Mark Stables | Public figure
Mark Stables
Phone: 1300 731 274
Reviews
to load big map
25.01.2022 Don't get stuck in the 'Busyness Trap'!
25.01.2022 Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
25.01.2022 How do YOU like your coffee?? I was sitting in a local cafe the other day, with the usual hustle and bustle of a thriving cafe, listening to all the varying coffee orders.... and it dawned on me that coffee is just like customer service. - Wait, let me explain. These days, there is an absolute plethora of coffee based beverages. Choices ranging from the humble straight espresso through to caramel frappachinos. But is it not true that we all know, and appreciate, 'good coffe...e', no matter how we take it? Many businesses claim to offer 'great customer service', yet generally I find most of them are providing the same 'cookie cutter' experience of what that customer service is. I feel that real 'GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE' is as varying, and expanding, as an uber-hip Melbourian coffee house menu. Some people like a long, candid personal interaction and banter - some a very quick, and to-the-point exchange. Some like to be given plenty of options and walked through all manner of scenarios that they may not have already thought of, others just want the one specific thing they came to you for, and nothing else. The funny thing is that even with all the variance of what people like as 'service', we all tend to know, and agree, when we are getting GOOD service. So, in that case, how do we deliver exceptional customer service? The KEY is to listen and respond to how your customers LIKE to be served. You see, humans are incredibly capable of reading one another - it's something we do automatically. We can sense when someone is agitated, or uncomfortable, actually very easily. Tune into this. Your goal is to pick up on these cues, and adapt and respond accordingly. Make sure you, and your front line staff, are 'behaviorally flexible', and don't try to make a 'cookie cutter' customer service experience. We all hate listening to scripts, and we definitely do not like feeling as if we are all being treated the same - so DON'T DO THAT! treat everyone as an individual, and be genuine in your conversation. Ensure you respond quickly to their needs, and allow banter to expand as long as the customer is comfortable. The last thing you want to do is serve an espresso drinker a decaf skinny-soy caramel mocha latte! Enjoy your coffee!! Mark.
22.01.2022 Get more done when you stop playing to your inbuilt weaknesses! Did you realize that the human mind is actually designed for distraction? It's why our peripheral vision is so acutely tuned into motion.... why we are SO aware of sudden sounds. It's hardwired into our brains for our own safety, our survival. You see, many millennia ago, it was these key attributes that meant the difference between life and death. It meant being aware of a predator threat, and being able to hun...t prey. It's part of how we're built. But in the modern world, there isn't quite so much hunting, or being hunted.... not quite as much. These hardwired skills allow to do complex things - like driving - safely. With increasing technology, we began to use these attributes of awareness in the form of reminders to keep us on track in our lives, but many of us have taken it too far. What tends to happen is we begin to set reminders for all manner of 'things'... Reminders that ring and bing and pop up in the corner of our screens. Email, the tool that has become evil, may have been a tipping point - remember the days of "you've got mail!"? All of these 'notifications' constantly cause our brains to stop and shift focus, even if just for a second. We are playing to our weakness. My suggestion is turn them all off. All except for the most crucial things that you schedule purposefully to stop you doing what you are doing at that point - for a reason. Even place your phone on silent when you need to be 'on-task'. This is a key hack to getting things done... and getting more productivity into your day. All the emails, voicemails and birthday reminders will still be in your inbox and on your calendar when you check it - on YOUR schedule - guaranteed. #ProductiviyHacks https://www.linkedin.com//you-playing-your-weaknesses-mark
18.01.2022 Leadership -Decisions #leadership #decisionmaking #businessleaders Leaders are called upon to make decisions - every day, every hour, every minute. In fact, some may say that the quality of the leader could well be directly linked to the quality of their decision making. But what makes high quality decision making? If this is such a crucial function of great leadership, how do we improve the characteristics of decision making required to make us great leaders? In this post I ...will unveil 3 KEY STEPS you must look at to improve your leadership decision making skills. Think QUICK. Great leaders make decisions FAST. Develop a strategy to eliminate unviable options exceptionally quickly. Try to not get caught up in the 'what if' scenarios, that bog us down in over thinking. Another time-trap is waiting for more information. In some cases, you could literally wait forever and still never gather ALL the information, so go with the information and knowledge you can lay your hands on right now. Eliminate options that don't stack up, and find a pathway forward. COLLABORATE when necessary. Sometimes it just isn't that simple though, right? This is true, and so, you should use trusted people (your team) who can quickly help you see things that may not come to light straight