What Really Matters Volume 2, Number 2, 2010

What Really Matters!
Volume 2, Number 2, 2010

By
Gary Ryan

What Really Matters! Volume 2, Number 2, 2010 – is a compilation of selected
articles from The Organisations That Matter Learning Network from April 1st 2010
until June 30th 2010
By Gary Ryan
Published by Publishing That Matters
c/- Organisations That Matter
Level 8, 350 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria 3166
AUSTRALIA
Phone +61 3 8676 0637
E-mail: gary@orgsthatmatter.com

Copyright © 2010 Gary Ryan, Organisations That Matter®
All effort was made to render this ebook free from error and omission. However,
the author, publisher, editor, their employees or agents shall not accept
responsibility for injury, loss or damage to any person or body or organisation
acting or refraining from such action as a result of material in this book, whether or
not such injury, loss or damage is in any way due to any negligent act or omission,
breach of duty, or default on the part of the author, publisher, editor or their
employees or agents.

A note about ebooks
Ebooks provide a special function that traditional books cannot provide. The links
in this ebook are ‘live’, so if you read the ebook while online, you can immediately
access the reference material.

What Really Matters! Volume 2, Number 1, 2010

Who should read this ebook?
This ebook is for people who are interested in personal and professional
development, speciﬁcally as it relates to achieving career aspirations and enabling
the organisations within which we work to be better places for human beings. This
ebook represents articles from the second quarter of 2010 from The Organisations
That Matter Learning Network.

To join The Organisations That Matter Learning Network please follow this link.

Thank You!
Thank you to all our members of The Organisations That Matter Learning Network.
We hope that you will receive great value from this collection of articles compiled
in the second quarter of 2010.

Please respect our copyright. This means that if you are a member of The
Organisations That Matter Learning Network you have our permission to share this
ebook with your friends and to invite them to join our community so that they too
can enjoy this book.

Best wishes!

Gary Ryan

Table of contents
What are the fundamentals in your business that you cannot afford
to get wrong?
1

If “Everybody is doing it”, does that make it okay?
3

Storm Damage - Why leading with integrity matters
5

Discover the secret to motivating your team members
7
Step One
7

Step Two
7

Step Three Part A
7

Step Three Part B
8

Step Three Part C
8

Gen Y - we are in safe hands!
9

Service excellence comes in many forms
10

Couple On The Run Blog - Abbott frenzy misses the point
11

Seeking Inspiration - Yes Iʼm asking for help!
14
So, how can you provide inspiration?
15

Seeking Inspiration - The Result!
17

What sayings guide you on a day to day basis?
19

Great service comes in many forms
20
Quote from a participant in one of our research programs.
20

Great service connects customers to your business
21

Discover the ﬁve service gaps
22
Gap 1 The Management Perception Gap
22

Gap 2 The Quality Service Standards Gap
23

Gap 3 The Service Delivery Gap
24


Gap 4 The Market Communication Gap
24

Gap 5 The Perceived Service Quality Gap
25

Powerful questions for mentors
26

How ʻ2 Starsʼ and ʻ5 Starsʼ can both be examples of great service
27

How the power of Team Talk can help the Australian Socceroos
29

Do you listen with your ʻAnswer runningʼ?
31

Service excellence involves exceeding expectations
33

Being told, “Youʼre Crazy!” is a good thing!
34

Online Courses
37

Webinars
37

Partnerunning.com
37

Desired Futures
38

Accelerating Careers
38

What Really Matters For Young Professionals!
39
Online Checklist
39

This product is both for Young Professionals and/or their employers
39

Printed Book Due For Release July 30th 2010 (Purchase directly from us or
ask for it at all good book stores)
40

What are the fundamentals in your business that you
cannot afford to get wrong?
I have spent the last couple of days in hospital having had my appendix removed.
My experience of the hospital was fantastic with a high level of care shown by all
the staff with whom I came into contact.

Last evening I witnessed an event that displayed integrity and courage, while also
highlighting that serious mistakes can be made even in a well run hospital.

At about 8:30pm a senior
nurse came in to speak with
an elderly gentleman with
whom I was sharing my ward.
She informed him that he had
been given someone else's
medicine an hour earlier. She
told him that she had
checked with his doctor and
that there weren't any issues
regarding side effects with
the incorrect medicines that
he had taken. She also
apologised profusely for the
error.

From my perspective the nurse showed courage and integrity by admitting the
mistake, initiative by checking with the patient's doctor before informing him of the
mistake and she also provided a genuine apology.

This experience got me thinking. In a hospital it would seem that giving the wrong
medicine to the wrong patient is a fundamental error that shouldn't occur. It would
appear that human error was involved. Six Sigma was a system that was
introduced at Motorola as a way of creating a culture that minimises such
fundamental mistakes. Six Sigma ofﬁcially translates to 3.4 mistakes every 1
million efforts. I'd like to think that, at the hospital where I have just spent the last
few days, the mistake that I experienced was one of the 3.4 in one million!

1


So, the question for you is, "What are the fundamental errors that you should be
minimising? What systems do you have in place to ensure that human error is
minimised?"

Even a short stay in hospital can provide opportunities for reﬂection and
improvement. I'm certainly reviewing our systems and processes in the context of
this experience.

Please feel free to comment on this article.

2


If “Everybody is doing it”, does that make it okay?
The revelations of the systematic cheating by the Melbourne Storm Rugby League
Club raises issues that extend far beyond Rugby League and the club itself.
Assuming that the reported statement by the Melbourne Storm Chairman Dr Rob
Moodie that Brian Waldron, the accused architect of the cheating strategy, told
him that he had done what he had done because, "Everybody's doing it!" is
accurate, it raises an issue for all of us. (Please keep in mind that at the point in
time of writing this article there is no evidence that Brian Waldron's statement that
everybody else is doing it is accurate.)

As appalling an excuse as this excuse
sounds, my view is that many people do use
this excuse for their behaviour. Whether it be
taking illegal drugs, drinking too much
alcohol, backstabbing another person
behind their back, not telling your manager
or direct reports the truth, people claim that
their behaviour is okay because other people
are doing it.

