My Favorite Things Week - It's a Wrap!

It's December 4, 2010 and My Favorite Things Week has officially ended. So how did it go and what did I learn from a week where it is all about me? Well, first and foremost, it is never all about you. While I had plenty of "me" time, I also shared with others and that quite frankly is what makes the difference.

Because I'm a workaholic and I view a project as my personal signature, I spent Monday and Tuesday working on a checking restructure project that I am spearheading. Things went well and by Tuesday I was feeling good about the progress even though I'm out of the office. With the exception of four emails that I had to send on Wednesday morning, I managed to not log in to work email for the rest of the day. Can you say liberating?!

1) Health and Exercise - I had good intentions but didn't get to the gym until today. However, I did take some brief walks with Sydney which were better than nothing. I was most proud of today as I committed to a workout early in the day and followed through with a 60 minute session on the treadmill at Planet Fitness. I am going to commit and take it one day at a time starting with the goal to get a good nights sleep.

2) Learning - I arrived early for my Calculus test and felt reasonably good about it once I finished although I did run out of time. I didn't make an A but I did earn a passing grade..yes! My instructor told me that he could see a great deal of improvement and that really made my day.

3) Touch - I had a spa day on Thursday from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. It was amazing. My massage therapist was an unexpected male (this is the second time excluding my son) and I was initially uncomfortable. He must have sensed it and did a great job of easing my mind. It was one of the best massages I've had in quite some time and he worked the kinks out of my shoulder in expert fashion. Afterwards I took an evening nap at home which is a luxury in which I rarely indulge. Can you say ahhhh......

4) On Stage - The Trinity River Plays was a special treat on my birthday. The three act play was phenomenal and took me back to my teen years on through adulthood. With themes of loyalty, betrayal and family it was extremely powerful. The second act brought me to tears and evoked feelings that I had not experienced in a very long time. Kudos to Regina Taylor and The Dallas Theater Center. You made my 50th memorable.

5) Eat - My 50th started with a fabulous brunch at Breadwinners in the courtyard. I was in New Orleans heaven. And with my son and niece to share it with, my birthday brunch was indeed special. What more can I say except that it was food for the body and soul.

6) Music - Well, I didn't do the Jazz in the Atrium as scheduled. Instead my son prepared a 70's and 80's funk music mix for me that was out of this world! I jammed all the way to Glen Rose and back to Dallas. The best part is that my son drove the entire round trip so that I could thoroughly enjoy the ride and the music. Parliament, Rick James, Bootsy Collins, Jackson 5 and Prince.......oh yeah!

7) Family - I was blessed to have all of my family with me for both our traditional birthday dinner and breakfast the following morning. We closed out the restaurant and lounged at both the bar and the fireplace. It was such a special time for which I am tremendously thankful. This was again a most memorable experience.

8) Travel - I didn't make it to Ennis and the drive-in theater so this goes on my future list. But the travel to Glen Rose was a nice break and soothed my spirit.

My Favorite Things Week is a wrap for 2010 but it inspired me to make some of these things ongoing and not just a once a year objective. What a change 50 years makes but I can say that it is a good change and one that I embrace.

My Favorite Things Week

Tomorrow starts the one week countdown to my half century birthday. Fifty years old.....I can hardly believe it. I've made it! How can I explain the myriad of feelings? Let's see joy, relief, astonishment, gratefulness, humility, contentment, happiness and no sadness whatsoever. I'm proud of my age and feel quite blessed.

That's why I am embarking upon a My Favorite Things week to celebrate. This is one time where it is all about me and I am going to celebrate Carolyn Jordan. Each day during My Favorite Things week, I will post my fave for the day,

So here's what I am about....the essence of Carolyn.....and what I want to do to commemorate my landmark 50 years.

1) HEALTH AND EXERCISE - I believe in the power of good health and exercise but I haven't committed this past year. I will use My Favorite Things week to get on track and truly cultivate this important habit. After all at 50, waiting any longer could literally kill me.

2) LEARNING - I love learning and embrace everything about it. I love the process, gaining the knowledge and applying it. I soak it up like a sponge and I take great pleasure in reading. So for my birthday week, I will attend my Calculus class on the scheduled days with one day actually being my birthday. The other day is a major test in which I am going to strive for an A. In between, I'm spending reading time with my Nook.

3) TOUCH - I love to touch and be touched. It's comforting, soothing and relaxing. For my love of touch, I'm treating myself to the Indulgence package at The Spa Crescent. It's four to five hours of pampering with a spa lunch.

