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irreplacable? finger in the glass


The room was filled with conversations regarding how special each of our operations are in providing superior service to our clients. In the corner, trying to blend in with the furniture, reluctant Ruth was hearing every fourth word as her consistently negative attitude was impacting her comprehension.  Each participant, searching for that elusive silver bullet, which would allow their customers to see them as irreplaceable.  Ruth remembered that time when her father, skeptical Sam, asked that she conduct an experiment with him one fine afternoon. It was really quite straightforward, Sam placed a clear glass of water in front of Ruth and asked her to put her finger in the middle of the glass. Now the trick is, commented her father, when your finger leaves the water, and a hole remains, you are irreplaceable.



Having just a couple of years in the service business, it was hard for Ruth to grasp what her father Sam was really telling her.  Ruth, a committed naysayer, was not stupid. Every place she looked change was happening at a rate never seen before in our industry. How can we prevent our service company from suffering the same fate as other industries unwilling to look past their profitable perches?  We must align directly with our clients business objectives and remain willing to adapt our operations accordingly. Years ago we may have differentiated ourselves by "self-performing everything"; identified ourselves as the only organization that can help you with "X" type of equipment; convinced you that our years of experience trumps any version of artificial or augmented intelligence.  If this is you, enjoy taking pictures with your Kodak film camera at that Blockbuster video store.



I don't believe anyone is irreplaceable. Time spent building trust and fortifying relationships is only worthwhile when you sincerely open your mind to welcoming change. The days of us "knowing all the answers" are quickly evaporating in the rearview mirror.



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