Windows and doors tend to be one of the biggest purchases a homeowner makes when building or renovating a home. Most salespersons are acutely aware of this fact. TV shows about houses remind us of this fact nearly every episode. House magazines do the same. So when I send a set of drawings with the details of the windows and doors we need, I expected to receive quotes for the same back.
Not one company or salesperson got it correct. Most left windows or doors out of their quote. Others included two or three of the same door when we only need one. And there were other interesting things on quotes. At first I thought the person might be having a bad day. Then it kept happening. At some of them even blamed me for the errors (I still don’t know how it could be my fault).
I understand that for them, they likely work on multiple quotes a day and have monthly targets far larger than our order. But they also all seem to know this is the biggest single purchase we’ll make for our house. And they seem to forget that. It’s just small details, not a big deal. However, when it is the biggest purchase we’ll make, it is a big deal for us. So getting the details correct, spending the extra 5 minutes to triple check the quote against the request before it goes out, is worth it.
The same is true in change and in learning. For those who lead, who teach, who are changemakers, we may have done something a thousand times. It may not be a big deal for us and we may know that if something is slightly wrong, it can easily be resolved. But for the person learning, having their world changed, details matter. And anxiety skyrockets when the details aren’t look after.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
The choice is up to us.
0 Comments