4) ON STAGE - We're always on stage. The performance transports and immerses us in the experience. Theatre is the epitome of being on stage and if its well done we become introspective and discover a connection which can empower us. I'm going to see the Trinity River Plays at the Dallas Theatre Center which is the creation of a fellow African-American female from Dallas, Regina Taylor.

5) EAT - I relish an exquisite meal with exquisite atmosphere. It's a delight to the senses. Breakfast at Breadwinners on my birthday is my treat to feed the hunger and the soul. It's also my way to make a quick and delicious trip to my beloved New Orleans.

6) MUSIC - Jazz, jazz, love it! And what better way to experience it than in the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA). That's my stop on Thursday, Jazz in the Atrium.

7) FAMILY - Family and a good meal is a bonus. For my 50th I'm dining with my family at Rough Creek.

8) TRAVEL - Traveling engages the senses, enhances knowledge, and is the impetus to encourage you to try new things or maybe rediscover some old things that have been long forgotten. I'm traveling to Ennis to rediscover the classic outside drive-in at Galaxy. Seeing Denzel in Unstoppable! Then on Saturday I'm staying overnight when I travel to Glen Rose for my Rough Creek birthday dinner. So excited!

That's my special week where it's all about me. Check in each day to follow up on my adventures!

Don't Forget to Ask About Dessert

This past Sunday I was having brunch as I often do at one of my favorite spots, Cafe Lago. The waitress recognized me as a regular and I recalled her as well. It had been a while since she served me. The weather was beautiful.....sunny and high 60's.........so the patio was full and it was busy. I placed my order and then sat back to enjoy the view.

My food was delivered promptly and after savoring it I thought dessert would be a nice ending. I waited for my server to bring by the dessert plate or ask what I would like. Imagine my surprise when she handed me the check! She didn't bring the dessert plate, she didn't ask me if I wanted dessert and here was my completed check!

My first thought was to just pay the bill and get a treat somewhere else. But since I really did want one of their special desserts I asked her to add it to the check. It was a good meal and an okay experience. However, it would have resonated more highly in my mind if she had been the one to ask me about dessert instead of the other way around. She was focused on the mechanics of serving: take the order; deliver the meal; deliver the check; etc. She should have been focused on me and what I may have want or needed.

It occurred to me that our credit unions and other financial institutions may be very similar to this restaurant. The staff goes into process mode when it is busy and just works to get the basic job done. They forget about treating each member as a unique individual and discovering what they may need or want. Sometimes it may be that a series of questions need to be asked. Sometimes it may just be one question. Opportunities to expand the relationship and cultivate loyalty are often missed by the failure to ask.

So I wonder how much business is being left on the table? How many member needs are going unmet? How many members are giving us some of their business but going elsewhere to a provider that will ask them about their wants and needs? How many times are our employees failing to ask our members about dessert?

A "Rough" Experience

I just got back from an absolutely fabulous stay at Rough Creek Lodge in Glen Rose, Texas. Rough Creek is a small resort nestled in the Texas Hill Country with just under 60 guestrooms and suites. It was a last minute getaway that my niece and I planned for some pampering and relaxing. I’ve visited this resort on several occasions and my stay is always a memorable experience that resonates in my mind as world-class.

However, this brief stay was different. Because of some recent project work related to service excellence my observations and expectations were heightened. I was pleased to see that on this occasion the bar for service has been raised even higher and it struck me as to how much can be gleaned from this resort by anyone in the service industry.

Make the Introduction an Event
When we checked in it was quick and simple. I was immediately called by name and welcomed warmly. We received an arrival bag with some snacks, bath salts and important information about the resort. Inside the bag was a card addressed to me with a special welcome message from the general manager. What an intro….my only thought was wow!

Provide Unparalleled Value
The room rate is what some would consider expensive but it oozes with value…..value that you don’t see often. A five star dinner and buffet breakfast is included complete with gratuity. Wireless internet is included along with DVD movies. In-room coffee, bottled water and snacks are complimentary. There are also a myriad of activities that come with the room rate. This is a unique feature that you will rarely see at other resorts. Other value-adds, included a special appetizer from the Chef beyond the standard appetizer at dinner. At breakfast, the Chef sent over a special blueberry pastry.

Execute Flawlessly and Consistently
From the moment we arrived until the minute we left, everyone called me by name. Before dinner, the host asked if we would like a complimentary photo in front of the fireplace adding that it would be emailed to us. I received the email with photo before dinner was over on my Blackberry. Now that’s service!

