Inspiring Workplaces 
The Way Work Ought to Be!

#1,027 - June 26, 2024

Three-year-old Jordan walked into a Best Buy in Florida with his mom, clutching his beloved stuffed T-Rex he had received a few days earlier from Santa. Sadly, the T-Rex was not doing very well, having recently had its head dislodged from its body (never a pleasant experience, trust me). 

Rather than simply directing them to a new T-Rex, the sales associates led Jordan and his mom over to a special customer service counter, where, out of sight of the young lad's eyes, they performed a miraculous "surgery" on the T-Rex. Jordan's squeals of delight could be heard throughout the store when the associates presented him with his completely intact T-Rex. (I hate to break this to you, but they didn't really perform surgery. It was the old bait and switch routine, but in a good way!) 

This story is emblematic of Best Buy's dramatic turnaround after a new CEO took the reins in 2012 and implemented an intentional shift in their culture that emphasized customer service, a redefined sense of purpose, and creating human connections. 

Because of their culture of coaching and allowing employees the freedom to creatively respond to customers' needs, the Florida store associates knew they could act on a fabulous opportunity to delight a customer and save a T-Rex's life!   

(And speaking of delighting people, I want to thank the many of you who delighted me by sending me such warm wishes and congratulations on my latest book, Small Moments, Big Outcomes: How Leaders Create Cultures That Fuel Extraordinary Results. I truly appreciate your support! And for those of you who have already purchased the book, I would love to hear your thoughts and your ideas about what you're going to put into practice in your workplace! And if you loved the book I would be grateful for a review!)