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“You gave a fantastic presentation! I was enthralled and very enthusiastic with all your great, inspiring stories. In my 10 years at Nationwide and in all the hundreds of presentations I have ever seen, yours was the best, most spirited and uplifting I have ever attended. Thanks for the great “shot in the arm!”
Allyson Abshire,
Nationwide Insurance
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“Making Marble Moments”
Our pastor recently gave a set of sermons that contained such memorable visuals that I want to share them with all my family, friends and clients. According to current research, the average person in America today lives to age 78, resulting in approximately 28,470 days of life.
Here are some of the ways we spend those precious days:
- 26 years sleeping
- 13- 14 years working
- 8 years watching TV
- 4 ½ years eating
- 6 years on social media
- 2 years shopping (my favorite! 😉
- 4 years in our car
- 1 year looking for lost items (this one made me smile….)
On the table he placed a huge bowl of colored marbles. On each side of this bowl there were two clear glass containers, one labeled “INVESTED” and one labeled “WASTED.” He asked, “Are you INVESTING your moments each day (helping others, bringing joy to someone, making a difference of some kind) or are you WASTING those moments (focus only on yourself, your needs and pleasures)?”
For me, this was a visual “wake up” call to think more concretely about the awesome daily GIFT of life and how I am using that gift. How many “marble moments” have I created today?
He challenged each of us to evaluate at the end of each day whether we could put a marble in the “Invested” jar or in the “Wasted” jar. The bottom line: How much time am I spending each day on myself as opposed to doing things that make this world a better place? WOW! Powerful food for thought…….
The next week he had four very tall clear glass containers on the table, each filled with blue sparkly marbles.
- The first one was nearly full – the number of days we have left at age 20.
- The second one was half of the first one – the days we have left at 40.
- The third one was half of that one – how many days we have left at age 60.
- And the final one had very few marbles in it – days left at age 70.
Again, what a POWERFUL visual! It gave me a whole new visual reality of the importance of each precious day I have left and a reminder challenge for how I am using it. Is it WASTED or is it INVESTED? At the end of my life, I hope I can be proud of how I have made a difference with my blessed gift of life. How about you?
May all the days we have left be filled with “Marble Moments.”
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“Barbara knows the HR profession. I’ve been in her audiences of 100 to 3000 people, and she authentically engages audiences of every size. Her keynotes and workshops can help any organization increase employee engagement and job satisfaction. If you’re a people-practice leader, you need Barbara Glanz to speak to your next company or association event.”
Jeff Nally, SPHR, SHRM-CP
Nally Group
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Barbara Speaking at SHRM National Convention
For the 24th year I have been chosen to do a Mega Session at the national convention of the Society for Human Resource Management in Las Vegas in September. My topic is “The Gifts of Change – Letting Go of Exhaustion. Confusion and Anger to Find a New Beginning,” based on my latest book.
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Chosen as a Top HR Influencer
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“Thank you so much for your wonderful presentation at the SHRM conference. I can honestly say you have to be the most inspirational speaker I have ever heard speak. It was as true pleasure to hear a christian woman speak in a business environment. “
Tanya Miller,
Ernst & Young
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Three Things I’ve Learned About Customer Service
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. Since I started my own company, I have written several books on customer service, one of which has sold over half a million copies, 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?
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**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/articles.
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“My company name is ARC Realty. ARC stands for “A Relationship Company” and that is one of the reasons your book was such a great hit for our agents (my clients)! The title says it all, the Truths are simple, it is just about making the right choice! I purchased the book for our entire team and will continue to give it to any new team member. Your book is so easy to read and apply immediately. Johnny the Bagger is so inspirational and applicable in our everyday lives at home and work. Thank you again for your work!”
Thad Lowry
ARC Realty
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QUOTES OF THE MONTH – Change
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“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly.”
“Your deepest struggle can, if you’re willing and open, produce your greatest strength.” ~Oprah Winfrey
“Suffering and change are a part of life. We spend well over 50% of our lives today in change. ‘Transition’ has become the norm and ‘stability’ the exception.“ ~James R. Zullo
” All that will remain when I’m gone will be those parts of me that I have invested in the lives of others.” ~ Bob Buford
“It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” ~ Charles Darwin
“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow, is if we change. The only way that we can change, is if we are willing to learn.”
“We choose change OR it chooses us. Change can be the most exciting thing that happens, and it’s the only way you’ll grow as a person.”
“The bottom line is to trust the processes of change and trust that transition is God’s way of helping you become all that you were created to be.” ~ James R. Zullo
“In every loss exists an opportunity for you to transform somehow … for you to grow through it.”
“The highest levels of integration come after the highest levels of disruption.” ~Ian Percy
“An interruption can become an introduction.” ~ Pastor John Cross
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
~ Elizabeth Kubler Ross
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“I want to say thank you after participating in your presentation for our all district in-service meeting this morning. The words you spoke and the activities you shared were exactly what I needed to hear today, not just as a teacher, but as a mom, a wife, and a person. Thank you so much for being with us today.”
Becky Huot, English Department
Muscatine, IA
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Thank you so much for being a part of our team and spreading YOUR contagious enthusiasm wherever you find yourself in life. Please let us know any ways we can be of help to you as you plan your association, company, or manager’s meetings. We would love to help you discover new ideas you can apply immediately in the areas of Employee Engagement, Customer Service, Appreciation & Recognition, Creating a Culture of Kindness, and Understanding the Human Level of Change.
“Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier.” ~ Mother Teresa
Blessings,
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© Barbara Glanz Communications Inc. 2021. All Rights Reserved.
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