15. Walk In Others’ Shoes.

Understand both your internal and external customers’ world. Appreciate their challenges and frustrations. Think from their perspective. The better you understand them, the more effectively you can anticipate and meet their needs.

Callie's Message:

This saying dates back to the Native American Cherokee tribe and became popular in the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

When I was growing up my mother used to say, “you do not know anyone until you walk in their shoes.”

“Walk In Other’s Shoes” is a saying we all know. But when it comes to actually understanding why someone is the way they are, it is easier to label them with a negative characteristic. To walk in someone’s shoes means to put yourself in the other person’s position to understand their actions or feelings no matter what the circumstance. If we lived this fundamental so many of our 40 fundamentals would be automatic.

We gain empathy and appreciation when we walk in other’s shoes.

We can better appreciate our customer’s issues when we live this fundamental. Many of us do the same thing every day, get good at what we do, then become complacent. An associate at Famous who lives this fundamental in everything she does and says daily is Judy Noll.

By living this fundamental we turn empathy into a best business practice. It increases commitment to our customers, fellow associates and business partners!

Callie
Callie St. Clair
National Accounts CSR