To me, leadership starts with yourself. If you
can't lead yourself, then you are going to
struggle to lead other people. As we have
seen with Brian Waldron many people would
have considered him successful up until Thursday afternoon. After all he had
guided the Melbourne Storm through a period of apparent on-field and off-field
success.

This story highlights that there are consequences for not taking a stand for doing
what is right. It may be true that if Melbourne Storm had played according to the
rules then they may not have won their (now lost) premierships. We will never
know. We do know that their brand has been damaged and two major sponsors
have already cancelled their arrangements with the club due to the clash of values
that has come to the surface as a result of this exposure. If you have ever
wondered whether there is a financial cost for lacking integrity in business, here is
your proof!

3


This is why I always laugh when people talk about developing the 'soft skills' of
management. To me, the so called 'soft skills', which include acting with integrity,
are the hardest skills to master, which is why so many people struggle to properly
develop them. The term 'soft' somehow suggests that they are easy. Nothing
could be farther from the truth.

To me leadership starts with doing what is right from a personal point of view. This
means that many people will never know when you have shown true leadership,
because the vast amount of leadership takes place when no one is looking. I
suspect that there are a lot of good people at the Melbourne Storm who possess
high integrity. While this must be an extraordinarily difﬁcult time for them I suspect
that many will stay to rebuild the club's integrity. In many ways, providing the
people running the club at all levels honestly embrace the opportunity that they
have before them, they could use this terrible event to create an organisation of the
highest order. On many levels I hope that they can.

The ﬁnal message for each of us from this story is to challenge ourselves not to do
any behaviour just because we believe that other people are doing it. If our moral
compass tells us that something is wrong, then we should listen and take action
that is guided by that compass. It is far better to be able to look in the mirror and
be happy with the quality of the person staring back at you, rather than seeing a
smug person who is hoping they never get caught for doing what they know is
wrong.


4


Storm Damage - Why leading with integrity matters
While this article focusses upon the revelations of the systematic cheating by
administrators within the Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club, the article is about
organisational leadership and not sport.

The Melbourne Storm is a multi-million dollar business. It is in the business of elite-
sport, television and entertainment. The deception not just a sporting deception, it
is a business deception and legal investigations may result in charges being laid.
Time will tell.

Today many thousands of people will wake up feeling betrayed and disgusted by
the behaviour of a small number of people. Michelle Hunt from
www.dreammakers.org suggests that leadership involves a serious meddling in
other people's lives. Many people will have their reputations tarnished simply
because they work for the Melbourne Storm. If that doesn't highlight the serious
impact that poor leadership can have on other people, then I'm not sure what
does!

On the morning of Thursday 22nd April 2010 I was compelled to add a comment
to an article posted on the The Age website. I was unaware of the Melbourne
Storm issue that was to unfold later in the day. The article was titled,
"Congratulations you're a manager....now what?". I was drawn to the article
because it mentioned a series of tips for ﬁrst time managers. However, one of the
sentences in the article's introduction caused me some concern. The sentence
was, "Is honesty always the best policy when managing up?". I thought to myself,
"Why wouldn't it be?". If you are honest when managing up and you got into
trouble for that, then my view is your organisation is not worthy of your
commitment and you have a choice to make.

The 'war for talent' still exists so if you have a strong and clear sense of your
values and a good work ethic, then my view is that you have choice regarding
where you work. Working for organisations that aren't worthy of your commitment
is therefore a choice.

To me preparation to become a leader starts well before a formal leadership role in
an organisation is offered to you. It starts with becoming clear about your values
and practicing them every day in all your life's roles. Vision without an
understanding of your values can lead to behaviour, such as systematic cheating,
5


that is inconsistent with your vision. I don't know the motives of the senior
Melbourne Storm administrators for their behaviour. I do know that conscious
development and mastery of your personal values takes time and it is important for
people to have mastery of their values before they commence formal leadership
roles. It is my view that not enough people are clear about their values and how
they are reﬂected in their behaviour at work. Are you clear about yours?


6


Discover the secret to motivating your team members
re you one of those people who prefers to keep your plans in your head? Or
maybe you prefer to "just do it" and not worry about planning at all?

Research by David Ingvar indicates that there
is a signiﬁcant and positive affect from writing
down your plans. What is interesting is that
your plans do not have to include detail to the
'nth' degree to be effective.

What you do have to do, however, is to write
them!

A simple, yet effective process for creating
effective plans for anything is outlined below.
The process can work for achieving a certain
grade for an assignment at university, for
drafting a high level plan for a complex
business project (that would then be used to
create a more detailed plan using tools such as
Microsoft Project) or a training session for the local U12s basketball team that you
coach. Heck, I use this process all the time for planning my workshops and
seminars!

In addition, this process can be used for creating a plan for an individual or a team.

Step One
Describe using dot points, what a successful outcome looks like. Provide as much
detail as possible to enable you to clearly see the success that you desire.

Step Two
Identify your current experience and skills as they relate to achieving your goals.
Be honest. Include both your good and not-so-good experiences.

Step Three Part A
Brainstorm everything that you will need to do to take you from your description in
Step Two through to achieving the outcomes you have described in Step One.

7


Include any research or training & development that you may need to acquire
along the journey.

Step Three Part B
Having brainstormed your possible tasks, consider their relationship to each other
and their level of importance. What tasks stand out as critical steps for success?
These need to be treated as priorities (keeping in mind, of course, that even the
'little things' matter for true success).

Step Three Part C
If more than one person will be involved in actioning this plan, assign appropriate
tasks to everyone on your team.

Plans for individuals and teams can be completed in under ten minutes and under
30 minutes respectively following this three step process.

The challenge for most people isn't following the process, it's deciding to do it in
the ﬁrst place!

Give it a go, you will be pleasantly surprised at how simple and effective it is!


8


Gen Y - we are in safe hands!
Over the past few weeks I have been conducting programs for university students.
Amongst other themes, these programs have included the identification and
launching of community based projects. No less than 75 students have been
involved in these workshops, and this week will see another 40 students involved
in a similar program.

