Two key ingredients….

This is my firstborn, Daniel. He started working at the local Ace Hardware before his senior year of high school.?It's been a great place for him to learn and grow (retail is a great space to be educated!) Additionally, the owners have invested in him and added to his responsibilities. It's been a big win for him. After he graduated from high school this past May, he decided to keep the job as he pursues his undergraduate degree.

Last night he walks in the door, comes into my office, sits down and starts to catch me up on his day. Right off the top, he says to me, "before I started working I heard someone say that competency & politeness can take you really, really far.?That didn't really make sense to me then, but it sure does now!"?I chuckled as he unpacked some of the details from his day that reinforced that maxim. It's true - competency & politeness can take you really, really far.

I shared with him, that over the course of my career, I've absolutely seen this to be true.?More than the institution listed on a diploma (or whether you even got a diploma), more than the degree plan earned, more than IQ, more than your station in life - if you are competent & polite, you can go really, really far.

When I think about competency, I am describing someone who:

• Is skilled at what they have been asked to do
• Understands the intricacies & nuances of their role / industry
• Pays attention to the parts that make up the whole
• Can be trusted to do what's been asked of them
• Displays these qualities consistently

When I think about politeness, I am describing someone who:

• Goes out of their way to be helpful
• Actively listens
• Looks you in the eye
• Takes the time to understand what the customer wants or needs (even if the customer can't quite articulate what they want or need)
• Displays an attitude & aura that communicates, "I'm glad you came in" or "I really appreciate you and your business" or "It's been my pleasure to serve you today."

To be sure, there are other really important qualities - we could talk of integrity, hustle, teach-ability, humility and others.?But what my son is learning (& I'm thankful he's learning it now) is that competency & politeness are vital ingredients in the recipe.??