I tried to come up with a catchy introduction to this week’s blog, but there is nothing ‘catchy’ about it. In fact, I would like to propose a new word, ignoritis. Let me explain.
People are creatures of habit. We do and see what we want to do and see- a vicious little cycle. When I make the trek from my car through the house, I notice the clutter on the garage steps and the pile of mail making a home on the kitchen table. When my husband follows that same path, he sees my pile of shoes. However, I still don’t understand why the convenient selection of heels and flats are a problem.
The same selectiveness applies to just about everyone. It’s especially important when you bring clients, customers and guests into your place of business.
Let me give you an example. I frequent my bank (the silly think about checks is that they have to be cashed) for both personal and business needs. Most banks are bare and pristine. Oh, there may be a hint of color on the advertisement for an incredibly low auto loan, or strategically placed house plants to make you feel at home, but for the most part, I expect my bank to be pristinely clean. We’re talking feather-duster-daily clean. Until my most recent trip, I would say that my local branch exceeds my ‘bank criteria.’
Last weekend, I stepped into a branch of my normal bank located several hundred miles away from home. The glass door and the tile leading into the bank were filthy. I live in Utah, and I completely understand the dirty tile floors when it’s raining and snowing. However, this specific day was a beautiful spring day in the southern end of the state. No excuse for a dirty glass pane. I don’t know how to express the amount of dirt that had accumulated onto a single glass door, and the grime layering the grout and tile. It had obviously been ignored longer than several days (I would venture to say that it had never been thoroughly cleaned).
The good news is that the interior of the bank was beautiful and clean. The bad news is that the first impression that the branch was giving was pretty dirty- and it left a lasting impression on me.
The lesson? We have already established that we are likely to pass by the things we see everyday. We contract a severe case of ignoritis and stop noticing the little stuff.
I challenge you to walk into your space with open eyes and a clean slate. Is the front desk cluttered? Is the lighting to dim? Are the window seals or fixtures dusty? Take ten minutes to fix the problem (quick, huh?), and repeat next week. You’ll be amazed at the results.
modernelixir 