All these students are in their low 20s and gave up their holiday time to participate
in the programs. For all of them, their academic performance will not be affected
by not attending the programs. Yet they have not only turned up but have
enthusiastically committed themselves to creating projects that will benefit their
university and/or the broader community.

Sometimes I hear people of my generation (Generation X) or from the Baby
Boomers complain about Generation Y. "They aren't like us", they bemoan. "They
simply aren't committed to anything other than themselves!" they complain.

Well, Gen Y aren't like us. That is okay because they shouldn't be. Otherwise we'd
be stuck in some sort of time vortex. However, Gen Y are committed, very
committed to helping to create a better world. Just like the older generations, there
are sufficient numbers of committed Gen Ys who are there 'having a crack' at
creating a better world. And they are doing it right now. I have the evidence of this
because I am lucky enough to be able to work with them and the student projects
that I have described above are practical examples of Gen Y hard at work.

So, Gen X and Baby Boomers, don't worry, our future is in safe hands!

Please feel free to share your experiences of the positive work that Gen Y are
doing to create a better world.

9


Service excellence comes in many forms
Service is not just a traditional retail experience.
Examples of service include the willingness to
allow direct reports to make mistakes so that they
can learn (even though you could have done the
task faster and to a higher quality yourself).
Cleaning up after yourself in the lunch room.

Picking up rubbish in the foyer and placing it in the
bin. Letting others go ﬁrst through a doorway.
Offering your seat to someone not as healthy as
yourself when riding public transport. Listening to a
colleague when they just need another human’s
ear. These are all simple examples of service.
Service can be everywhere and it can be nowhere.
How present is service in your life?

Please feel free to ask questions and/or to make a comment on this article.

10


Couple On The Run Blog - Abbott frenzy misses the
point
Today I refer you to one of my favourite blogs, Couple On The Run. Andrew's
article Abbott Frenzy Missess The Point focusses on the media and political
peressure directed toward Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. Politically I
am not a fan of Abbott, but he has every right to stand for what he believes, just as
I do. He also has every right to exercise 10 hours per week and compete in and
complete an Ironman Triathlon (3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run). The
suggestion that he has not focussed on his job to be able to do this is absurd.

The article, from Sue and Andrew O’Brien is included below.

Politicians and journalists have really *^#%ed me off this weekend. So much so
that I am breaking our golden rule and using this blog for a rant.
For those not in Australia this weekend you are missing a media frenzy as the
leader of the Federal Opposition, Tony Abbott, completed the Australian Ironman in
Port Macquarie in 13 hours 57 minutes. (The winner did 8 hours 23 minutes and 54
seconds).

Last Sunday as I ﬂew from Australia to New
Zealand I read of a government minister
criticising the opposition leader as not being
committed to his job as he spends too much
time working on his ﬁtness. Feeling sorry for
the desperate minister I thought nothing
further of it as I focussed on a busy work
week which included 14 hours a day
assisting NZ’s biggest company get closer
to their customers and an hour a day
running or in the hotel gym.

Returning to Melbourne on Friday I was
struck by the continued criticism of Abbott
and what I see as ridiculous, uniformed
criticism. As members of the media joined a
rattled government the comment moved
beyond misguided political opportunism to
downright ignorance. My passion for this
11


subject comes from personal experience having made the transition from couch
potato and bar fly to being fit and healthy. An interview with a respected journalist
for an article to appear in a national publication really made me think as we
explored Tony Abbott Syndrome and reached the conclusion that my passion for
running was a positive that established a wonderful life style rather than some mid
life crisis akin to fast cars and women.

As a 30 year old I was “good” for a hundred cigarettes a day. As a 42 year old I run
my first Oxfam Trailwalker: 100 km’s in less than 14 hours. As a 30 year old I
regularly drank 20 beers a day, now days it is regularly 20 km’s a day and only 20
beers a year. As a 20 year old 2nd year university was the best 5 years of my life, as
a fit, healthy marathon running 35 to 42 year old I completed 3 masters and a
doctorate while working 60 plus hours a week as a CEO of a $50m per year
company.

The point is fit bodies lead to fit minds, less waste, more productivity and a
dramatic increase in quality of life. The problem is captured in the old story of the
boiled frog unaware of the water heating around it until it explodes and our inability
to realise what we are missing out on when we are not physically fit.

The outdated and overly macho view that to be a good leader you need to work all
the time and not take time to work on your health and fitness lacks credibility when
presented by jealous, over weight and exhausted looking politicians who by all
reports are failing to deliver, in part, as they are so exhausted and unfit they have
lost their productive spark. It is down right un Australian when the person
suggesting working on our fitness is the Federal Health Minister. Shame Nicola,
Shame.

We should not forget our own experiences where it is almost never the person who
spends the most time in the office that is the most productive or effective. When
we are tired and lack fitness it takes longer to do things and we don’t think as well.

Taking on a physical challenge helps us develop a range of characteristics that
enhance our leadership ability and contribution to our families, workplaces and
communities. Stamina, planning, vision, determination, discipline, mental
toughness and the ability to overcome obstacles are a few that come to mind from
personal experience in running almost 50 marathons over 10 years including a
couple of Comrades 89km in South Africa.
12


Neil Mitchell on national television this morning says Abbott does not have the time
to train 10 hours a week. Let’s think about that 1 hour a day Monday to Friday and
2 to 3 hours per day on Saturday and Sunday. You must be kidding, so many
people spend an equivalent amount of time drinking coffee, sitting in restaurants,
purchasing and consuming alcohol and or sitting on the couch watching TV.

Am I better off watching an hour of TV each day and a movie each day on the
weekend or doing some exercise? Unbelievable is the suggestion that 10 hours
exercise a week is too much. Why doesn’t the nanny state make it illegal to sit on
the couch and compulsory to walk an hour a day! (just kidding on the nanny state
idea, I’m passionate about personal responsibility)

An article in Melbourne’s Sunday Age also took a one sided and in my view did
those involved a real disservice by focusing on what it takes to compete at the top
and highlighting “sore legs” and other participation soreness. One of the problems
we face in encouraging people to be active is that too often we hear about what it
takes to be an elite athlete rather than a participant. Abbott did Iron man in 14
hours not sub 9. The training required and the impact is different. I can run lots of
marathons in 4 hours but not if I am trying to run 3 hours.

