April 26, 2019 by Jeff Edwards

Last month while discussing employee engagement and culture,
I
mentioned David Friedman and his company, High Performing Culture. David provides his clients with a practical,
sustainable way to identify and build cultural behaviors (he calls these
fundamentals). At QIC, we refer to our
fundamentals as “exclamations,” as they exclaim our high standards and
commitment to excellence.
QIC’s first exclamation is: Do the Right Thing. This post by Scott Hoover
resonated with me because it’s a good read and holds several life lessons – one
of which is an example of doing the right thing. The title definitely drew me in – “My Only Customer Called and Told Me 44% of
My Product Died”and as I
began reading I became intrigued and wanted to see how things turned out.
Perhaps another reason for the post’s appeal had to do with
the calves mentioned. You see, they
remind me of my greyhound, Fuzzy. Fuzzy
is a retired racer and happens to be a “cow dog,” due to his black and white
coat. Fuzzy’s racing career was cut
short because of an injury – he suffered a compound fracture of his right rear
leg. He also had to have a toe
amputated. Thanks to great vet care,
Fuzzy’s owners treated his leg and made him available for adoption. He’s been part of our family for almost two
years and has settled in to a very comfortable retirement.
Faced with a “train wreck,” as Scott describes, he made the decision to “do the right thing” and give his customer credit for the animals that were lost. In the end, his willingness to be flexible and empathetic strengthened the relationship. By taking a rational approach to the situation, he was able to talk things through with his customer, who decided to continue purchasing from him.
He also made changes to his process to hopefully prevent
further problems. As he put it – he
didn’t need to plant more lemon trees – he had enough lemons!
Good stuff.
March 25, 2019 by Brant Dolan

I’ve been noticing some television commercials that play off this mantra. This very clever campaign uses various consumer settings to highlight the fact that one would never tolerate “just O.K.”, especially from their cellular provider. It caused me to think about how employees may feel and what they think about their companies, their jobs, and… Read more »
December 22, 2015 by Brant Dolan

The holiday season causes me to think about how we express gratitude and appreciation, both personally and professionally. It’s important to show our appreciation to those who make daily contributions that enrich our lives at home and in business. It’s also fitting to do this during the giving season. Just make sure you aren’t “seasonal”… Read more »
November 25, 2015 by Jeff Edwards

With Thanksgiving upon us I sincerely wish you a day of reflection and peace, along with the opportunity to express gratitude to those that mean so much to you. Just do it – and you and they will be better for it! As Lynette Silva (Recognize This!) points out, expressing gratitude makes us want to… Read more »
December 16, 2014 by Alison Newman

Behind every successful organization, project, or team, there is a knowledgeable and well-informed person leading the way. Recently as I watched several football games, I caught myself thinking about how important it is to have someone take pride and ownership of their roll. As a coach you must be fully devoted to the success of… Read more »
December 3, 2014 by Jeff Edwards

Even though the Thanksgiving holiday is almost a week past, memories are still fresh enough that many are still talking about the good food, fellowship and festive spirit enjoyed. Our appreciation of the blessings we often take for granted is heightened as we reflect on time spent with family and friends. Thanksgiving and appreciation for… Read more »