Sitting in hotels and airports provides ample opportunities to observe the world around you. As I sat in the lobby of a very nice resort, I couldn’t help but overhear the General Manager tell his staff to “have a great day and make everyone you contact have a great day too.” Make no mistake, that same discussion happens in nearly every hotel and resort in the world. However, the way this manager said it, and the way the people reacted, told me he was very sincere. He made his staff feel good about themselves and their mission. He was not only telling them what to do, his was showing them how to do it. He was being a good role model. Managers, parents, peers, Partners, in fact everybody, is role modeling all the time. Whenever a person behaves in a particular style, they are role modeling for the people around them. Employees, children, and peers, tend to emulate those they look up to. We often hear sports and entertainment celebrities say they are just entertainers, not role models. In fact, good or bad, they are all role models.

If the boss starts off the day by standing around chatting with everybody in the office, the employees now see/think that acting in that manner is acceptable. When a parent yells at another driver and gives them the single finger salute, they effectively tell their children to behave the same way. The boss that treats his employees and customers with dignity and respect is showing them how to act. Parents that exercise and eat properly can expect their children to do the same. That is until they go to college!

We’ve all seen people say one thing and then immediately act another way-Tell their children not to smoke, chew, or abuse alcohol/drugs, and then do those things themselves. Tell their employees to act in certain ways, and then act in an opposite way. Or, how about, telling your Partner their success is important to you, then not giving them the feedback and encouragement they need?!?

I encourage you to act as you would like everyone else to act. Make sure your words and your actions reinforce each other. If you want the world to be a better place...act like it.

Remember, everyone is a role model to someone. To be more effective and successful, role model how you want your Partner to behave. Act as if you would have them act as you are Partnering To Success.