People often approach us saying they don’t exercise as it hurts. Some muscle
fatigue is a small price to pay for being ﬁt and healthy. My legs hurt for two days
after a marathon and I love it. I love it more than the sore back and aching joints I
lived with when I spent life on a bar stool and lounge room couch.

And another thing. Who wants to tell the wonderful people training for the
Melbourne Trailwalker in a few weeks that they are wasting their time preparing to
cover 100 km’s in less than 48 hours and raise money for Oxfam in the process.

As a mid life runner Sue is the only fast woman I enjoy chasing and I hope to keep
chasing her along marathon courses and training runs for many years to come.

Once you have read the article please feel free to post a comment.

13


Seeking Inspiration - Yes Iʼm asking for help!
Have you ever had a big goal and you were sailing along with your plan and
everything was going well, when all of a sudden your plans were thrown into
chaos? Yet your goal remained. Instead of looking like Mt Dandenong your goal
now looks like Mt Everest!

I am in one of those situations. Today marks the 14th day since I had my appendix
out. In 18 days I am due to run the Sri Chinmoy Marathon at Williamstown in
Melbourne on Sunday 30th May.

My challenge is that my
preparation has been
severely interrupted by my
hospitalisation. I normally
have a training peak three to
five weeks before a
marathon, and then reduce
my load over the last three
weeks leading up to the run.
Clearly I have not been able
to do this as I was in
hospital. So far I have
managed two eight kilometre runs since leaving hospital and both times I have
pulled up quite sore. D'OH!

I'm not an elite runner. My average time is just over 3hrs 50 mins for the eight
marathons I have completed so far. Normally I am sore for two to three days after a
marathon and I'm back running within five days. My personal plan includes
completing at least two marathons per year. this is my first for this year so I'm keen
to 'chalk it up.'

Providing a person has done some training and has a reasonable level of fitness I
have learnt that a marathon is by far and away a mental challenge. I use the Jeff
Galloway method of running, so I use a combination of running with short walks
throughout the marathon (that is what the ancient Greeks did). I know that
physically I will be able to run this marathon. I know that this time I will most likely
be sore for five days rather than two to three and I might not be able to go for my

14


next run for seven days after the run. I also know that throughout this run my
biggest challenge will be my mind.

It is for this reason that I am seeking inspiration from you. I am not asking you to
run with me (for some of you that may be an option). Rather I'm seeking inspiration
from you in multiple ways. Even if only one person takes up the challenge to run in
the 5km event on Sunday May 30th, I'll be inspired to push through my mental
challenges to complete the run. You see, running is relative. If someone hasn't run
or walked 5kms for a long time, then that might seem like Mt Everest to them, just
like this 42.2kms is looking like Mt Everest to me at the moment.

I'm already lucky that Andrew and Sue O'Brien from Couple On The Run and the
inspiration for our Partnerunning brand will be running on the day. They are
completing 10 marathons in 2010!

So, how can you provide inspiration?
Sign up for one of the 5km, 10km, 21.1km or marathon events at the Sri Chinmoy
Race at Williamstown on Sunday 30th May. Registration information is available
here.

If you are unavailable on Sunday 30th May, sign up for any event that may be a
challenge for you.

Come down to Williamstown and show your support for everyone running in all the
events. I hope to cross the ﬁnish line between 11am and 11:30am.
Forward this request on to others you know who might be interested in helping.
Send your best wishes by leaving a comment on this blob.

If you do sign up for an event or if you plan to come along on the day, please let
me know by emailing gary@orgsthatmatter.com - because knowing that you are
doing something will help to inspire me to overcome my mental demons on the
day.

So, please inspire me and continue or commence your own personal ﬁtness
journey along the way!

15


PS The photo with this article includes my good friend Jim Poussard and myself
completing the Sri Chinmoy Marathon last year. Jim is running the Great Ocean
Road Marathon this weekend - it is 45 kms, 'Go Jim!'

16


Seeking Inspiration - The Result!
Hi folks,

Thanks to all of you for sending your inspirational stories to help me through the
marathon this morning – I certainly needed them and they came in very handy.

As I expected it was my legs more than anything else that caused me some
concern from the 25km mark. With my training having been interrupted due to the
operation the last 17kms or so were always going to be a challenge. I did make it
which is what I planned to do – even though my time wasn’t very ﬂattering, but in
all honesty I don’t do these runs because of the time.
Please know that during that period I thought of each of you and your stories.

• Carolyn who had spent two full days
fasting and meditating a couple of weeks
ago and also reminded me that there are
many people in our world who walk
further than I ran this morning every day,
just to collect dirty water to drink
• Hazel who shared that she had dropped
two dress sizes and had inspired who
partner to start walking with her, even on
wet mornings!
• Steve who ran the Melbourne Marathon
last year with just 4 weeks training!
• Hong who climbed Mt Oberon at Wilson’s
Promontory and opened up a whole new
world of hiking and outdoor adventure for
herself
• Cheryl who ran the 8km event this year at
the Mother’s Day Classic and who has
now inspired a number of her colleagues
to run a 10km event in Brisbane in August this year
• Pamela who is currently in the USA and who vowed to walk 10kms around New
York today to be kindred spirits in exercise
• Heidi who has started a walking and running program with a friend

17


I would also like to thank everyone else who sent messages of encouragement,
including some coming through as text messages this morning just before we
started the race. The messages were very helpful – I really do believe that they can
‘send energy’ because it takes energy for you to send them, and if everything really
is connected, then the energy is available to be used. That’s my theory and I’m
sticking to it!

I was lucky enough to run with Andrew and Sue O'Brien for just over half of the
race. An article appeared in today's (Sunday 30th May) Herald Sun (and
associated newspapers) in the Body & Soul section about Andrew and Sue and
Partnerunning - check it out if you get a chance.

So, once again thank for your inspiring stories and messages of support. I’m not
sure that I would have gotten around the 42.2km course today without them.