away. Everyone will see a challenge from a slightly different angle, and this slant may well be just what you need to firm up your position. Remember though, YOU, the leader, are in the decision making position, not them - and so you still need to make the ultimate call in the end. LOCK IT IN. Finally, reach your decision and STAND BY IT. Don't second guess it, regardless of the outcome. Remember, everyone makes poor decisions from time to time. Failures are an inherent, and necessary part of success, and so even if things don't pan out exactly to plan, and things don't turn out so well, rest assured knowing that you made the right call at the time, with the information and resources you had available to you. These are just 3-key elements of a phenomenal decision making strategy. All your decisions must be aligned with your, and the organisations, values, vision and mission. Every great leader has more in their playbook, and it certainly develops over time,... But the foundations remain constant with most. Great leaders make decisions fast, and very rarely change their minds. Follow just these 3 steps, and you will start to become known as a consistent, balanced leader, who can think on their feet, and one involves key stakeholders in decision making. Qualities that will lead you to becoming an outstanding leader in your field. See more
18.01.2022 You may well be suffering an identity crisis... We are NOT what we do, yet we seem to tie so much of our identity - the who we are - to our activities - the what we do. Usually, the what we do that we tie our identities to is our job/career/profession. I am a Lawyer, I am an engineer, I am a manager, I am a business owner. This is, or can be, very problematic. Firstly, it means that we immediately also tie our self worth, or happiness, to our career success. Problem.... Even worse for a business owner - they tie their self worth to their business' success. Big Problem. Businesses fail. Businesses can fail due to factors far outside their control. This does NOT make the business owner, manager, or worker 'a failure'. A failure in the activity ONLY makes a failure of the activity - not a failure of the person. It goes even further than this. For business owners and leaders who have tied their identity so neatly to their business, the business performance becomes VERY personal. It becomes a reflection of their own personal performance/success, and admitting that things are tough, or worse that you may need help, is something that does not come easy to Australians - We are such a proud lot - and so singing out for help in your business, is somewhat akin to saying you have a problem in your relationship, or seeking marriage counselling - a very troubling, very personal thing - that we would rather keep to ourselves, and hope it somehow fixes itself. Chances are - it won't. You need someone you can trust - someone you can rely on - someone who can help. Find that someone. http://www.linkedin.com//you-suffering-identity-crisis-mar
14.01.2022 Learn to run your business on auto-pilot!
10.01.2022 Own your sh!t. We ALL make mistakes.... errors... failures. It is part of the human condition... it's actually part of all life... of all existence. No-one is, or can be expected to be perfect. This is fact. People who don't take responsibility for their failures will never be able to learn, or grow, from the lessons that those failures provide.... THERE IS NO FAILURE - ONLY FEEDBACK. Every single thing the we consider a failure, is in actuality an opportunity to learn. With the right, positive, mindset, we can find the lessons hidden within.Not only is there great personal liberation in this realisation, but it is also incredibly empowering as it strips the negative energy from the situation. The same is true in business, and for businesses. Never try to bury your shortfalls, failures or errors. They happen to all of us. Confront them and deal with them. Customers, in fact everyone, appreciates and respects the honesty and ownership. You will then always find a way to provide a solution, and can - in fact - win customer loyalty.Denying the negative story will begin to define you as untrustworthy.By owning it, you can deal with it, and move forward - and create our own ending.
09.01.2022 Today is 'Thanksgiving Day' in the USA and Canada. Whilst the traditional meaning of the day is giving thanks for a good harvest, I think it is a wonderful reminder for everything we may give thanks for in life. So, today, reflect on all that you are grateful for, and say thanks.
08.01.2022 Want to supercharge your team culture? Everyone seems to want a high-performance culture, a better business culture, yet very few KNOW how to go about getting it. These days, we hear a lot about high performance cultures, high-trust culture, staff engagement, and such terminology, where a few years back it was all motivation and morale. Isn't it all the same thing?...Continue reading
08.01.2022 'Time Management' is really priority management..... there is no such thing as 'not enough time' - EVERYONE HAS THE SAME 24-HRS.
04.01.2022 Are you achieving the results that you hoped when you went into business? Are you living life on your terms,... or is your business running you? Take a look back to when you started, and think about WHY you started... are you achieving your why?
02.01.2022 Spring time - Nature's season of growth. For growth to occur, we must break down some boundaries - break out of our shell, stretch out of our comfort zone. Sometimes this causes a little pain in the process. Don't be deterred,.. just keep going.
