Get productive: are you seeing people in your credit union?
Seeing my name on the iPad outside the Palazzo hotel in the Vegas heat, I walk up to meet Andy my driver. His big smile and friendly manner are such assets in his business.
One of the big perks of my job is meeting the coolest people around the world; drivers are some of my absolute favorites. Many of you know it’s a quick ride from the Vegas strip to McCarran International airport and I was fortunate to be speaking for a super cool Credit Union event.
During the ride I learned Andy originally from Brooklyn, moved his family to New Jersey and then three years ago moved to Vegas to care for his aging parents (still going strong at 90 and 91). He was a charming, friendly man with a love of people and life.
The question I ask every driver (regardless of where I am in and the type of car I am in) is ‘who is the most interesting person you have ever had in your car? Andy raved about Nicolas Cage: he was funny, talkative and appreciative. I am a big fan and love his movies so it was fun to hear Andy’s enthusiasm for the conversation they shared.
When we pulled up the curb the time had flown by. I gave him a tip and he handed me my bag and then wrapped his strong arms around me in the biggest bear hug ever. ‘Please come back and see me Miss James so we can talk again’ he said.
If we’ve met, you will know I love cuddles and am very affectionate (some would say this isn’t very ‘business like’). It’s not uncommon for people to hug me at the end of business meeting, presentation or a transaction (I love it). Andy said ‘thank you for your company today come back and see me’.
I believe our members want two things: they want to be seen and they want to be heard.
Are you truly seeing people that come into your credit union every day? Do you give people the gift of your undivided attention?
The greatest gift you can give your team, your members and the people you share your life with is your undivided attention.
Who do you need to ‘see’ today?
My challenge to you is reach out to a member you haven’t heard from in a while, someone you care about, someone who means a lot to you and remind them they matter.
Spend 15 minutes today to invest your undivided attention with someone important to you – they need to be reminded they matter.
In our book Folding Time™ we call this engagement – as leaders we need to accelerate our engagement today and give people the gift of our undivided attention.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on how you ‘see’ people. Share your ideas with us here in the comments below.
Neen James
P.S.- If you want more ideas on how to increase your productivity – check out other blogs here and several eBooks you can share with your team.