Thank you.

18


What sayings guide you on a day to day basis?
ayings can be very powerful and act as a guide for our lives. Two Australian
sayings that I ﬁnd very powerful and very useful for helping me to live my life are:

1. 'Get fair dinkum'; and
2. 'Have a crack!'.

'Get fair dinkum' means that you need to be honest with yourself. Don't fool
yourself into thinking that everything is okay if it isn't, and don't go thinking
everything is terrible if it isn't. Appraise both the good and the bad and most of all,
be honest!

This enables you to be honest with others, an important trait for building
relationships.

'Have a crack' means, 'to have a go' or 'to take action.' People often miss out on
achieving what they want in life because they are afraid of what might go wrong.
The saying, 'have a crack!' reminds me to focus on what I want to achieve, and to
go for it! Usually the worst thing that could happen from having a crack is nowhere
near as bad as not being prepared to give yourself a chance of creating whatever it
is that you want.

So, get fair dinkum and have a crack!

What sayings guide your life?

Please share them with our community.

19


Great service comes in many forms
Service is not just a traditional retail experience. Examples of service include the
willingness to allow direct reports to make mistakes so that they can learn (even
though you could have done the task faster and to a higher quality yourself).
Cleaning up after yourself in the lunch room.

Picking up rubbish in the foyer and placing it in the
bin. Letting others go ﬁrst through a doorway.
Offering your seat to someone not as healthy as
yourself when riding public transport. Listening to a
colleague when they just need another human’s ear.
These are all simple examples of service. Service can
be everywhere and it can be nowhere. How present is
service in your life?

Quote from a participant in one of our research
programs.
I’ve experienced great service from my parents, from
the local convenience store and the volunteers
working at the drink stations in the running events that
I participate in. I’ve also received great service from
high class hotels. Great service is everywhere, if
you’re prepared to see it!

Please feel free to add a comment to this article.

20


Great service connects customers to your business
Service quality pioneers Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman (1985) identiﬁed that
service quality, reduced service problems and the capacity to promptly and
appropriately resolve problems when they arise are signiﬁcant factors that enhance
customer retention, loyalty and referrals.

The challenge here is to do these three core service
activities in a cost effective manner that either meets
or exceeds the real expectations of the customer. As
you will read in another article this does not mean
providing a ‘5 Star’ level of service when the
customer is expecting a ‘2 Star’ level. It means what
it says – providing the level of service expected by
the customer at a fair exchange for that service.

Think about it. You are already a potential expert on
good service.

“What, I’m an expert?” you might say.

A potential expert.

You spend an enormous amount of your time as a customer, whether in a retail or
hospitality context, or as a customer of other colleagues while at work. You know
when you receive good service, just as you know when you receive bad service.
You know what good service ‘feels like’. Therefore, you also know what poor
service feels like. It then follows that good service that helps people to feel good
helps them to stay connected to the organisation.


21


Discover the ﬁve service gaps
Parasuraman, Zeithaml & Berry introduced the SERVQUAL framework in 1985. It is
essentially a process that describes ﬁve potential service gaps that organisations
should minimise if they want to be known for consistently delivering service
excellence. Minimising each gap contributes to an organisation’s capacity to meet
or exceed the expectations of its customers.

The gaps are described below with an examples provided to help you to
understand what each gap 'looks like'.

Gap 1 The Management Perception Gap
A gap can exist between managements understanding of customer expectations
and the actual expectations of customers. If management get this wrong,
everything else they do will be wrong and the service gap is likely to grow
exponentially. Organisations must do everything in their power to minimise the
chances that Gap 1 exists.

Example
Coca-Cola has dominated the soda drink market for decades. yet, in the early
1980s Coca-Cola decided to introduce 'New Coke' (some of you will remember,
many of you won't.) The taste for 'New Coke' was supposed to be a modern taste
22


that the 'consumers wanted.' Nothing could have been further from the truth. Coke
sales plummeted. Management had clearly misunderstood their market and had
made a series of poor decisions as a result of their misunderstanding.

If you create Gap 1 then everything else you do as an organisation will take you
further away from providing what your customers want. It is for this reason that
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE said:

Quote
“Service. If you haven’t got it, don’t even bother getting out of bed if you want to
be a senior leader. It’s such an entry level requirement it isn’t even worth talking
about it.” (Jack Welch, ex GE CEO)

Gap 2 The Quality Service Standards Gap
It is one thing to be able to understand the expectations of those you serve. A gap
can then emerge if your translation of those expectations into service standards is
inaccurate. Service standards are effectively the systems and processes that you
put into place to ensure that you can consistently meet the expectations of your
customers. This is very easy to get wrong and requires a high understanding of the
expectations of your customers, as well as a high level of understanding of how
your organisation works if you are to minimise this gap.

Example
An example of Gap 2 in action is provided by a quote from a research participant.
The person was a ﬁtness centre manager. In this example, notice how it connects
to the concept of Structure Drives Behaviour.

Quote (Research participant)
The members said that they wanted the gymnasium to open at 6am. So I employed
the staff to start their shift at 6am. The members were still not happy. I was
confused. When I asked them again why they weren’t happy they said, “We told
you that we wanted the gym open at 6am, not ‘opening’ at 6am. There’s a
difference!” Finally I understood. The staff would be paid to start at 5:45am so that
the gym would be truly open as had been requested. I had been wrong. I had
misinterpreted the expectations of the members.

23


Gap 3 The Service Delivery Gap
After all the systems and processes have been created, both the automated and
human elements of the system must do what they are supposed to do. System
errors or breakdowns and humans not doing what they are supposed to do can
create immediate service gaps. No system or human is perfect or infallible. As
such your organisation must consider what it will do if a Service Delivery Gap does
occur.

Example
A retail operation requires staff to work from a start time to a ﬁnish time. Usually
there will be a staff member who is responsible for opening the retail outlet at a
certain time. If that staff member is late then the retail outlet may not be open
when customers expect it to be open. In this example, human error is responsible
for creating a service gap.

