I like to read Seth Godin's blog and even when I don't, people that know me send me his stuff! So today, here's something someone sent me that Seth said, good stuff, wanted to pass it on. 
Unless someone does, things start to fray around the edges.
Often it's the CEO or the manager who sets a standard of caring about the details. Even better is a culture where everyone cares, and where each person reinforces that horizontally throughout the team.
You've probably been to the hotel that serves refrigerated tomatoes in January at their $20 breakfast, that doesn't answer the phone when you call the front desk, that has a shower curtain that is falling off the rack and a slightly snarky concierge. This is in sharp relief to that hotel down the street, the one that costs just the same, but gets the details right.
It's obviously not about access to capital (doing it right doesn't cost more). It's about caring enough to make an effort.
If we define good enough sufficiently low, we'll probably meet our standards. Caring involves raising that bar to the point where the team has to stretch.
Of course, the manager of the mediocre hotel that's reading this, the staff member of the mediocre restaurant that just got forwarded this note--they have a great excuse. Time's are tough, money is tight, the team wasn't hired by me, nobody else cares, I'm only going to be doing this gig for a year, our customers are jerks... who cares?
Caring, it turns out, is a competitive advantage, and one that takes effort, not money.
Like most things that are worth doing, it's not easy at first and the one who cares isn't going to get a standing ovation from those that are merely phoning it in. I think it's this lack of early positive feedback that makes caring in service businesses so rare.
Which is precisely what makes it valuable.
We're almost done with our Global Team trip to Israel and I have to say it was another wonderful trip! I have now been here 3 times and every time I learn something new. (Actually I learn about 30% more each time and if this keeps up, it might take me a lifetime to really get a grasp on Israel!)
The team has been amazing and it has meant the world to me to have my mother and my son Connor with me. The only way the team would have been better is if Becca and Logan were with us. (we left them home to celebrate Thanksgiving without us. Hopefully we have some stuffing waiting for us when we get home.) No complaints, good attitudes, willing learners and adventurous. My kind of team!
One special treat was being able to run my theory by one of the leading archaeologist in Israel as to where Pentecost might have happened in the book of Acts. He didn't disagree with me and gave one other possibility. Real good stuff as we study and pray and learn and draw closer to God. I can't stress it enough, if you get an opportunity to go to Israel, do it!
Looking forward to getting home in MN, hopefully it will still be warm when we get home!