In a World of Eagles, I'd Rather be a Duck

I found this site that you can create photo collages, etc. that I used to create the one below. The picture is a stock photo and I added the chirpy snippet. The truth is...that most of the time, I don't like chirpy. Don't get me wrong, I like happy. I like funny and I like joy. But chirpy? Not so much.

I really have to keep this side of me in check. If I were to roll my eyes at cheesy platitudes, I would definitely end up offending someone who finds them inspiring.

You know all those "You can be successful" books. Yeah, I'm not a fan. And the posters? Please.

But what I find very true are the things from Despair, Inc.  {Note: This is not a sponsored post. But I will be sending a tweet out to the company to see if my praises deserve, I don't know...a Not a Pat on the Back.}

If you've ever worked in an office where the culture is just a little too cultish, you probably get what I love about the poster above.

I'm lucky that I love what I do and enjoy who I work for. I've worked for two companies in the past that I also really liked...but their staff meetings did sound a lot like "Go out there and win one for the Gipper!" A little much, right?

Let's remember my personality is INFJ. I know I can't be alone when my thoughts are "Please let me go back to work now."

I've recently read a book...you've probably heard of it: Raving Fans. It was published in 1993 so I don't know how I missed it. The subtitle is The Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service.  Anyway, the book is still getting praises. Which, between you and me, I don't get.

First of all, it's told in allegory/parable form. I guess that was a thing in the '90s. I find that if you can tell a good story in a parable it would make an even better one-page memo. But that's just me.

I have to be open to the fact that others may prefer the parable. So, okay, I get it.

But then I came across this: outrageous quote:

“Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.”  {RAVING FANS}

That quote outrages me. Really, I'm not kidding.

And I am shocked that there are business blogs and books devoted to this idea:  Duck= Bad; Eagle = Good.

What bothers me is that a person can write a motivational book and use an analogy that is so utterly wrong!

Ducks quacking is NOT complaining. Ducks are communal. Quacking is communication. You know? Feedback. Ducks are exactly what an empathetic company should aspire to be. Communal and caring enough to communicate.

By comparison, eagles are solitary and though beautiful and majestic, are predators. They hunt and feed on other animals.

In a business analogy, an eagle thrives by #1 Identifying animals over which they have significant advantages (sight and speed). #2 Seeking out the weaker animals. #3 Killing the cute little bunnies.

Though I gotta say, I don't think that's good PR or customer service.

So, if someone wants to call me a duck instead of an eagle, I say THANK YOU! And, do you want to join us? We're having so much fun.

Until next time,

Breakfast

This morning I woke up knowing exactly what I wanted for breakfast. I wanted real (not instant) oatmeal from our local restaurant. Jordan and I had it last Sunday and now I may be hooked. You know what they say about breakfast; a day without breakfast is like a day without sunshine. Or something.


Today's oatmeal was special. We got lucky because we were seated in Terri's section. When we ordered I asked if we could have our oatmeal before the rest of the food was ready. --Oatmeal really is better hot, but so are eggs, hence the conundrum. Terri totally understood. She asked if we wanted brown sugar (yes), cream (yes), and butter. This was the second time someone offered butter with oatmeal. I'd never heard of it (before last week). So, I confessed that I've never had butter in my oatmeal. I don't get it. Do you put it in the oatmeal instead of cream and sugar? Sort of like hot tea is either with cream or with lemon. Terri was great. She totally recommends a little butter and real cream. She's from Vermont, she tells us. Maybe that's why I'd never heard of the butter in oatmeal before. Maybe it's something you do in the Northeast.

Okay, here's the thing, I used a little butter, and then I poured in the cream. It was cream, not milk, and it was beautiful. I don't know if it was the butter or the cream, but when I put in just a little brown sugar it was heaven in a bowl.

What a great way to start our day. Something so cozy and sweet. We are ready to usher in cooler weather. School starts soon, which makes me think (if not feel) like Autumn is upon us. Cooler weather calls for warm cereal, hot coffee, and bulky socks.

The oatmeal has come back to my thoughts throughout the day. Flashes of memories have filled my heart.

One of my friends' grandfather was known to like his oatmeal cold. I learned the story during the summer I spent with her and her family. We traveled from NC to Nova Scotia, stopping in PA to pick up Uncle Bill (brother to said grandfather). We'd split up for breakfast and met back at the van to continue the trip. Uncle Bill told us he had oatmeal at the diner counter down the street.

Cashier: "How was everything?"
Uncle Bill: "My brother would have loved that oatmeal!"
Cashier: "Oh, I'm glad you liked it."
Uncle Bill: "I didn't like it. My brother would have liked it. He likes his oatmeal stone cold."

Bam! They had just been schooled.

In case you are curious (like I was), when he was a boy, grandfather defiantly refused to eat his oatmeal because he didn't like it. His mother wasn't having it. When the next meal time came, grandfather was presented with the bowl of oatmeal that he had not eaten that morning. He was stubborn and wouldn't eat it. But at some point (I don't know how many meals), grandfather ate the cold oatmeal. The next morning he was served hot oatmeal, like his brother. Grandfather again refused to eat it. So, the oatmeal waited and was represented each meal until Grandfather ate. This happened enough times that grandfather grew to like cold oatmeal.

Uncle Bill tells that story twice. Once in the van when I was too curious to wait and the second time when he told his brother about the diner encounter. It was Uncle Bill's tribute to his brother's stubbornness. There seemed to be a bit of admiration there.

I loved, loved that summer!

Hope your weekend is great!

~Kimberly

p.s. Have you ever had butter in your oatmeal?