Ultimately your staff have to do the right thing. It’s important to have the best
systems and processes that you can, but ultimately your staff have to do the right
thing. They have to properly implement what they are supposed to do.

Gap 4 The Market Communication Gap
If you say that you will respond to online customer feedback within 24 hours and
you consistently take 48 hours to do it, then you have created a Market
Communication Gap.

Example
The local barber who cuts my hair has two signs out the front of his barber’s shop.
One sign says that the shop will be open at 8:30am. The second says 8:45am. The
barber is rarely there before 9am. He has no idea how many people have looked in
his window when he wasn’t open when he advertised that he would be. My
expectations are consistently not met. One day a new barber will move into an
empty shop in the shopping strip. What do you think I will do?

Quote (research participant)
Sorry mate. I know that I said sorry the last couple of times but my car broke down
and I had to wait for my wife. Sorry mate.

24


Gap 5 The Perceived Service Quality Gap
The final gap is the perceived service quality that the customer has of their total
experience in relation to their original expectation of the product or service. Ideally
there is no gap here or, if there is a gap, it is in the context that the perceived
service level is higher than original expectations. Unfortunately, the four previous
gaps can create a significant negative gap at Gap 5.

Examples
I describe this gap like this because service providers are often unaware that this
gap exists. As such they don't do anything to close this gap. This leaves them
exposed to a competitor or new service provider from appearing to 'steal' their
customers 'overnight'. The reality is that their customers were simply waiting for a
better alternative to 'pop up', so when it did they 'defected' as quickly as they
could. Do you think my barber (Gap 4 above) is at risk of this occurring?

A similar gap can exist for internal service providers. I am aware of teams of
internal staff who have failed to provide high service standards to others within
their organisation. When their service has been 'outsourced' those staff and team
members have become indignant. "How dare they outsource our department!". Yet
they had not been prepared to 'see' other staff as their 'customers' and treat them
accordingly.

You know they don’t really have to do all that much. If they just met my
expectations I’d be happy. But they really don’t seem to care. And as soon as I get
a chance to go somewhere else I will. And they won’t even know what happened to
me. It’s a shame, really. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Your challenge is to be aware of these five gaps and to be pro-active in managing
them. This is a never-ending activity because customer expectations can change
'overnight'.

Please share your experiences with relation to how you have managed the five
service gaps.

25


Powerful questions for mentors
Mentoring is experiencing a resurgence as more and more people are recognising
its benefits, from both mentor and protege perspectives.

Recently I facilitated a mentoring workshop for one of Australia's largest
universities. Part of the workshop included a Strategic Conversation. The purpose
of which was to generate some resources for the 60 mentors present.

One of the most powerful resources for a mentor is to be able to access questions
that can be used within a mentoring session. In this context, the Strategic
Conversation that I hosted included the following question:

"As mentors or proteges, the most powerful and effective questions that we have
asked or have been asked are...?".

I have received permission to be able to share the output of the Strategic
Conversation with you. Please click here to download the file.

I would like to be able to continually add to this list. In this context, please share
the most powerful questions that you have been asked or have asked in the
context of a mentoring relationship.

PS My first book What Really Matters For Young Professionals! is due for release on
July 30th, 2010. In this context I have a pre-release Special Offer available. Over my
journey a number of mentors provided me with books as gifts to assist me with my
development. If you are a mentor then this may be the perfect gift for your
proteges, especially if they are in the first ten years of their career. You might like to
consider an even more powerful gift which is the Online Course that supports the
book.

26


How ʻ2 Starsʼ and ʻ5 Starsʼ can both be examples of
great service
Many people think that good service is only provided ‘at the top end’ of the service
star scale. In other words, if I’m running a 2 star motel then only a low level of
service should be provided. In the context of WHAT is provided and WHAT is paid,
this is true. But the service experience can still be above expectations. For
example, the person greeting me may be genuinely happy to check me into my
room. When provided directions to my room I am asked if I am interested in
knowing where some cheap but good quality food can be found. In responding yes
to that question I am provided with the appropriate information, which includes a
range of discounts should I choose to eat at those places. (Later, when I do
choose to eat at the place, my discount is honoured and the food is reasonable for
what I have paid for it).

I go to my room, the key works and my room is fresh and clean. I have asked for a
non-smoking room and there is no evidence that the last person who used it
smoked like a chimney. The information booklet is up to date and includes relevant
information about public transport, taxis, health clubs and eateries. When I check
out the staff member is courteous, quickly processes my payment and bids me
farewell. If you wish to consider a poor ‘2 Star’ experience, simply go back over
this story and reverse each experience that has been described.

It would not be very difficult to translate this ‘2 Star’ story into a ‘5 Star’ story. The
differences in the experience will relate to what we have paid and what we then
expect to receive in return. The room may be bigger. The location may be more
convenient. The bed may be bigger with higher quality linen. Internet access may
be available. The fixtures and fittings may be of higher quality. An on-site
restaurant and 24 hour in room service may be available. Laundry services may be
available and a concierge service may be available to assist us with any needs or
enquiries that we may have regarding the hotel of surrounding area.

Each ‘Moment of Truth’ (MoM) can contribute to our expectations not being met if
the experience of the MoM is not up to our expectations. In this way, 2 Star service
can be great service and 5 Star service can be poor service. It all depends on the
perceived experience of the customer.

27


Quote
“Visits are not limited to the public areas. I head for the heart of the house, too.
There’s method to my madness. If I see smiling faces and well-scrubbed surfaces
behind the scenes, I know that the rest of the hotel more than likely is doing just
ﬁne.” (J.W.Marriott Jr from his book, ‘The Spirit to Serve’)

What are your thoughts on this topic?

28


How the power of Team Talk can help the Australian
Socceroos
Major international sporting events like the World Cup create a terrific opportunity
to focus on the elements that enable high performance. These elements are
applicable not only to elite and social sport, but also organisational teams.

Specifically the Australian Socceroos Round One loss to Germany by a record
breaking four goals to nil score line highlights the power of team talk. The
Australian media have gone into a frenzy debating whether this current Socceroos
team has what it takes to create success at the World Cup. Success, in the
media's eyes and re-enforced by the Australian Socceroos themselves is reaching
the competitions final 16 teams.

