Sweeping, The Journal of Chimney Venting and Technology
"Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are
unseen and unseeable in the world."
-Francis Pharcellus Church
Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus
Santa Claus...arguably one of the best entrepreneurs of all time. Clearly, he's got to be one of the best brands. Believe in him or not, Saint Nick has a lot to offer the rest of us besides toys under a tree. And let's be honest, the man knows his chimneys to boot! If there's anyone else who can truly appreciate this time of year as "the busy season" it has to be Kris Kringle.
In hopes that you are finding some time to kick back and relax a little during the holidays, I'm keeping my topic light but hopefully still somewhat pertinent this month. Several years ago I wrote about a fun, quick read, business book called "The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus." From Santa's perspective, there are eight secrets to his entrepreneurial success:
- Build a wonder workshop
- Choose your reindeer wisely
- Make a list and check it twice
- Listen to the elves
- Get beyond the red wagons
- Share the milk and cookies
- Find out who's naughty and nice
- Be good for goodness sake
Surely any business person ought to be able to to identify with just about everything on that list. Granted, maybe not in quite those same terms, but it shouldn't take much of a leap for the big guy's advice to resonate within each of us. In the opening pages of his book, Mr. Claus states:
"I am, after all, running a business here. I'm a boss. I've got responsibilities - both to the gift-getters and the gift-makers. There are workers to lead, letters to read, orders to fill, processes to manage, stuff to buy, stuff to make, standards to maintain, new technologies to adopt, skills to develop, elf problems to solve, and reindeer droppings to scoop."Doesn't that aptly describe your job in your business?
Last December Forbes.com published an article by Geoff Loftus called "Lead Like the Best CEO: Santa Claus." In another light-hearted but poignant business analogy the author summarized Santa's basic keys to success; focus, quality assurance and control, belief in what the organization does, and commitment to the customer.
Focus from the North Pole is unparalleled. The company knows its core competence and sticks reliably to it year-in and year-out. Competition isn't ignored, but it isn't allowed to detract the company from its mission. Santa stays focused on what he is doing right and how he can improve rather than worrying about what everyone else is doing to gain attention.
Santa is all about quality. As Zenith Television exclaimed, "the quality goes in before the name goes on." Santa has an extensive list of customers that he checks twice, ensuring no one is left out. He takes the time to find out what his customers want, what he can do to improve, and he delivers.
As a result, his customers believe in him. But perhaps more importantly, he believes in himself and what his company does. Through that uncompromising belief, he motivates those around him and clearly and effectively communicates who he is and what he does in the world.
Mr. Claus is committed to his customers like no other. Sure we all talk about being committed to our customers, but how many of us truly treat our customers as #1 day-in and day-out? As Geoff Loftus describes it:
"The guy literally goes to the ends of the earth and even works on Christmas for crying out loud. That's commitment."I've researched a fair bit about the business of Santa Claus over the years. While certainly implied, one consistent quality I have seen weaved throughout his tapestry of success, though not specifically stated, is his unwavering commitment to take that one extra step to make a difference. Good is not good enough in his relentless pursuit of greatness.
Another wonderful easy read is a pocket book called "212° the extra degree" by S.L. Parker. It's full of examples in life and in business that illustrate how taking that one additional step makes all the difference in the world. The opening passage reads:
"At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam you can power a locomotive."In honor of College Bowl season and the quickly approaching professional football playoff season, as the great Vince Lombardi once said,
"Inches make the champion."That one extra degree, that one extra step, that one extra inch can mean the difference between the impact of a moment and the impact of a lifetime. Maybe we can't all be Santa Claus to the world, but maybe we can be Santa Claus to one person, and to that one person you could be world.
As I reported in my book report to you several years ago, perhaps my favorite of Santa's secrets is to
"Be Good for Goodness Sake."Be the example, not only in your immediate business, but in the trade itself. It's not about doing the right thing because someone might be watching you. Rather it's about doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do, even if no one is watching you. And of course, if you believe in karma, you will come out ahead in the long run anyway, regardless of what others are doing (translated: stop worrying about what everybody else does).
It has been an interesting year for all of us, and while we certainly haven't been perfect, all of us involved in the administration and governance of the National Chimney Sweep Guild and the Chimney Safety Institute of America hope that despite life's challenges we have continued to provide value to each of you. On behalf of all of us here at NCSG and CSIA, I want to thank you for your ongoing support over the past year and the many well-wishes we have received as another calendar year comes to a close. We indeed have a lot to be thankful for and you do mean the world to us.
And finally, fulfilling my promise to keep things light, in dedication to my brother-in-law, a self-proclaimed pun addict:
What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?..."Claustrophobic."Until next time, I wish you and yours every happiness this holiday season!
Mark
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