Getting to that point of people saying “Wow!” is a process. Most of us are familiar with that old saying, “If you build it, they will come.” However, reality is sometimes different than what we envision. First experiences leave lasting impressions and may be hard to change unless we are aware of the pathway to wow!
As leaders we begin by figuring out how to provide the service or product we wish to offer. We may be passionate about design or counseling, but it takes time to learn how to provide those services for people. Questions at this point in the pathway revolve around what to offer, how to deliver those services or products, and creating a foundation from which to work. This stage can be a bit chaotic as we establish our workflow.
The second stage is to excel in doing the things we learned in the first stage. This includes strengthening our skills and techniques, striving to improve quality, and honing our message to deliver the best experience possible. We must stretch past the comfort of what we currently know, to being one of the best and most knowledgeable. This phase requires a focus on refinement, adding new customers, and continuous learning.
While the second stage focuses on developing excellence in what we do, we must build on that to exceed expectations. The third phase is focusing on how to adapt to our clients’ unique needs. We identify strategies to serve in a unique and customized way. Phase three takes us from a broader one size fits all to an individualized approach. It is in this stage that we are most likely to provide the kind of experience where people truly say “Wow, you get me!”
Many feel that once they have moved to the next phase, they are done with the one before. However, this is not true. Every new venture, new project, or new service should cause us to ask what new skills we will need. How can we perfect those skills? And how do we accommodate the needs of those we serve? In fact, innovation requires us to go through this cycle repeatedly.
Leading means mastering the cycle of these stages throughout your life, continuously building toward that experience of “Wow!” for our clients. Let’s not get stuck establishing a great foundation for our work, or refining things; instead let’s commit to reaching “Wow!”