Imagine the possible team talk in the Socceroos change rooms regarding next
Monday's game against Ghana. "If we lose this game it is all over. Our World Cup
Campaign will be finished. Our reputations will be equal to mud if we get thrashed
again."

Such team talk creates a
focus on the outcome rather
than the moment, and also
creates a strong and vivid
image of failure. Humans
have a remarkable capacity
to focus on what they don't
want and then go ahead
and create it. When I ride
my motorbike I have to be
aware of the truck that is
coming toward me.

But if I focus on the truck I will ride my motorbike straight into the truck (the same
is true for bicycles - you travel where you look). Clearly I don't want to ride my
motorcycle into a truck, so I have to become disciplined at focussing on where I
do want to go, while being aware of the truck at the same time.

The same is true for teams and team talk. Your team talk reflects what you are
focussing on. As the image highlights, team talk leads to team image which then
29


affects performance. Negative team talk leads to a negative team image which, like
a magnet, draws the team's performance in that direction. Of course the
performance then re-enforces that the team talk was accurate and a vicious cycle
is created.

Team talk by itself does not
guarantee success.
Nothing does. But positive
team talk that focuses on
what the team can control,
such as its systems and
processes when balanced
with the right work or
t r a i n i n g i n c re a s e s t h e
chances that success will
be achieved.

When negative team talk is
present it signiﬁcantly increases the probability that failure will occur.

In this context teams must focus on what they can control and the team talk that
relates to success. If the Australian Socceroos are to achieve the success they
desire then focussing on their team talk is a powerful approach to adopt.

I believe Henry Ford was right when he said, "If you think you can, or you think you
can't, you're right either way!".

What is the team talk present in your teams? Is it positive? Is it negative? Is it
focussed on what you can control?


30


Do you listen with your ʻAnswer runningʼ?
Last night I was facilitating a workshop for mentors for Monash University,
Australia's largest university. Throughout the workshop the participants had been
holding a conversation regarding the importance of listening. One participant
suggested that if you listen, "...while your answer is running in your head, then you
are not listening at all."

I had never heard this description for not listening and it struck me a s a clear
example of what really does go on when people are supposed to be listening.

Often people are simply waiting for the other
person to stop speaking so that they can 'take
their turn' and now say what they have been
preparing to say. Recently I facilitated a
development half day for an executive team and
one of the activities that I facilitated was called
Turning Points. In that activity participants share
signiﬁcant events in their lives that, if they had
not occurred the person believes that they
would not be in the physical room on that day;
they would be somewhere else in the world
because their life would have travelled a
different path.

Due to the personal nature of the stories I ask the participants to, "Do whatever it
takes to listen with one hundred percent attention". After people have shared their
stories we then talk about the quality of listening that was occurring throughout the
conversation.

Participants commonly report that they couldn't believe how much they 'heard'.
When asked why they heard so much, the regular reply is, "I wanted to hear what
they had to say. I wanted to give them my full attention. I didn't have any opinions
about what they were saying so it made it easier to listen".

I then ask team members if the quality of listening that they just experienced is
regularly present in their team meetings. "Rarely, if ever" is the normal response.
31


Listening is regularly listed as one of the most important characteristics of effective
leaders. So how do you listen with 100 percent attention when you do have an
opinion about what the other person is saying?

A couple of techniques to consider are to consciously make the choice to listen to
someone. You might even say to yourself, "I am going to listen to this person with
one hundred percent attention." Choosing to listen to someone from the
perspective of trying to understand fully what they are saying is a powerful way to
enhance your listening. It re-enforces that your own opinion is not worth saying of
even fully formulating until you have understood the other person to the best of
your ability.

Statements such as, "What I think you just said was..." are ways of checking your
understanding.

Listening is not easy. In fact my view is that it is the most difﬁcult of all the skills of
effective leadership. yet it is also a critical skill to master. So it is worth making the
effort to:
1. Make the conscious choice to listen; and
2. Listen ﬁrst to understand.

What practical tactics to you use to enhance the quality of your listening,
particularly when you are in team meetings and you do have strong views about
the topic?

32


Service excellence involves exceeding expectations
People expect good service. Period. Often, their expectations are not met. Too
often. Just think about your own experiences as a customer. How often are your
expectations met? How often are they exceeded? Customers expect their
expectations to be met. You expect your pay to arrive when it is due. You expect
your food to be delivered as ordered within a reasonable timeframe and at the
appropriate temperature when you order food at a restaurant or cafe. You expect
ﬁnance reports to be delivered and inclusive of all appropriate information as
scheduled. You expect to be treated as a human being when you visit a
government agency, education institution or
medical facility.

In order to be able to consistently meet
expectations, your organisation must aim to
exceed expectations. It is likely that there will
nearly always be a lag between when you last
checked the expectations of those you serve
and the actual service that you are providing
them. The lag time may include a change in
the level of expectations of those you serve.
Unless you are aiming to exceed the
expectations at the level that you understand
them to be, you may not achieve a consistent
level of meeting the expectations that you do
know exist. This never-ending journey means
that exceeding expectations is a challenge. A
real challenge. A challenge worthy of your
commitment. Is your organisation currently worthy of your commitment? Is your
performance worthy of your organisation's commitment to you?

Quote
“Consistently exceeding the expectations of the customer, personalizing his or her
service experience, and continuously improving your product or service so that it
creates greater value for the customer produces a level of customer loyalty that
cannot be matched by your competitor.”
(Theo Gilbert-Jamison, service excellence expert/author)

33


Being told, “Youʼre Crazy!” is a good thing!
Have you ever been told that you are crazy for doing what you are doing?

I have. Plenty of times. In fact I've had it said to me so many times now I see it as
a good thing!

I recall when I first decided to enroll in a
post-graduate university program as a part
time student, people said, "You're crazy!".
When I decided to become the senior
coach of a local football team, people said,
"You're crazy!".

When I decided to study part time at the
masters level at university, people said,
"You're crazy!".