At both dinner and breakfast we were pampered shamelessly. When they said, “we will take care of everything” they meant it. At checkout, we received a departure bag filled with snacks and fruit. This is thoughtful as most visitors drive to the resort and have an hour or more drive back home.

Executing flawlessly does not mean that there will not be snafus. The difference is that when you have these snafus you recover seamlessly and you have systems in place to do it. On another visit, my niece found a small spider on her dessert at dinner. The chef came over to apologized personally, she was given another dessert, a credit was made to the bill and we received a note of apology from the general manager the next morning.

Today as we were checking out, the line of guests became quite long relatively quickly. The cashier immediately called for help and someone arrived promptly. The resort was respectful of the guest’s time and had systems in place to minimize the wait.

So what can those of us in credit union land or anyone in the financial services sector learn from the Rough Creek experience?

1) A transaction or interaction is an event. What can you do to make it a positive and memorable experience?
2) A wow beginning and ending keeps your organization top of mind and leaves an impression. What can you do to enhance your intros and endings?
3) Instead of leading by price consider how you can add value for which your members and customers will pay. Know your market and tailor your products/services to their needs.
4) An experience does not just happen. It is “operationalized” meaning that there are systems in place to ensure that it goes as planned and that it is consistent. Think Disney.

A Rough Creek experience is not easily duplicated. That’s what makes it unique and that is also what makes it one that can demand top dollar. What can you do today to begin making transactions and interactions a positive and memorable experience for your guests (members and customers)?

#GAC10 – THE START OF A REBOOT?

GAC is known in many circles as a credit union CEO and board members conference. This was reinforced to me this year as I met two or three board members for every credit union staffer. In recent years though, other senior management staff has attended and I’d like to think that the CUNA Councils enhanced involvement have played some part in this transition. One thing GAC is not known for is resonating particularly well with anyone that is under 30 years of age. That changed decidedly this year.

The 2010 CUNA Governmental Affairs (GAC) Conference had a new energy and a new passion all initiated by a very unique group of attendees call the Crashers. The GAC Crashers are a small group of credit union professionals under 30 who decided to “crash” the GAC and align their own cost-effective conference alongside the behemoth CU conference of the year. The idea was to use hostels as economical housing, participate in free networking events and have conversations with credit union leaders.

To their credit, CUNA decided to embrace the Crashers and granted some scholarships to GAC. Well-known leaders from various credit union organizations led the Crashers breakout sessions. I have to say that some of the topics were more interesting than the standard GAC breakouts and had me wishing I was a Crasher so I could attend!

I’m one of the “old” folks but I enthusiastically support the “crash” concept. The ingenuity, creativity and pure brashness of it all intrigued me. These young professionals are the real deal and from where I sit the future looks bright with them at the helm. Their innovative mindset and collaborative spirit speak to the credit union movement that I joined some thirty years ago. To talk with them and feel their enthusiasm is like a breath of fresh air. I loved it!

I’ve attended GAC for a few years now but this year felt decidedly different. There was a sense of excitement and as I tweeted and observed tweets during the sessions, I smiled. Social media was “in effect” at the 2010 GAC.

Although I only met a few of the Crashers from my association on Twitter, you couldn’t miss them. I was honored to be invited to the Cap City Brewery Tweetup, which I regretfully had to miss but I still followed the action through the tweets.

So “old fogies” of the CUNA GAC, what did you learn from the Crashers? Does the GAC need a youth reboot? How should we start embracing this new crop of credit union leaders who are our future and the ones in which we will pass the torch? In other words, GAC folks, how do we start melding these generations? While the demographics of the GAC are not going to change overnight, the conference needs to start evolving for the future. It is long overdue and I’m so glad that the Crashers have started the conversation and most importantly set the stage in motion for some much needed change. See you in 2011, GAC Crashers!

Note: For those of you unfamiliar with the credit union movement, CUNA is the Credit Union National Association.

The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection

I drive a Lexus. I don’t say that to be pretentious. While it’s a luxury automobile it still is just a car. I’m on my second Lexus and it’s still amazing to me that the first one lasted eleven years. It’s now been three years for Lexus number two and neither one was a new vehicle purchase. That speaks volumes in this quality-starved era.

Back when I purchased by first Lexus I remember the slogan was the “Relentless Pursuit of Perfection.” That word “relentless” intrigued me. When I pictured the slogan I saw a race with a Lexus automobile in front of many nameless vehicle brands. Yet ahead of the Lexus and unseen is a foe or competitor yet to be overtaken. Lexus is in pursuit. To me that visual and the words “relentless pursuit of perfection” are extremely powerful. What if we as a credit union movement or any of us as individual credit unions had the slogan that indicated that we were in the relentless pursuit of perfection? Is it a lofty, grand, audacious goal that is out of sight? Or is it a potential promise of greatness that can inspire us? As you ponder those questions, let’s consider what those words really mean.

