Tycoon-ism: “A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.” – Chinese Proverb

Being in the customer relations of any industry is always one the most challenging jobs there is in terms of human interaction. Here are customers who are mainly dissatisfied with your product with numerous complaints and your job is to appease at least most of them. They want their problems solved immediately and they don’t want to wait as this part of their purchase is not part of their tight schedule. There was a newly hired clerk to handle the complaints section of a large mall and at his first week the stress of the job already showed on his face. At first he tried courtesy, but courtesy lasts only as your patience. He tried fighting back but, who is he kidding? Customers are king. He tried indifference, but how can you ignore harsh words so easily? And so he resolved to quit the next day. Over dinner at a restaurant he heard a boy complain to his dad about how rude his classmate was. The father listened intently then gently told his son how his classmate’s parents were in the process of divorce. Finally the father said, “be kind with Bill, son, he’s fighting a tough battle right now.” That last statement made the clerk think about his situation and he realized that he had tried everything except kindness. The next morning he smiled more and greeted his customers. He got to know more about them as people and at the end of the day, he made two new friends and he couldn’t wait to meet new friends the next day.

Tycoon-ism: “He harms the good who spares the bad.” – Publius Syrus

As we manage people we often are baffled at how we can handle each and every peculiarity among our subordinates. If ever there was a solid strategy on how to manage all types of people then that would solve much of a manager’s problem, but there simply isn’t.

Putting ourselves in the shoes of our employees though, we probably prefer tolerant and easy going superiors as opposed to stern and dictatorial ones. In here there must always be a balance. As leaders, if we become used to looking the other way while our employees do a bad job then we are in effect telling them that, “hey, it’s ok to be underproductive”. We must face the fact that there will always be people who will take advantage, doing what is necessary to give a passable job but loaf around the minute they know that your back is turned. If the manager does not correct this, then it is more than likely that the others who are doing a good job and are exerting the effort will lose their interest and will more often than not, follow the “easy” way. We hurt our ourselves when we spare the rod of discipline, much as we do when we use the rod too often. Always, there must be a balance.

Tycoon-ism: “I feel sorry for someone who has to win at everything.” – Anonymous

There was a couple at a restaurant who was arguing about almost everything and the woman seems to always get the last word on their arguments from the man’s driving to his choice of suit. Now in this restaurant, customers are requested to write down their orders on an order paper as this will be the basis of the waiters in taking their orders. While choosing between a chicken sandwich and soup the woman inadvertently wrote down chicken soup instead of the sandwich. When the soup arrived the woman as expected immediately complained and reiterated that she ordered the chicken sandwich. Without a word the waiter took the soup and returned with a sandwich together with the order slip with soup written on it. Realizing her mistake the woman immediately apologized and offered to pay for both the soup and sandwich but the waiter, ever courteous responded, “No, that’s perfectly alright. I’m just happy you’ve forgiven me for being right.”

There are some among us who hate to lose. And while this maybe a good idea when competing with ourselves, it is perceived as a defect when we compete with others when it never really was intended as a competition in the first place.

Tycoon-ism: “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.” – Andrew Carnegie

He was one of the most prominent industrialist of the 1900’s. At the age of 30 he was earning $50,000 in a year. A substantial amount today even if we discounted the effects of inflation and devaluation. He was the Scottish born Andrew Carnegie. But he achieved his greatest successes when he consolidated all his efforts into the Carnegie Steel. At that time the concept of vertical integration whereby a company controlled the supply side of his manufacturing was almost unheard of. What he did was he went ahead and bought all the means of supplying his steel manufacturing including the railways needed in the delivery of the supplies. What’s more he introduced a detailed cost accounting of his processes and new and innovative ways upon which he can reduce his cost. Hence he built the most successful company of his era that survived and flourished even during the 1892 depression. In all his success he admitted and often stressed that he built his fortune on the solid foundation of his managers like Captain Bill Jones, Henry Clay Frick and even his brother Thomas M. Carnegie. He knew that the founding of an empire is dependent on good generals and administrators.

Tycoon-ism: “The future is a convenient place for dreams.” – Anatole France

The good thing about the future is that you never know how things will end. This uncertainty adds to it being as enticing as ever. It is because of this that we should not stop flinging our dreams towards our future. They will be our compass when the time comes for us to make tough decisions or our lighthouse when we are lost among our daily activities. You see, those dreams of ours prod us. They are the carrot being dangled; and while they may be intangible at the moment, the thought of us being able to accomplish them drives us to succeed. So go ahead and make your plans. Better to have something to hold on for the future than none at all. Better to be positive than to let yourself succumb to negativity. Ultimately, better to have hope for the future than to live life in despair.