What is the “It’s an Honor to Serve You Today” Perspective?

It’s late at night…

I’ve been out of town since last Sunday. My nearly 97-year-old Dear Dad and I did SIX Major Errands today – several of the “we only need to take care of this once a year” variety. The same has been true several days this week… and I’m exhausted. But it is a good exhausted… with a refreshing perspective that I believe will refresh you as well.

So this blogpost is a departure from my progression through how each DISC Style prefers to communicate. But as we live and work with those around us, I think this is a critical perspective to consider.

It brings to mind a phrase used every now and then on one of my favorite Food Channel shows (please bear with me… this story has an excellent point) – “CHOPPED!”. After the contestants open their baskets to find a hodge-podge of completely unrelated food items they are to use to make a delectable dish… they cook like crazy, then serve their dish to three judges who are famous chefs in their own right. After each round, one of them is CHOPPED!

What I find fascinating (besides what they can come up with to make out of those items in their basket) is their response to getting eliminated.

Every now and then, the contestant about to leave the competition simply says to the judges, “Thank you. It was an honor to cook for you today.”

I so want that to be my attitude as I help my dad accomplish these important goals on his list.

“Thank you! It was an honor to serve you today!”

What if that was the way we approached our coworkers, our patients, our family, our neighbors, even strangers?

Next week, I’ll be back home and we’ll get back to looking at how each DISC Style prefers to communicate – the S-Style, then the C-Style are left. Then we focus on how each DISC Style prefers to be motivated and what demotivates them… so important when working with a variety of staff.

But this week, I want to encourage all of us to seek that excellent perspective … that it’s an honor to serve those around us each day.

QUESTION: Have you ever approached helping others with this “It’s An Honor to Serve You Today” perspective? I’d love to hear your thoughts and observations. Please share in the comment section below.