WOW Word-Of-the-Week #394: Involvement
February 22, 2012 by Susan Clarke
Involvement – engaged and/or fully occupied.
Do you feel involvement in your professional life? Are you a part of the decision making process? Are you fully engaged when it comes to your personal life?
This is the fifth in the series of WOW’s from my book, “The FUN-Damental Secrets of Service: How to have FUN and make your customers feel good about spending their money!” The I in SERVIce stands for Involvement. I believe involvement is about being connected with the people around you, caring about them and how they are doing.
It’s like being on a basketball team. You make your teammates’ job easier; they make your job easier. After all, your professional future is determined by the future of the company you work for.
As far as your personal life, do you give those around you your full attention? Are you fully engaged and involved? I remember one of my male audience members complaining that his wife takes too long to tell him how her day was. My response was, “Is it hard for you to just listen? Is it OK to not be able to “fix” her problems?
You see, we all process our day differently. Being involved with your family and friends means caring about them and how they are doing. Sometimes that means we need to just listen. Sometimes that requires more patience! That applies to all the people we come in contact with at work as well. And that brings me to:
FUN-damental Service Secret #6
“If You Can’t Get Out Of It;
Get Into It!”
This week focus on how involved you are each day. At work are you just going through the motions every day or do you really care about your co-workers and the company you work for? How involved are you with your customers, guests, clients or members? Could you be more involved and engaged with your loved ones?
Reader Responses
“Involvement is a key word. It is very easy to just go through the motions as if we cared about those around us. It reminds me a of quote from the current Marquette University basketball coach Buzz Williams. During the season, he jets around the country recruiting players on days off in addition to spending time with his team at practice. Coach Buzz says that once he leaves the gym and heads back home to his wife and four kids, it is then that he is “present with his kids.” He listens to them and what his wife has been through during the day. It reminded me that I need to continue to listen to what my wife and daughters say about THEIR days. And, I have to admit, there are times at home I tune my wife out. She will kid me about the fact that I am just like her father. Kristen said that when her mom was talking to her dad, he would occasionally walk out of the room when she went on too long about something. I guess I am doing the same thing. So, that is something I need to work on at home. At work, I make sure that I listen to my co-workers and bosses so that I know exactly what I can do to help the team. I feel an important involvement with the team and how it can improve. So, this is an important word, Susan. Thank you. Have a great weekend.” – “Warrior” Joe