Quaker Oats Oatmen pic.
Oatmeal and Oregano
Paying attention – I wasn’t.
This morning while making oatmeal, which I do most mornings, I grabbed the red topped container which I do most mornings. Didn’t pay attention.
The red topped container was in the usual spot next to the stove top. I grabbed it, opened it, and shook in a few hardy flecks of….. What is that? It is supposed to be a dark red color. The fragrance, isn’t cinnamon. I had forgotten to put the oregano back into the spice rack after I used it last night. I left it on the counter and now I have Oatmeal with apples, sugar, and a few hardy flecks of oregano.
That’s what happens when we don’t pay attention to our business. We take for granted that our customers will always be in the same place, taking up the same amount of space in our financial ledger and we provide them with our thoughtless interaction.
When we pour oregano on the oatmeal, we mess up our sustenance. Maybe we yell, wave or we give our clients thoughtless interaction instead of paying attention to what they are saying. We fail to ask thoughtful engaging questions about their business and their clients. We don’t pay attention…
It is the apples, sugar and cinnamon that make oatmeal exciting, tasty and healthy.
It is our clients that help our business, our livelihood and the overall economy.
But, we have to pay attention.
So very true!
Mindfulness in our personal life is often discussed. The same holds true for our business as well! Thanks for pointing this out!
(Next time… grab the cinnamon!)
Linda, so true that unintended consequences happen when we don’t pay attention. Question? Did you taste the oregano oatmeal? Both are healthy ingredients and I would think it may not have been too bad as the apple and cinnamon may overpower!
Nice little analogy in relation to client service.
Ute: Although I did a frantic spoon sweep to get the oregano off the top, some did “leak” through. It was not nearly as offensive as I thought it would be. Glad I didn’t throw it out!