Rufus hasn’t always cruised along as smoothly as a Tour de France cyclist at the pinnacle of his career. It’s hard to believe, but he used to hit bumps in the road so hard that he’d feel his teeth rattling in his head. Gradually, Rufus figured out lots of little ways to improve the ride, just by paying attention to what people responded to, what worked and what didn’t. He had to learn how to pace himself during a steep climb. When to shift gears to keep the engine at the perfect equilibrium. Where the worst potholes were located, so he could plan to avoid them without having to swerve or slow down at the last minute. All of these things made a difference. They really did.
The Runners at RCA are always looking for ways to step things up, to rev the engine, to improve the quality of the ride. They’re always asking themselves What can we do to make this a little bit better? It’s about an attention to detail, but not in a nitpicky way. Instead, it’s more about finding ways to uplift people by fine-tuning all the little details to make every experience warmer and more inviting.
Ms. Renita Mosley is our office manager. She sits at the front desk and greets everyone who visits RCA. One day I said to her, “I have an idea. What if every time someone walks in the door, you get up and walk around the desk to greet them personally? And what if you give them a hug, especially if it’s someone new and we don’t know them?” She said, “You mean every person?” I said, “Yes. Anyone new or anyone who’s come in before, you should get up from your desk.” A lot of people come to visit our school, and it’s a lot of effort, but she said, “Let’s do it.” And I believe that personalized greeting has made a visit to RCA an exceptional experience. It’s the same thing when Ms. Mosley answers the telephone. She used to say “Ron Clark Academy.” Now she says, “Good morning. You’ve reached the Ron Clark Academy, and this is Renita.”
It’s those small, subtle touches that make everything better. If you work in a service industry, you can always find ways to enhance the customer experience—think of it as that Godiva chocolate on the hotel pillow every night. I recently went for a haircut, and as soon as I sat down someone asked if he could bring me a Coke or a cup of coffee. I thought that was really cool—it was a step up.
You can also make a product seem more appealing by adjusting the little details. It’s all in the presentation. We sell T-shirts in our school store and they used to just be folded flat, the way your mom would fold your clean laundry at home. Then Chrissi Major, our marketing coordinator, had an idea to roll up the T-shirts and secure them with a little band of decorated paper that has “Ron Clark Academy” printed on it. And all of a sudden we went from selling five T-shirts every Friday, when the visiting educators come through, to selling fifty. Fifty T-shirts! It blew us away, because we realized the product hadn’t changed at all—it was all about the way we presented it. My Runners are always looking for ways to make things like that happen.
A while back, we knew that one of our business clients was going to be in Atlanta. This is a very important corporate sponsor for us. We knew which hotel he was staying at, and we knew that he loved the show Wicked and that he considers 17 to be his lucky number. So we had chocolates made in the shape of the Wicked characters and the number 17, and we created a gift basket with these custom chocolates and an RCA T-shirt. We delivered it to his hotel, so it was there sitting on the counter when he checked in that night. He told us he was blown away by this gesture. He went on and on about how he travels around the country and deals with major corporations but that no one had ever presented him with such a thoughtful gift. And within one month his company made a donation to our school in the amount of a half million dollars. Now, I’m not saying the basket was all that led to the donation, but it was definitely part of the appeal, part of the effort, part of who we strive to be at RCA. It’s about attention to detail, appreciation, and excellence, and it pays off.
Overall in any organization, Runners and Joggers tend to be more concerned with the details. They realize that small things can be important, can demonstrate respect or a work ethic, just as much as larger things do. I think a lot of Riders and Walkers have a misconception that they cannot move up in the organization unless they make a huge sale or woo a big client. They think they have to do something enormous and that seems overwhelming so instead they do nothing. Don’t make that mistake. Turn your eye to the little details and find ways to step everything up a notch.
Potholes and roadblocks
Avoid these common mistakes that can keep you from being a Runner.
1. Don’t see and spread the negative.
I work at one of the most electric and uplifting places in the world, yet we have problems. Every school, every business, every organization has problems, and we all have the opportunity to choose how we realize that truth. I have worked with some who think that in order to improve the organization it’s their duty to point out everything they see that is wrong. They share with everyone and are always noting the negative. That is toxic and will do nothing but slow everyone down and lower productivity. Runners tend to look around at the organization and notice all the blessings, success, and beauty around them. They want to add to that productive spirit, and they will find ways to do so.
The best news is that you have a choice. What do you choose to see?
2. Don’t make excuses.
Some who don’t run will try to find reasons to excuse themselves from going faster. They will often say they are trying to have a work-life balance or that their children and other family members take precedent over work. Honestly, they’re right, and I wouldn’t encourage anyone to put work over their family, but there is a way to do both. I have worked with teachers who have large families and that keeps them from doing activities after school and on weekends to support our organization; however, when they are at work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. they are positive, productive, and hardworking. These teachers may not be able to take kids on trips on Saturday afternoons, but if they teach with their hearts and look their students directly in the eyes, they will be making a bond that is equally profound. If your family obligations keep you from doing all you want, just make sure that when you are at work that you are there. Be present! Be on point when it counts!
3. Don’t let the drama on your personal bus affect your work bus.
We all have a work bus and a personal bus, and many of you have made some bad choices that have left you with a personal bus that isn’t going where you want it to go. You are in a relationship that isn’t working for you. You are tired, hurt, and in pain, and because of that you can’t be all you should be at work. I have been there, and it’s miserable. I encourage you, as you sit on your personal bus, to turn around and look at the person in your relationship. OMG, it’s a Rider. You have chosen to be in a relationship with a Rider. You keep telling yourself that if you run hard enough that you can make it work. You are convinced that eventually that Rider is going to run with you. Well, I have news for you. Riders can never run. Riders can’t even jog. The most you will get is that maybe a Rider can walk, but Riders can never do more than that. This is why your relationship isn’t going where you want it to go. You need to step off that bus and get on another one with someone who will go at your speed. Stop lying to yourself and telling yourself it’s going to get better; it’s not. And you are wasting time and expending so much energy to try to get your personal bus to run that you don’t have the energy to give to your work bus. Don’t let that happen to you! Be very, very careful who you allow on your personal bus.
4. Don’t assume you’re awesome.
Often, people will assume they are doing an awesome job and that their boss is content with their performance. When their boss doesn’t recognize them, they become disgruntled and feel they aren’t getting the attention and praise they deserve. In actuality, the reason they aren’t getting praise for being awesome is because . . . they aren’t awesome. If you feel you aren’t being recognized, a likely reason is that the job you’re doing isn’t as great as you think it is or that, while you may be doing some things well, other aspects of your performance are lacking.
5. Don’t just be good, be efficient!
In the end, it comes down to productivity. How much are you accomplishing? You may be doing a good job, but are you also making sure that you are getting the job done? For example, if you were riding a bus to work and the bus driver was really nice with a great personality, you’d enjoy the ride more. But if that same driver took a long time to close the door, to map the route, to collect the money, and to get to her next stop, you’d probably be upset, especially if it makes you fifteen minutes late to work. When I check in at airline counters, I can feel how stressed people are. They are in a hurry to get through security and get to their flights; and I see how some counter workers have an attitude that says, “I am not going to be made to rush. You aren’t going to stress me out.” They move slowly and in a methodical fashion, and it adds to the problem. Some, however, are moving quickly, knocking things out, and multitasking to get the job done. If you want to run, you need to handle everything you do with a smile, a positive spirit, and an energy that leads to efficiency.