The Most Important Things
What are the 5 most important things that you would like to knock over today.
I recall a story of an American executive who employed a consultant to help him with his time management skills.
The consultant's response was to get the executive, at the end of each day, to do a list.
There were only two rules:
1. The list must contain only the five most important things to be completed the next day.
2. Each morning, the first job was to work on the first item on the list and not to move to the second until it was completed. And so on.
The activity was remarkably successful and the consultant well paid for the results.
So the morale is:
• Not 20 things. Not the most urgent. The five most important.
• Each task is not a whole project - but rather an achievable component.
• Do the list at the end of each day - not in the frantic chaos at the beginning of the day.
• Each day, Every day.
Feedback
I wanted to mention Customer Care in probably the single most important thing a business, any business, can be doing to differentiate itself from its competitors (see PC Pitstop article below).
Some say they are already doing a good job but I really wonder. I encourage every business to implement a means of achieving impartial feedback on how their customers are being treated. Remember that a high percentage of your profit generally comes from repeat business.
A number of businesses have their own versions of 'mystery' shopping programs which are paying substantial dividends. Examples include:
Anthony Wilson, Saltwater Wine
http://www.saltwaterwine.com.au/
Neville Parsons, Holiday Coast Credit Union
http://www.hccu.com.au/
PC Pitstop
Speaking of Customer Care, this week I visited PC Pitstop - a dynamic business operating in the rapidly changing computer sales and repairs industry.
The business is owned and operated by an alert young team of Samantha Clark and Ben Waters, at two busy locations - Port Macquarie & Lake Cathie.
Ben and Samantha are very inspiring, constantly seeking ways to set their business apart from competitors and doing it very well. Customer Care is clearly driving their success.
I think one of the biggest problems with service firms visiting your home is that, more often than not, they don't turn up on time. Sometimes they are not even prepared to nominate a time. Well if PC Pitstop says 3pm, they have processes in place to ensure they are there at 3pm. Furthermore, staff are trained to listen, analyse and paraphrase back to the customer to ensure there is no misunderstanding of the customer's requirements. Of course, this lets the customer know they have been heard and understand. Some good lessons for us all. I am reminded of a quote "Quality is what the customer says it is. Nothing less."
http://www.pcpitstop.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17&Itemid=22
The University of Newcastle's Inaugural Graduation Ceremony at Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie’s Glasshouse was transformed into a sea of caps and gowns on Saturday 26 February as the University of Newcastle celebrated its first formal graduation ceremony in the region and its 100th nursing graduate.
The ceremony marked the completion of undergraduate studies for 23 Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts (Primary) students and 31 Bachelor of Nursing students.
University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nicholas Saunders, said the ceremony was a special event, and the first formal graduation ceremony in Port Macquarie was a chance to reflect on the significant role the community played in securing tertiary education opportunities in the region.
Port Macquarie has fought long and hard for tertiary opportunities. Beginning with the Hastings College of Adult Education in 1983, community support for quality tertiary education resulted in an alliance being formed between the community, TAFE NSW - North Coast Institute and the University of Newcastle in 2002. The University joined the Institute on its Port Macquarie campus, welcoming the first students into the Bachelor of Nursing degree in 2004.
Today, the University has close to 340 students studying nursing, teaching and the tertiary preparation course Open Foundation by Distance.
Major milestones were reached at the graduation. The University conferred its 100th nursing student and a University Medal was awarded to local student Lucas Kelly.
Drop in Consumer Credit - A bad omen for retailers?
The Australian Financial Review reports a significant decline in borrowings - including a 3.5% dip in personal loans during February. This figure has fallen for 6 out of the last 8 months.
The household savings ratio has now reached 9.7% in the December quarter which according to the AFR "was one of the highest points since 1982".
All this suggests a fairly soft trading period ahead until borrowing rates pick up.