Relentless. When I think of something being relentless I think of a persistence that fails to yield no matter what the cost. There’s a focus and a passion that fuels the drive. Some might tend to see the word in a negative sense but I prefer to think of it in the most pure meaning which is steady and persistent. What could we achieve in the credit union movement and in our own credit unions if we were relentless about service…relentless about reflecting our difference compared to banks and not just blending in…..relentless about truly educating our members and making them financially successful instead of just selling them products and collecting the associated fees. Some of us are relentless in these areas and the results speak to the success. But some of us have acquiesced and our credit unions do not appear that much different than a bank.

Pursuit. A pursuit is a quest to achieve something worthwhile. It is something that you strive for on a regular and consistent basis. It is not always easy…that’s what makes it a pursuit. But the reward….the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow…..whatever that may be makes it worth the effort. I liken what we do in our credit unions to a pursuit. We are helping our members achieve financial success. We are teaching and educating them. What we do can make a difference to a member for their lifetime. It’s important and it’s significant! Money and the state of one’s finances are sacred. As a credit union we are entrusted with this precious resource. Isn’t the quest to make something truly exceptional from it worth the pursuit?

Perfection. Now when it comes to perfection you may think of the perfectionist for whom nothing is good enough. This is not what I see when I think of perfection. Instead I think of excellence and the highest degree of quality. I think of something that is superior and almost flawless……in two words—World Class. Someone who is chasing this kind of perfection is never satisfied for long because they know there’s more that can be achieved. They are always looking at how to improve…..how to be better. They don’t rest on their laurels and they are always slightly uncomfortable.

I think in the early days of the credit union movement we were in the relentless pursuit of perfection. We were young and as the underdogs in the financial industry we had something to prove. We had a mission and vision that inspires us. Well, we’re not that young anymore as the movement just celebrated 100 years. And while banks have the bulk of market share, in certain areas of the country credit unions are a prominent force. However, what remains the same from our early days is that we still have a mission and vision to pursue. Debt levels are at an all-time high and many people are sorely lacking in financial literacy. Credit for those who need it is frozen. And there is a massive lack of trust in banks and in the financial system as a whole. Credit unions have the opportunity to be that beacon and light at the end of the tunnel. But to do this we must stand out from the crowd not blend in. When banks and others retreat we must charge forward. We must be that car that is out front leading the race. What are you doing at your credit union or your business to achieve the relentless pursuit of perfection?

Your Ultimate Aim

I have a wonderful inspirational book by Max Lucado that a dear friend gave to me as a Christmas present. For each day of the year it has a Bible verse focused around a specific theme followed by some insightful thoughts to ponder. On Monday, I picked it up and the theme was particularly relevant, “Christ’s Ultimate Aim.” It talked about how Jesus was always able to stay on track and on target. He kept his life on course. A quiet, reverent “wow” flashed through by mind. How many of us could make that statement today? I was struggling just to decide on all of the things I wanted to focus on for my staycation!

As I continued to reflect on this thought, I realized that Jesus’ life was probably not very different from ours in terms of having his attention tugged in many directions or having many possible paths that he could take in life. He could have had any “career” that he desired. He was popular and well-known which certainly could have gone to his head. People made constant demands of him that were in their best interest. It would have been easy to experience a sense of being overwhelmed and stressed. Yet, Christ remained centered and chose a humble route to be a Savior and save souls. He focused relentlessly on this one task and was not deterred.

So what can we learn from this kind of discipline and devotion? First, we have to decide what our one thing is to accomplish in life. Yes, I know….you can’t just choose one thing, right? But then again, why not choose one thing? Wouldn’t the results from a singularly purposed life be infinitely larger than the results from one made up of a sundry of pursuits? That doesn’t mean that you only do one thing but your purpose is focused on one theme. That most likely will mean a number of goals or objectives around your theme.

Once you decide your one thing or purpose, commit it to writing. In fact a life plan as recommended by Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing, is an excellent idea. There’s something about the written word that instills commitment and keeps us on task.

Finally, refer to your purpose often. Let it inspire you. Let it guide you. If you have truly chosen your tailored life purpose, it will be your ultimate aim. You will stay on course and on target. It’s never too late to choose a life purpose. Why not take some time today to refine your ultimate aim?