Not everyone should be client facing

Sad face of a puppet with strings attachedSome people, no matter their stellar brainpower, impeccable work ethic and fantastic sense of style, should never be client facing. I’m not saying you shouldn’t hire them. You’d be crazy not to.

They’re great hunkered down behind their computers, doing research and hammering out strategy. Most of the time they’re the work horses of great organizations. But you don’t want them interacting directly with your clients.

You know the ones I’m talking about. They have book smarts but lack certain social graces. They don’t like interacting with people. You’ve heard of the term bedside manner? These individuals lack it.

So who should be interacting with your clients?  Continue reading

The importance of being different.

A screen with the word Portland repeatedly enteredEven at 5:57 a.m. there’s an obscenely long line weaving towards security at for Gate D at Portland’s International Airport. Judging by their demeanor, few of then passengers have consumed their morning cuppa and they trudged like zombies through the maze on their approach to the TSA’s once over.

As a TSA agent approached the shuffling line, she loudly asked if anyone was in possession of chocolate. We all largely ignored the uniform’s announcements, assuming we’d memorized the TSA drill, so this question caught everyone’s attention.

Seriously?! Now they’re not letting people carry on chocolate? Oh, this can not end well. Continue reading