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.

Marc's Message:

When I think of this fundamental, I think of the word, “Empathy”.

To me, empathy is more than caring.  It’s going much deeper to truly understand how another person really feels.  It’s hard to do.  But when mastered, I feel that it can become one of the most fulfilling parts of business or in one’s personal life.  Why do I say that?  Because if you walk in others’ shoes, you can transform yourself into living it from their perspective, and that’s powerful.

When you have a situation with a good friend, an acquaintance, a stranger, a business associate, a customer, or a family member, walking in their shoes allows you to think about them from an emotional level and setting your emotions aside.

At Famous, we have so many associates who consistently display empathy in exceptional ways.  Two people that come to mind to me are Bob Blackburn and Tom Krejci.  They are either hard wired or have worked on and developed this important character trait.  They get it.  They get life.

As an example, if a branch needs help on a warehouse project at 5:00 am every day for a month, Bob will volunteer to come in and help before he gets on the phones to help customers in his inside sales role.  He does this not only because he’s a great guy, but because he knows the work it takes to get things done, and he wants to help his coworkers.  He understands how the other person would feel with too much to get done and not enough time in the day to accomplish the objective.  Moreover, he helps joyfully and with a positive attitude.  His good natured way lifts people up.

Tom Krejci is also a master at empathy.  He has a unique ability to almost transform himself into an empathetic state.  You can see it in his eyes and feel it in his soul.  When I ask Tom for his opinion, which I’ve done hundreds, if not thousands, of times over the past 30 years, you can see his empathy exude itself in his body language.  It’s real, it’s personal, and it’s authentic.

Bob and Tom are perfect examples of displaying empathy, because they are simply good people.  When it comes down to empathy, maybe that’s the answer.  Be a good person, care deeply about others, and do the right thing by really walking in others’ shoes.  It makes sense, common sense Š right?  Not only do these guys get it and do it, but they do it the Famous way and with authenticity.

Let’s all learn from the best so we can do an exceptional job walking in others’ shoes!