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It's Only Common Sense: New Year's Resolutions
January 10, 2011 |Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Editor's Note: To listen to Dan's weekly column, as you've always done in the past, click here. For the written transcript, keep reading...I promise common courtesy.
I have a confession to make. I've found lately that I am not answering my e-mails as promptly as I used to. In fact, in some cases, I am not answering them at all. This is bad, really bad and I have no good excuse. Oh, I could say that I get too many of them, or that I am too busy, or that some of them are not that important, but I won't because that's all they are--excuses, excuses for behavior that is well, inexcusable, especially for a guy who spends 52 weeks a year preaching, some might say screeching, about great customer service.
So my New Year's resolution is to make sure that I respond to all my e-mails, not only respond, but respond promptly! That should not be a big deal, but, rather, just common courtesy; and common courtesy is exactly what I plan to focus on in this coming year.
Therefore, in the spirit of common sense/common courtesy this is what I am going to do:
- I will answer all e-mails that need answering as soon as possible. If all that is required is a quick, short response then great; if it is something that requires a few days work, then I will respond right away with a time of when I will be able to deliver the information my correspondent needs.
- I will return phone calls as quickly as I can. I will do this because I know that all phone calls, like e-mails, are important to the people sending them; therefore, they are important to me as well.
- I will listen. Yes, I will listen more than I talk. I mean really listen--trying to understand what it is the person is trying to say. I will pay attention. They say that listening is a lost art. Well, I intend to find it again.
- I will be kinder to people I meet, people I work with, people I do business with. I will do what I can to help them be better. I will try to help them reach their goals.
- I will be careful to make promises because I will keep those promises. If I tell someone that I am going to do something by a certain time, I will move heaven and earth to do it by then.
- I will focus on looking out for the other guy. Yes, even on airplanes when they are in my way trying to put that bathtub-sized suitcase into the overhead. Yes, even then I will look out for that guy, even helping him get the suitcase in the overhead.
- I will be more encouraging. Talking to people about their goals and finding ways to help them achieve them.
- I will be generous and sharing. If I see something or think of something that could help someone I know then I am going to share it with them.
- I will try to bring people together. If I think that two people would benefit from meeting and getting to know one another I will do it. I promise to go out of my way to do it so that they can benefit.
- I will be on time. I will make appointments on time. If I tell someone I will be at a certain place at a certain time I will be there. If I set up a phone conference at a certain time I will be there.
- I will also try to have grace under pressure; to stay cool; to keep my head about me while others are losing thiers, not an easy task in these hard times, but a great goal to have, isn't it?
- And, finally, and this is the hardest one by far, if someone does me wrong I will turn the other cheek. I will go out of my way to make sure that I harbor no ill will. Frankly, this last one is a little bit selfish because resentment and grudge-holding are both counter-productive and self defeating. It is much more liberating to forgive and forget.
So, there you have it: My resolutions for 2011. I know it won't be easy, but I plan to stick to them not only in the coming 12 months, but forever.
I hope all of you have a very happy and prosperous New Year.
After all, it's only common sense.