When I decided to form my own business
with my business partner, people said,
"You're crazy!".

When I decided to run my first marathon, people said, "You're crazy!".

When I decided to write my first book, people said, "You're crazy!".

When I decided to write an ebook and give it away for free, people said, "You're
crazy!".

When Michelle and I announced that we had our fifth child on the way, people
said, "You're definitely crazy!!".

When I decided to run a marathon four weeks after having had my appendix
removed, yes, you got it, people said, "You're crazy!".

This list could go on and on. But it wouldn't be fair to keep going because I think
you understand the message.

34


I don't know why people say that you are crazy when you tell them that you are
doing something that they can't see themselves doing, even if they really wanted
to do it.

I do know that I have enough evidence to see that statement as a positive. In fact,
if people weren't telling me that I'm crazy then I suspect that I wouldn't be striving
hard enough to create the life that I desire.

You see the only reason that I have done all of the things listed above is that each
of those little achievements contribute to me living the life that I desire.

As a simple example the reason why I run marathons is so that I can be healthy
and fit for my family. Also I am so busy that if I did not have something as big as a
marathon to train for, I might not do any training. It is the very fact that a marathon
is what it is that makes me prioritise the time to train. But again my real reason is
even bigger than that. I want to be an example of health and fitness for my
children, so that I can physically do whatever I want to do with and/or for them.

My eldest son plays both Under 10 and Under 11 Australian Rules Football for our
local club. Recently the umpire did not arrive for the start of the U11 game. Fathers
were approached to pick up the whistle. They declined. "I can't do it, I'm not fit
enough." is what I heard them say. I even overheard one father say, "Someone else
will do it".

I raised my hand. "I'll do it."

The simple mathematics of the situation was that if someone did not step up to
umpire, the game would not happen and the children, including my son, would
miss out on a game of football. That's not an outcome that I want.

I knew that I was fit enough to do it and I also felt confident enough that I knew
enough rules to do a reasonable job.

After the game my son thanked me as did many of the other children and their
parents. Again, many of them said, "Thankfully you raised your hand because I
could never have done that. I'm not fit enough."

35


For me, for as much as I can control I never want the statement, "I couldn't do that
because I 'm not fit enough" to come out of my mouth and stop me from helping
out my children. Michelle and I also talk a lot with our children about the
importance of showing initiative. Well, I can't just talk about it, I have to show it
too!

I never got up that morning expecting to umpire a game of football. Wearing a
shirt, jumper and jeans I was clearly not dressed to umpire. But I didn't let that
stop me either. Who cares if people laughed at how I was dressed or looked or if
they thought I was crazy! The important thing was that I was out there having a
crack and helping the boys have a game of football.

I can't even begin to tell you the benefits of having completed each of my post-
graduate degrees. Once again the important outcome has been that I have been
able to live more of the life that I (and my family) desire.

I'm not sharing this story because I want accolades. Rather I am sharing it
because it is an example of the benefit of taking the time to work on my health and
fitness. You never know when opportunities like the one I have described above
can pop up, and personally I want to be able to seize them. It is part of the future
that I desire and an example of living out my purpose for being healthy and fit.

So, what are your examples of when people have told you that you are crazy?

What have been the benefits of not listening to those people?

Please share your examples with us.

36


Online Courses
Organisations That Matter provides a wide range of Online Courses to assist you in
your personal & professional development.

Our courses include:
Creating a Plan For Personal Success
How to Create High Performing Teams
Weekly Inspiration
University Student Group Work For Success and much more

Please visit here for more information.

Webinars
A webinar is an online seminar. Providing you have access to a computer and the
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Samples from our webinar program can be viewed here. Please remember to view
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Please sign up for our newsletter if you would like to be invited to our upcoming
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Partnerunning.com
Partnerunning is one of the new
service brands provided by
Organisations That Matter. Inspired
the eight marathons in eight
countries in eight weeks achieved in
2008 by Organisations That Matter
co-founder Andrew O’Brien and his
wife Sue, partnerunning provides a
wide range of resources for creating
successful relationships. Andrew and Sue have discovered that the systems and
processes that they have used to create their own success are relevant to all walks
of life, including organisational life. Please click here to ﬁnd out more about
partnerunning.

37


Desired Futures
Creating plans and establishing systems and processes to create the future that
you desire is critical for success at all levels. This is equally true for individuals,
partners, teams, departments and organisations. Founded upon the doctoral
thesis completed by Andrew O’Brien while he was a CEO, the Desired Futures
body of work from Organisations That Matter has been established as its own
brand. To access critical information and resources to enable you to create the
future you desire, please click here.

Accelerating Careers
The What Really Matters! series of books and Online Courses have been collated
into a single website. To access information speciﬁc to each stage of your career,
please click the relevant link below:
What Really Matters For Undergraduate Students!
What Really Matters For Post Graduate Students!
What Really Matters For Aspiring Leaders!

38


Are you taking full advantage of your first years of
employment?

Are you consciously developing yourself and taking
full advantage of the opportunities presented to
you?

Are you fully aware of the opportunities that you
have to accelerate your career?
If you answered "No" to anyone of these three
questions then we can help you to master 15
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"This book is the definitive tool for young professionals with loads of expert
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you want to succeed in the 21th century as a high-performing individual I
recommend you read this book."
Renata Bernarde
Relationship Manager and Career Counselor

Online Checklist
Take the Online Checklist for the 15 practices that are explained in the book, What
Really Matters For Young Professionals! Your results will help to quickly identify
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This product is both for Young Professionals and/or their employers
What Really Matters For Young Professionals! How To Master 15 Practices To
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While Young Professionals are unlikely to suffer the high unemployment rates of
previous generations in countries like Australia, this is not the situation in many
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39


In the USA and the UK Young Professionals are having signiﬁcant challenges
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progression.

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Professionals! is both a resource for
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If you are an employer and would like to discuss how the ebook and Online Course
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www.ygenclub.com

Printed Book Due For Release July 30th 2010 (Purchase directly from us or
ask for it at all good book stores)
If you would like to secure your copy of What Really Matters For Young
Professionals!, please click here.

40

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