Make the Shift from
‘Me’ to ‘We’
The most
listened-to radio station in the world is WII-FM, which
stands for ‘What’s In It For Me?’
Some people use this question like a trump card. Answer
well and you will get my cooperation. If your answer
is insufficient I may ignore your question, request
or even the entire situation.
I’m tired of this question being used so often
and with such depressing power. Here’s why:
Little kids go for individual and immediate gratification:
‘Give me’, ‘I want’, ‘It’s
mine’.
But we’re not little kids anymore, and ‘me,
me, me’ is a pretty narrow place from which to
participate in your business and your life.
If you choose a partner then ‘you’ becomes
‘two’. You introduce yourself and say ‘...and
this is my partner, Jenny’ or ‘...this is
my husband, Paul.’
If you have a family then ‘me’ becomes ‘we’.
You introduce yourself by telling people where you live,
what you do for a living and how many children you have.
Your definition of ‘me’ can be even bigger.
If you care deeply about a group, you want everyone
in the group to succeed. The definition is bigger still
if you contribute to an organization, and even bigger
if you commit to the well-being of society or take a
stand for some change or improvement in the world.
So what’s this point of view got to do with you
and your work? (I know, I know, ‘What’s
in it for me?’)
When you are individually focused (‘me, me, me’),
it’s hard to stand out by giving great service
to others. It’s easy to slip into being moody,
selfish and stingy.
When you make the shift from ‘me’ to ‘we’,
another person becomes as important to you
as you. His mood counts as much as yours, so you
listen more carefully and offer better help. Her needs
make a difference in your life, so you pay more attention
and do a better job.
When you shift from ‘me’ to ‘we’,
other people feel taken care of, appreciated and understood.
They feel good. And often you feel good, too.
A colleague’s good mood brightens up your own.
Your customer’s satisfaction is part of your success.
Your goals get met by helping others reach theirs. ‘What’s
in it for me’ is fulfilled by creating what’s
in it for them.
Business is like that. Life is, too. Take a small position
and you get a small result. Take a bigger stand for
others: more fulfillment and more reward will come right
back to you
Key Learning Point
The common focus
on ‘me, me, me’ prevents people from acting
generously toward others. This narrow focus limits what
is possible for your business and yourself. To get more
of what you want, take a bigger view of who (else) counts
and what (else) matters.
Action Steps
Look around where
you live and work. Ask yourself: ‘Who can I help?
Where can I contribute more? How can I play a bigger game?’
If you serve individual customers, make their needs and
concerns as important as your own. If you are part of
a team, make the team’s success your ambition. If
you work in a department, work to achieve your department’s
goals and help other departments achieve theirs, too.
Don’t hold back! Contribute more to your customers,
colleagues and company. Why bother? What’s in it
for you? A better way of living – and giving –
that fulfills you every day.
Next Article in Customer Service Mindset >>
You May Never Know What's Really Going On
First Article in Customer Service Partners >>
Helping Others Succeed is Good Service
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